HelloHello

How do cheaper sailing boats fair as Thames cruisers in the Surrey area? I've seen a few around the 4k mark that 'look' nice, have beta engines, which I know well, and a managble draft, but the question would be if I used it primarily for cruising with the potential of learning to sail, would I be frustrated with the way it handles cruising about? I come from a narrowboat back ground and have quite a bit of know how in terms of handling GRP cruisers, but would I be out of my depth potentially investing in a sail rather than a simple cruiser/motorboat?

Thanks for the insight! Yeah I've tried the usual eBay and appollo duck and some specialist sites and also hoping the season coming to an end will work out for me. I saw that boat up for grabs you linked, unfortunately it's a no go for me, because I've done business with the seller before a few years back and rather not tread that path again. Thanks W+T

Hey there, Basically looking for a GRP motorboat/cabin cruiser for around the 3K mark which doesn't need too much work done at around 17-23ft dependent on what I find. And in within reasonable distance of Surrey. Regards,

Thanks both for the early replies! It and me are based in the Surrey area. I think this particular boat is a case of looking nice and repainted, but in reality needs more than I'm willing to give. The same way I personally wouldn't weld steel plates myself to a steel structure, I'm not looking for a project that means I have to repatch a GRP hull. Thanks again,

Hi there, Could I be so rude if someone with slightly more experience in regards to GRP boats could let me know if the picture of this Fairlin hull is a cause for concern? I'm considering buying, what I know in regards to osmosis it looks ok, the boat is nice for a 1980s thing considering and it's recently been antinfouled. My main concern is what looks to be a massive clump of resin on the bottom of the hull which is blacked over. Take a look at the attached and any advice would be gratefully received, before I consider putting an offer in and/or consider a pre sale survey. Thanks again!

Hi there, thanks for the reply! After speaking with about everyone and their Cat, this HIN isn't looking like too much of a problem. The main issue in regards to the Broker selling her was interms of insurance, which is understandable, but I now have it in writing that this HIN number would not effect the boat being successfully insured by an insurer and a few other verbal confirmations from other insurance companies, making everyone involved happy, but we'll see tomorrow. And from all the above feedback stating how a lot of others haven't found the abcense of this HIN a problem and looking at the official guidelines that the RCD/RYA offer it looks to be ok. Not sure who are the guilty parties or who's wrong or right, but it seems to be ok. Fingers crossed that no more hurdles have to be jumped over. And thanks again to this forum, you really really have helped! Regards,

Just in contact with the RYA now, thanks for the tip!

Basically when this all came to light the brokerage im selling through requested the boat builders contact details and the brokerage I bought the boat from. The brokerage then contacted both on my behalf and informed me that the builder doesn't use HIN numbers which he the brokerage selling my boat deemed it to be an illegal act which is looking like is not the case. The origin of the letter of conformity could have been created by the builder, the brokerage that sold it to me or the queen. Maybe an original letter was lost and perhaps this was created at a buyer's request, I'm not sure, but I have it in my folder that came with the boat. I hope that makes sense. Thanks to everyone who replied to this, I'm starting to feel a bit better about the situation and at least things a bit clearer.

Thanks for this! I will most certainly do what you suggest, Regards, Nick

Ok so the plot thickens, I spoke to my Boat Saefty guy and insurance company which both of which don't deem the HIN number a necessity? The insurance company would insure the boat without the HIN number as long as the boat can be proved it was professionaly built, the builder trades under a name, has a website and can prove a body of work and they said that would be enough. My BS guy tells me it's not a required number for smaller boat builders, but isn't something he comes across often. So my question being is my boat legal, can it be sold and insured the latter being the most important. All points seem to point to yes which would contradict the brokerage?

Hi Murflynn, Thank you for your in-depth reply it really is appreciated. Do you have a resource I can reference what you said and/or who in your estimations would be the best people to contact to help me with this? Thanks in advance? Regards,

I found the buyer, but the mooring belongs to the brokerage so any sell would go through them, plus all the above is quite concerning and I wouldn't want to just pass on the buck now that this has all come to light.

Hi Martyn, Thanks for responding. Yes to all the above. The letter of conformity is quite fraudulent and there's no HIN or CE on the boat. Thank you! Because the boat builder admitted it, but I do understand your point.

Because when I bought it there was a letter of conformity with an HIN number, the insurance company signed it off, environmental agency and C&RT licenced it, an historic survey on the records all ticked it all off. In hindsight yes I should have got my own survey, but the HIN was probably the last thing I thought would have been a question mark on a 7 year old boat.

On the boat builders note of conformity there's basically a made up HIN number, but there's actually no HIN number assigned to the hull, but when we approached the builder he freely admitted he's been doing it for years (which I find odd). Now the brokerage selling my boat informs me that without an official HIN number they can't legally sell it, if an accident were to happen my insurance company wouldn't actually support any issue and apparently I would have to get the boat lifted, surveyed by someone who can actually assign HIN numbers providing the hull, electrics and gas etc are above board and conform to today's standards which excluding any works done would cost around 3K. The boat is 12 years old and I bought it 5 1/2 years back, but now have a buyer and obviously between a rock and a hard place.