Buying a boat - builder verification & points to check ?

[Nickhlx]

I am likely going to buy a (possibly new) boat this year and another thread about a recently unhappy purchase both scares me somewhat but also emphasises the need for due diligence in selection of appropriate (good) builders......

 

Is there a list of "Red" "Amber" and "Green" boatbuilders somewhere, or a list of companies that have been "easy" or "difficult" to get satisfaction from anywhere?

 

If anyone can make recommendations for basic checks to ensure they are currently in good form before signing up with them, or points to ensure are in the contract, it would be very welcome, possibly for others too.

 

Thanks,

 

Nick

[lymmranger]

Take a balanced view of the forum for a start!!!!!!!!!!

 

Your ultimate choice may well be dictated by your budget

 

For every horror story there are many "untold" happy stories (I myself was very happy with my faultless LB shell)

 

If you decide to pay in stages, make it clear that you will pay (in arrears) once each stage is completed, (provided title is transferred!)

 

Or consider buying a used boat..........provided the hull and window combination are correct internal alterations are relatively inexpensive

[Pav]

I am likely going to buy a (possibly new) boat this year and another thread about a recently unhappy purchase both scares me somewhat but also emphasises the need for due diligence in selection of appropriate (good) builders......

 

Is there a list of "Red" "Amber" and "Green" boatbuilders somewhere, or a list of companies that have been "easy" or "difficult" to get satisfaction from anywhere?

 

If anyone can make recommendations for basic checks to ensure they are currently in good form before signing up with them, or points to ensure are in the contract, it would be very welcome, possibly for others too.

 

Thanks,

 

Nick

 

Hi,

 

Only my own opinion based on my experiances, but I just would not consider ever buying a new boat ever again.

 

Even before SVBC went belly up, the hassle and worry of laying out large sums of cash to buy something which takes so long to appear (or not in my case) is a real concern.

 

We went for a long established company, with a good reputation for its end product. We checked the company was a member of a recognised organisation, which it was, but yet we still ended up with more grief than anyone should ever expect.

 

BMF have a lot to answer for. They continued to show SVBC as full members on their web site, even though they had ceased to be some time before.

 

In hindsight we should have purchased a used boat...........plenty about, and if it isn't exactly to your requirements, the money you will save over a new one should be more than sufficient to have it altered to meet your spec.

 

We have had over two years of worry and dissapointment since placing the order for a new boat, culminating in the last month which really has caused us considerable upset.

 

What started off as a dream turned into a nightmare, which thank goodness we are close to waking up from.

 

I may be bitter but I think I have just cause.

 

Regards,

Pav.

 

PS. I have just checked the BMF web site and find it incredible, that a whole month since SVBC went bump, a search shows that SVBC are still Full Members of the BMF!!

Edited February 24, 2008 by Pav

[Nickhlx]

Hi Pav,

 

Thanks for your reply - Your story was the first I had read, then there was another, all in the space of a week or so...

 

I had thought that if you paid in arrears, they can hold your boat since there would be "unpaid work" for whatever they did after the last payment. However, paying in advance seems like asking for trouble. Can "title" be transferred for parts and labour done to date with each payment, and can there be insurance against builders going bust ?

 

And what if the builder is not a member of the BMF to start with but otherwise has a good reputation so far ?

 

Thanks,

 

Nick

[Gary Peacock]

The bottom line is other than consumer trading law you have very little legal protection.

 

If the builder chooses to take your money or the business goes belly up you loose.

 

The only advise that is of any real value is-

 

"Do not pay for what you have not received and make sure the title for what you have paid for transfers to you!"

 

There will probably be a few less builders by the end of the year so just be careful, it's not long off Crick and that's the time when the last coppers get thrown into financing an appearance to top up the crisis fund with a few deposits.

[Nickhlx]

The bottom line is other than consumer trading law you have very little legal protection.

 

If the builder chooses to take your money or the business goes belly up you loose.

 

The only advise that is of any real value is-

 

"Do not pay for what you have not received and make sure the title for what you have paid for transfers to you!"

 

There will probably be a few less builders by the end of the year so just be careful, it's not long off Crick and that's the time when the last coppers get thrown into financing an appearance to top up the crisis fund with a few deposits.

 

Thanks for that, Gary.

 

The build is due to start in the Autumn - the company has a large hire fleet ( about 12 boats) and claims to do about 4 a year, taking about 100 days each, although they say allow 4 months.

Am I right in thinking title transfers when payment has been made and a receipt obtained - for e.g , the shell, the engine, the lining materials, labour to install/ fit so far, etc etc ?

 

Thanks,

 

Nick

[Gary Peacock]

Thanks for that, Gary.

 

The build is due to start in the Autumn - the company has a large hire fleet ( about 12 boats) and claims to do about 4 a year, taking about 100 days each, although they say allow 4 months.

Am I right in thinking title transfers when payment has been made and a receipt obtained - for e.g , the shell, the engine, the lining materials, labour to install/ fit so far, etc etc ?

 

Thanks,

 

Nick

 

Well you will need a contract in writing stating the exact terms, if they are BMF members then the BMF AGREEMENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW BOAT is probably fine in most ways for both customer and builder. But be aware it is not uncommon to see non BMF members using it or to see very heavily modified versions in use.

 

Three or four payment stages used to be the norm with payments covering work completed, with increasing boat values we now split the build into six or more stages which spreads the payments across a more realistic schedule.

 

You will see lots of variations on this but whateveryou do never make any kind of advance payments!

[WJM]

"Is there a list of "Red" "Amber" and "Green" boatbuilders somewhere"

 

There is absolutely no way of assessing the financial health of a privately owned limited company from outside. You can sometimes have sight of the last set of filed accounts which might give you some inkling of a troubled company, but financial accounts are no more than a snapshot taken a long time ago. The short answer to your question is No!