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Info on my local narrowboat builder


philip levy

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Just had a better look at the link - it appears that maybe they are working to a very different RCR (bearig in mind that the RCD which they quote ceased to be in 2017) than anyone else - I'm sure the 3-point RCD check  (Front, Middle and Back ?) will give buyers a warm fuzzy feeling.

 

Nice to know that those RCD chappies in Brussels will come out and give the boat a check over. I wonder if this company realises what the RCR compliance actually requires ?

 

I wonder what happened to the other "997" checks the RCR requires ?

 

 

FULLY APPROVED WITH A FULL EXTERNAL SAFETY INSPECTION AS STANDARD

Our work comes with a full three-point inspection from the Recreational Craft Directive followed by a Boat Safety Scheme Certification on completion and a 12-month guarantee.

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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15 minutes ago, Slim said:

Looking at the photo of the side doors it looks as if the ply panels don't match. One appears to be quarter cut with the grain running horizontally whilst the other crown cut with the grain running vertically. An absolute indication of penny pinching. It also looks as if the shoot bolt is chromed whilst the knobs are brass. If I'm correct what is the rest like? 

Ooh. That does look odd!

Build-process-how-it-works-narrow-boats-

 

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There are some slightly worrying points in their Terms and Conditions. There are references to the "property" which would seem to be more relevant to their building company than to a boatbuilder. 

You pay 5% on order before they start work and they may then bill you in stages, such bills to be paid within 7 days or they stop work and start charging you interest. Once materials for the build have been delivered the customer is responsible for insuring them. Title on the materials passes to the customer once the relevant bills have been paid, but there is no reference to who owns the part completed boat (which includes both materials and the boatbuilder's time, which the customer has paid for), so in the event of insolvency it could be difficult for the customer to establish that the part-built boat is his and not a business asset to be disposed of to pay creditors higher up the pecking order than the customer. There's been a few people in the past who have lost significant sums that way when boatbuilders have gone under. And as this business has only been trading for a matter of months there is no track record to go by regarding how sound the business is.

Edited by David Mack
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4 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

An I suspect they are not up to standard for a boat that long. I have no idea what the RCR says about nav lights but if it echoes COLREGs then I suspect another fraudulent RCR certificate would be issued

 

Do you know of any narrow boat over 12m in length that has nav lights compliant with the COLREGs? I've never seen one.

 

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BIG RED WARNING

The company RUSSELL NARROWBOATS LIMITED I referred to in my post above is 

company number 14075828, and was incorporated on 28 April 2022.

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/14075828

But the website gives a company number 12728138, which is a different company RUSSELL NARROWBOATS LTD, which was incorporated on 8 July 2020 and dissolved by way of compulsory strike off on 14 December 2021. 

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12728138

This latter company is in the name of Paul Russell alone.

 

With that sort of record I might buy a completed boat from Mr Russell, although I would not necessarily expect any after-sales service. But I would be very wary about paying tens of thousands up front for a boat which at best I wouldn't get for months.

 

  • Greenie 3
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15 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Do you know of any narrow boat over 12m in length that has nav lights compliant with the COLREGs? I've never seen one.

 

 

Please Sir - mine does (or did when I fitted it out years ago ) AND the forward pair were mounted in a position similar to the boat under discussion / asassination.....

I did break the RHS nav light on a sticky-out-bit in a short tunnel on the BCN many years ago so the other comment earlier in this thread is relevant. Never mind the boat is sold / being sold and we've given up boating after nearly 50 years ( ! yikes !)

15 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

 

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8 minutes ago, David Mack said:

BIG RED WARNING

The company RUSSELL NARROWBOATS LIMITED I referred to in my post above is 

company number 14075828, and was incorporated on 28 April 2022.

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/14075828

But the website gives a company number 12728138, which is a different company RUSSELL NARROWBOATS LTD, which was incorporated on 8 July 2020 and dissolved by way of compulsory strike off on 14 December 2021. 

 

 

That will explain how they appeared to have fitted out a number of boats in a short time.

What is "compulory strike off"? It sounds both dodgy and alarming, but what does it entail?

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1 minute ago, Athy said:

That will explain how they appeared to have fitted out a number of boats in a short time.

What is "compulory strike off"? It sounds both dodgy and alarming, but what does it entail?

 

A compulsory strike off is a process whereby a company is forcibly removed from the Companies House register. This process is set out under Section 1000 of the Companies Act 2006.

 

 

Why would a compulsory strike off happen?

The Companies House registrar may initiate a compulsory strike off if they take the view that a company is no longer trading.

Usually, this will be due to the company’s failure to comply with some form of due protocol, for example:

  • The company has failed to file annual accounts or statements
  • The company has no appointed directors
  • Post sent by Companies House to the company’s registered address is returned undelivered

In some cases, if a company is approaching insolvency or has ceased trading, its directors may fail to submit their annual accounts and intentionally allow a compulsory strike off to occur in order to close down the company quickly and inexpensively.

 

Compulsory strike off consequences

If you do not respond to inquiry letters from Companies House, your company may be forcibly struck off even if you’re still trading.

