Worrying Times

[nearlythere]

After doing lots of research and visiting numerous marinas,brokers,a couple of builders and boat shows we have decided that we will probably go down the "new" boat route.

What I find very worrying is so many boat builders going bust and potential owners being left in the lurch and sometimes out of pocket. I have read up on all the buying "new" with contracts and payents etc but it seems that what should be an exciting time ahead, is rather more worrying?!

 

What are your thoughts please?

[alan_fincher]

What are your thoughts please?

Unequivocally "buy second hand!...."

 

Or if you really must buy new, (but do you really know more about the perfect boat than anyone else does ?), go for the kind of route that was described somewhere when Terry Darlington bought the replacement Phyllis May II.

 

IIRC, a reputable builder like Stoke on Trent Boatbuilders builds some new boats to a fairly standard spec, but not fully completed or furnished. You buy title to a largely completed boat, but specify the finishing and final fitting to your particular choices. That way you own most of it from the outset, so if the builder goes under, you only stand to lose the cost of the final stages.

 

Personally I'd just buy a nice second-hand boat though. Time and time again I encounter people who have bought say a boat originally costing around £100K for maybe £70K, despite it having only a few hundred engine hours recorded. That £30K saved gives you a lot of cash to do further customisation to your choice. Or you might just find you are happy with it as it is, with £30K saved in your pocket against future running costs and maintenance, (or to buy a lot of beers and nice canal-side meals).

 

I'd never buy new, even if I could afford it, (not that I can!....)

[Guest]

Another buy 'used' vote.

 

Our well speced used boat (4 years old) cost around the same as the current base price of many new boats on the market, by the time you add on the extras our boat came with it would have probably cost around another £15-£20K that they would have charged to fit.

 

Ok not everything is perhaps exactly as it would be if we'd commissioned a bespoke build but new boats in the lower price ranges are rarely 'bespoke' anyway.

 

Edit to add -

 

if you do decide to buy used you will do well to visit Rugby Boats or ABNB,

Edited August 26, 2010 by MJG

[Lady Muck]

the thing is: its only after you've lived on/with a boat for some time will you know if its the perfect boat for you.

 

We bought a four year old boat too - I would buy new but only if I could afford something like a Norton Canes or a RW Davis (which ih highly unlikely!)

 

Why not get second hand and think about new for your second boat? Our economy might be more stable then?

[n.b.Goldie]

Is there not a VAT issue, i.e. new boats vatable and second hand not? Don't forget VAT is going up to an eye-watering 20% soon

[PhilR]

I agree with others - buy secondhand. Unless you know EXACTLY what you want, you will probably want to change the layout after a few months/years. Like cars, there is a fair bit of depreciation during the first few years and then values level out and even increase.

 

If I had unlimited funds and was buying new I would go for an RW Davies or Roger Fuller boat, but that is just a dream that I am unlikely to realise without a substantial lottery win.

 

Many boaters spend lots of time and money altering boats to suit their requirements. I prefer to accept that nothing is perfect and boating is more fun (and cheaper) if you don't strive for perfection.

 

Phil

[Woollymishka]

Hi

We looked at second hand boats for some considerable time and every one we looked at was nearly there but not quite (as far as what we wanted that is - numerous debates with OH on comprising).

We then started to draw up our ideas/plans/thoughts and now we have the boat we want - yes - we went down the new route and have no regrets whatsoever.

We couldn't afford a Norton or Fuller or Farrington - but there are other shell builders and we were happy with our choice.

The builder and shell builder were superb so if you want their info please PM - no advance payments - virtually hassle free, but then we did know exactly what we wanted and paid umpteen unannounced visits!

Whichever route you take - good luck - and enjoy.

Tim

[bottle]

After hiring, for more years than we wish to remember, we had a good idea of what we wanted, visited many shows, looked at loads of boats, talked to lots of boaters.

 

Bought absolutely brand spanking new to our design (with input from builder)

 

Are happy, yes we are.

[NB Alnwick]

If you are prepared to do the research and have patience, it is usually possible to find a pre-owned boat that will tick all the boxes for a fraction of the cost of buying new. We are entirely satisfied with Alnwick and although, just after the purchase, we made a long list of things we would want to change when finance and time permit, we really haven't changed anything - because as we got used to the boat and its foibles we realised just how sensible and correct everything was that we thought might be wrong! The only modification still under consideration is installing the option to switch to raw water cooling for those odd times when there is an oportunity to travel faster than six Knots.

[bag 'o' bones]

After doing lots of research and visiting numerous marinas,brokers,a couple of builders and boat shows we have decided that we will probably go down the "new" boat route.

What I find very worrying is so many boat builders going bust and potential owners being left in the lurch and sometimes out of pocket. I have read up on all the buying "new" with contracts and payents etc but it seems that what should be an exciting time ahead, is rather more worrying?!

 

What are your thoughts please?

 

My parents commisioned a new boat simply because disability friendly boats are few and far between. If mum was more mobile then buying second hand would have been preferable for the reasons already mentioned above. They looked at loads of second hand boats before deciding to have one built, the problem being that all of them would have required major surgery to improve access.

 

Our boat was built by Northwich boats which whilst offer a lot of boat for the money their after care could have been better. Took them almost 2 years to sort out the boats failed paint job although to be fair when it was eventually sorted they did a good job.

 

After care - something which a lot of boat builders seem to forget once they have got your money!

Edited August 27, 2010 by bag 'o' bones