looking for a solicitor to over seeing buying process - any suggestions

[John Williamson 1955]

Further to other posts, the only reasons I'd consider using a solicitor during a boat purchase would be firstly to check the contract if it wasn't one of the standard forms available, and secondly to act as a trusted deposit holder.

 

My experience of solicitors, though, suggests that there are cheaper and more effective ways to get these things done.

 

Bye!

 

John.

[Woodstock]

Hi- I think there are very few lawyers with experience of boats, and specifically purchasing second hand narrow boats- so even with the best of intentions- the best you may get is someone familiar with consumer law and with second hand goods this can often be a minefield and may not give you a great deal of protection. You will think you are protected but that may not be the case when purchasing second hand goods and finding subsequent issues. You could potentially scare off genuine sellers by mentioning lawyers, contracts etc- just because it isn't the norm

 

I would second what most people have said- keep looking and learning and when you do find the right boat- pay someone with real boating experience to check the boat and any documentation- this would be a proactive approach to minimise the risk of any later issues. There are several people on this forum that would make reccomendations. I personally would much prefer this type of assistance than a lawyer who has no experience of purchasing a boat and its potential pitfalls- and you'll learn as well.

 

In my very limited experience, the majority of issues people experience after a purchasing a boat are mechanical, electrical or structural-not ownership. Do other forum members agree?- In these cases a good survey and inspection by an experienced boater must be better than something written up by a suited lawyer in an office

 

I appreciate this isn't the answer you wanted- but in the absence (shortage) of relevant specialised legal expertise- a proactive approach to minimising the risk of issues may be the best option available

 

Good luck in your search- you will find the boat for you.

[dor]

 

 

In my very limited experience, the majority of issues people experience after a purchasing a boat are mechanical, electrical or structural-not ownership. Do other forum members agree?

 

Probably the most difficult one to unravel when it comes to ownership is if the boat is jointly owned and one or more partners are unaware of the sale. This is difficult for even an experienced broker to fully get to the bottom of. It doesn't happen often but you do get situations where a couple have split up and one side is selling the boat without the other's knowledge. All you can do is go through the paper trail to establish if ownership appears legitimate and make some enquiries if anything looks suspicious. A good broker will do this - how you do it as an inexperienced private buyer dealing with a private seller I don't know - and nor would a solicitor.

[Bettie Boo]

I was in a similar situation to you 18 months ago. I went to look at boats which were either horrible when I got there or the owners wanted to sell without the hassle of a survey. As you, I was concerned about proof of ownership and loosing money. I did some research and discovered sailaways - brand new boats which are partially fitted out. I found a company in Cheshire where I could buy a nearly finished boat, new for £35000 and I only had to pay a £1000 deposit so this is all I would loose if the company went bust. I went to look at their boats and they had one available which was a cancelled order, my wife loved it so we negotiated some extras into the price and collected it a week later and sailed it from Lymm to Stafford. Since then we have finished fitting it out and now use it all the time, Everything such as the engine, pumps and batteries were brand new so came with warranty.

 

The company I bought mine from do wide beam 57ft sailaway additions for about £52000 and they are now painted on the outside which mine wasn't (it was in primer) and is the only thing I would change in hindsight. You could get someone to finish for you if you didn't want to do it yourself, with the money you have left. We have done ours ourself and it is not difficult. Many people have commented on how well the shell is built and welded.

 

It might be worth considering and then you would not need surveys or solicitors and could spend the money saved on the boat,

 

I am not connected with the company, just a happy customer.

 

Hi Toni,

 

I know I said I wasn't going to post anymore, but just couldn't resist replying to your above post. Could you please pm me the name of the company you dealt with, hubby and I currently have limited experience in the DIY field (however I'm quite sure that will be another steep learning curve we will encounter once we have our dream in hand) but it's definitely worth a phone call.

 

Thanks so much

 

Betty~

[dor]

There are plenty of boat builders that supply sailaways. The one referred to above is Lymm Marina:

http://www.lmbs.co.uk/main.htm Who supply sailaways to varying degrees of completion.

 

Just google "sailaways" for a selection of suppliers.

Edited November 12, 2013 by dor

[Bettie Boo]

There are plenty of boat builders that supply sailaways. The one referred to above is Lymm Marina:

http://www.lmbs.co.uk/main.htm Who supply sailaways to varying degrees of completion.

 

Just google "sailaways" for a selection of suppliers.

 

Hi dor,

 

Ta

 

The reason we haven't looked at sailaways is the simple fact we "assumed" (I know, I know "ass out of me) that we just wouldn't be able to stretch our budget to include sailaways. It wasn't until reading Toni's post that we thought "well maybe we can". I've contacted 2 already.....Viking & Piper who are getting back to me. Will give a few others a call as well as the one you've mentioned above.

 

Again,

 

Thanks ever so much

 

B~

[nebulae]

My first boat was registered as a British Ship .It was not a ship,it was a very small sailing boat. However,so far as the Registrar of Shipping was concerned,it was a British ship.Port of registry carved on the "main beam",port of registration marked on the stern. Same palaver as buying the Queen Mary. Once I had sworn in front of a commisioner of oaths and the vendor the same,the boat was mine.(no doubt about it) Subsequently,the Marine and Coustguard Agency have introduced a simplified form of registration.,called the Small Ships Register.This registers the vessel in the owners name.Not as strong proof of ownership as full registration.It used to be the case that lenders required full registration for a marine mortgage.The boat is required to have the SSR namber clearly displayed on each side. Registration may give you some peace of mind when you are investing a lot of money. However,I have no idea how you would check if there is outstanding finance against a boat.