The consequences of this could be significant, and may include the following:

  • Your company will cease to exist as a legal entity
  • Ownership of any undistributed assets or cash will be automatically transferred to the Crown
  • Contracts with suppliers and customers will be jeopardised
  • The company will not be able to secure finance to rescue itself
  • The company will no longer have the protection of limited liability if it continues to trade, so directors may face personal liability for the company’s debts
  • The directors’ conduct may be investigated, which could lead to disqualification from being a company director for up to 15 years
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36 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Do you know of any narrow boat over 12m in length that has nav lights compliant with the COLREGs? I've never seen one.

 

 

But that is not the point. Just like the RCR/RCD there are regulations and on a new boat  one would expect them to be complied with. If the builder does not then what other short cuts have been taken. We have been told of under water welds sealed with body filler and ditto above water ones as well.

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19 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

 

Please Sir - mine does (or did when I fitted it out years ago ) AND the forward pair were mounted in a position similar to the boat under discussion / asassination.....

 

 

Well the vast majority aren't compliant. Most narrowboats with nav lights have undersized lights, no masthead light or masthead light not 1m above the port/starboard lights, etc.

 

If your nav lights were the same size as the ones in the picture and your boat is over 12m in length then I'm afraid the lights aren't compliant.

 

The point is that for most inland waterways full compliance isn't necessary and you just do what's reasonably practical to make your boat visible. If you want to follow all the regs to the letter you'd even need radar reflectors to comply with requirements of the SOLAS V regs.

 

 

7 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

But that is not the point. Just like the RCR/RCD there are regulations and on a new boat  one would expect them to be complied with. If the builder does not then what other short cuts have been taken. We have been told of under water welds sealed with body filler and ditto above water ones as well.

 

But it is my point. No narrow boat builder complies with the COLREGS in their entirety because it's unnecessary and not reasonably practical..

Edited by blackrose
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2 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Well the vast majority aren't compliant. Most narrowboats with nav lights have undersized lights, no masthead light or masthead light not 1m above the port/starboard lights, etc.

 

If you nav lights were the same size as the ones in the picture and your boat is over 12m in length then I'm afraid the lights aren't compliant.

 

The point is that for most inland waterways full compliance isn't necessary and you just do what's reasonably practical to make your boat visible. If you want to follow the letter of all the regs you'd even need radar reflectors comply with the SOLAS V rags.

 

 

If you do a search on this forum you will find this has been discussed. But I believe Wyvern Shipping had one which I can not remember the name. The guy from Lee Sanitation had one which I think was called Progress. Earnest from the Thursday night club was one. 

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13 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

So why fit them in the first place unless it is to bamboozle buyers.

 

As far as I'm concerned I would much rather meet another boat on a canal showing red and green lights than a whacking great tunnel light designed for the sole purpose of destroying my hard earned night vision.

 

Colregs don't matter on canals. If they did then tunnel lights used for navigation purposes would be illegal. 

Edited by magnetman
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1 minute ago, magnetman said:

 

As far as I'm concerned I would much rather meet another boat on a canal showing red and green lights than a whacking great tunnel light designed for the sole purpose of destroying my hard earned night vision.

 

Colregs don't matter on canals. If they did then tunnel lights used for navigation purposes would be illegal. 

No the Colregs would be changed to include tunnels. 

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10 minutes ago, Tonka said:

If you do a search on this forum you will find this has been discussed. But I believe Wyvern Shipping had one which I can not remember the name. The guy from Lee Sanitation had one which I think was called Progress. Earnest from the Thursday night club was one. 

 

Was Wyverns called Ocean princess? She definitely cruised in some seas. I wonder if the frequent cruiser Wye invader up the Severn Estuary is compliant, seems possible? 

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4 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I was just pointing out why fitting navigation lights to a narrow boat makes sense. It's a really nice way to travel on canals in the dark. Everyone knows what is happening and nobody ends up getting blinded. 

Nobody gets blinded by old fashioned tunnel lights.

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Certainly. I was referring to red and green lights for navigation on canals. The stern light should be on a separate circuit. Good if it can be switched on in a tunnel in the event of experiencing prop foul or engine trouble. 

 

Ideally you want tunnel light on one circuit, red green and white nav lights on another and a bright stern light on a 3rd circuit. 

 

Too much to ask but the right way to do it on a canal boat. 

13 minutes ago, Tonka said:

Nobody gets blinded by old fashioned tunnel lights.

I do. Maybe a bit sensitive but if it is really dark and you have just got used to it even a torch can do real damage to the vision. 

 

Also have you seen the LED stuff some people use? 

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3 hours ago, magnetman said:

I was just pointing out why fitting navigation lights to a narrow boat makes sense. It's a really nice way to travel on canals in the dark. Everyone knows what is happening and nobody ends up getting blinded. 

I’m red green colour blind so I really won't know if you’re coming or going, unless you have you’re tunnel light on 

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6 minutes ago, Goliath said:

I’m red green colour blind so I really won't know if you’re coming or going, unless you have you’re tunnel light on 

 

Do you know how navigation lights work?

 

In case you don't know there is a system whereby it is impossible to see the navigation lights from behind the vessel. They have special cases to ensure the light only goes forwards in a predetermined arc. 

 

I personally think stern navigation lights are inappropriate on canals but red and green very sensible so that you can (even if colour blind) see a boat coming. The white forward nav nav light should ideally not be on or if it is then put a low brightness bulb in it to avoid the blinding effect. On canals. 

Edited by magnetman
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