Has anyone actually bought from Whilton/Venetian Marina?

[Alan de Enfield]

 

But surely knowingly misrepresenting the ownership of a boat they are offering for sale would also be an offence (whether or not a sale actually takes place)?

 

Yes - I bought a Sea-Going (rather expensive) boat some years ago, it subsequently turned out to be a 'stock-boat', but once the threat of legal action was made (I had some serious issues totalling over £20k) a letter signed by the Finance Director of the company certifying it was owned by him in a 'personal capacity' suddenly appeared.

 

Another 'stock-boat' turned out to be personally owned by the Sales Director.

[b0atman]

I looked around Whilton marina some years ago and could not believe the condition that boats where in in the inside we left pretty quickly .

Surely the marina should charge sellers for getting boats ready for sale if they are not prepared or able to do it themselves

[Lmcgrath87]

I looked around Whilton marina some years ago and could not believe the condition that boats where in in the inside we left pretty quickly .

Surely the marina should charge sellers for getting boats ready for sale if they are not prepared or able to do it themselves

 

I dunno, we have to sell houses in pretty rubbish condition - if the seller isn't motivated their house will be slower to sell, I'm assuming Whilton haven't bought the boats and are just taking a fee to enable a sale to happen, so are they that bothered if the boats hang around? It makes their stock supply seem high, which to some will make them seem like a broker worth going to.

[Alan de Enfield]

Whilton used to claim to sell at least "one boat a day"

 

They were claiming around 400 per year

 

Edit :

The current information from their website

 

Our marina is home to over 200 moorings. We operate the largest and most successful narrow boat brokerage on the system, selling over 300 boats per year, and we always have a large selection of narrow boats for sale.

Edited November 27, 2014 by Alan de Enfield

[Lmcgrath87]

The fact they have a sale on interests me. - Are these prices, what the owner's would have accepted if someone had offered them?

[Alan de Enfield]

Purely a guess - but as its on such a limited number of boats I would think that these are some of those that they own that they cannot shift - have had for years.

 

The one boat we looked at had been there (on sale) for 4 years

[Lmcgrath87]

Which one is that? One of the ones I like is on sale, one of them isn't, although getting pickier means I think they're now both on the 'probably no' list already.

[Alan de Enfield]

Which one is that? ..........

 

It was a 57 footer called "Kiwi Bach", we looked at it over a year ago and it had been for sale for 4 years then - it was still up for sale up until recently as questions were asked about it (on here) by several members.

 

It had been a real 'quality' boat in its time, but after 5 years of abandonment and general 'lack-of use' it needed loads of money spending on it (my estimate was £10,000 without considering the hull).

It was nicely double glazed - with 8 large windows on one side, and I think, 11 on the other side, all of them had 'blown' and needed replacing.

When we viewed it, the bilge pump was obviously not working as the water was more than 1/2 way up the engine the engine. - no idea how long it had been like that.

[Lmcgrath87]

Gosh 5 years to sell a boat! They really aren't bothered about old stock then I guess, or the seller really didn't want to sell?

[Alan de Enfield]

Whilton are recruiting at the moment - the advert says everything needed to be said :

 

Vacancies at Whilton Marina

Marine Engineer
We are currently looking for a Marine Engineer to work at Whilton Marina. No previous experience in the marine industry required, but engine experience would be preferable.

[Lmcgrath87]

I saw that!! It's kind of a concern to me that you don't need experience...are they going to provide an apprenticeship scheme? I'm feeling tired of the selling game...maybe I'll apply.

[MtB]

 

I dunno, we have to sell houses in pretty rubbish condition - if the seller isn't motivated their house will be slower to sell, I'm assuming Whilton haven't bought the boats and are just taking a fee to enable a sale to happen, so are they that bothered if the boats hang around? It makes their stock supply seem high, which to some will make them seem like a broker worth going to.

 

 

Why are you assuming that, given there are several posts saying that Whilton not only sell on brokerage but also buy in boats to sell on their own account? (And misrepresent them as brokerage boats.)

