Costs of Ownership
What will it cost me to own a share in the barge?
What Does a Share Cost?
First, you need to purchase a share in the boat.
There are twelve shares in Donjeux, though an owner may own more than one share or a share may be owned by more than one owner. At the owners’ Annual General Meeting each share entitles the owner to have one vote where voting is needed. The shares are split into ordinary and special shares, of which there are two. An owner being a special shareholder enjoys some advantages when it is time to book their holidays for which they pay a premium of 25% on the agreed owners’ Annual Contribution.
The marketed price of a share is determined by the owner selling it; other owners have no part to play in this, though they have the right of first refusal when a share becomes available.
The Owners’ Annual Contribution
This variable charge is calculated from a budget put forward by the Treasurer and agreed by the owners at the Annual General Meeting of the Donjeux Owners’ Association. This covers regular expenses such as the French waterways cruising licence, insurance for the barge, the fees for the permanent mooring and the programme of routine winter maintenance. Added to this are those costs which need to be met for calling out an engineer to deal with mechanical problems when cruising and any improvements to the barge which have been approved or renewals and replacements of equipment. If the budget proves insufficient to cover the actual costs incurred during the year, owners may be asked to make a supplementary contribution according to the usual formula for ordinary and special shares. One factor which has to be taken into account is that while funds are banked in sterling, most of the expenditure is in euros; the budget has thus to accommodate any in-year currency fluctuations.
The 2023 annual contribution to fixed costs and reserves was £875.
Running Costs
In addition to the annual contribution, the shareholder will pay to replenish the barge with diesel at the end of their holiday, replace any empty gas cylinders and replace any breakages and lost items. At some mooring places along the canals and rivers a charge is made for mooring overnight at the owner’s expense. The shareholder is also liable for the cost of acquiring and renewing the mandatory International Certificate of Competence (ICC).