 

 

MtB

[Lmcgrath87]

 

 

Why are you assuming that, given there are several posts saying that Whilton not only sell on brokerage but also buy in boats to sell on their own account? (And misrepresent them as brokerage boats.)

 

 

MtB

 

I'm assuming they are brokerage ones, not ones which they have essentially paid for and are selling on - because surely they would be wanting to turn a profit on those boats and remake their money, not let them lie around for months depreciating in value.

[Alan de Enfield]

Assuming - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

They operate in a different time and space continum to the rest of us, reality and normality just do not seem to occur in their world.

Edited November 27, 2014 by Alan de Enfield

[Athy]

 

I'm assuming they are brokerage ones, not ones which they have essentially paid for and are selling on - because surely they would be wanting to turn a profit on those boats and remake their money, not let them lie around for months depreciating in value.

This does make sense.

[Alan de Enfield]

I can but repeat - the one I looked at, (that I was told by the Engineering staff belonged to Whilton) had been there over 4 years and was there another year after we looked at it.

[Athy]

Perhaps it was the training boat on which all those inexperienced new marine engineers (see post no. 35) worked to gain experience of boats. You'll probably find that the engine had been rebuilt nine times, a different way each time, and that if you pressed the horn button the cooker came on..

Edited November 27, 2014 by Athy

[Stilllearning]

I bought a boat from Whilton about 6 years ago, it was on brokerage, not bought in by them, and was basically trouble free, a lovely boat that I sold on reluctantly earlier this year.( But not through Whilton!)

So it was a good experience for me, but other people on here have had different experiences. If in the future I was looking at a boat from Whilton, I would be very careful indeed. Back when I bought that boat, I was perhaps naive and trusted people more than I do now. Amusingly after I bought the boat, I noticed that the bill of sale was dated one day before I actually bought the boat, though whether that was because of a typo, or because they were counting their chickens before they hatched, I know not.

The way they appear to operate does give me concerns, and should make you very careful too.

good luck.

[Phil Ambrose]

I bought our present boat from Whilton, very happy with the boat and with the purchase process.

Phil

[Neil2]

As the thread illustrates, by sheer weight of numbers Whilton are bound to have a lot of happy customers. Being a boat broker involves nothing more than acting as a go between, if the boat is sound and has been looked after the customer will probably be happy, if it's a fright and the customer isn't experienced, they will probably be disappointed.

 

But in Whilton's case they do sail close to the wind in a number of respects and concealing the fact that some of their boats are owned by them is one in which I think they might be unique. Other brokers I have approached have been totally up front about this if they have bought the boat for stock or taken it in part exchange.

 

Another reason to be wary is the "non refundable" deposit but they are certainly not the only broker that operates this policy.

[OldPeculier]

I quite like the way Whilton do not do anything to the boats they have up for sale. You know you cannot fail to make them better.

 

To my mind, anything sub £20k is going to be a project. You can expect the batteries to be shot, pumps to fail and there to be a host of other problems so a good knowledge of what is really important is needed when looking at their stock.

 

Private sales are no better. I looked at a boat for sale on Apollo Duck and when I asked when the anodes were last checked, I was told that they are not needed in fresh water. I finished my tea and left before we sank

[churchward]

So, I know lots of people here describe the above marina's as boat graveyards, and a good place to go to see a lot of boats but generally (I may have misunderstood) the consensus is you wouldn't buy from there. But has anyone here done that? I mean, they must be selling boats or they wouldn't be in business still, just curious if anyone has any experience of buying through them.

We bought our boat from Whilton when they were selling also at Wigram's Turn Marina. That was a few years ago now. I would say they were OK in the buying process and it went smoothly. As with any boat from whatever source do get a survey of your own done before final commitment to buy.

 

I know some folk who say they are not the best of brokers and maybe it's so but as a buyer you go and see the boats you are interested in where ever they are and the actual broker company is secondary. However, if in the end it doesn't feel right then walk away, either way do your homework and check everything out you can.

[bassplayer]

However, if in the end it doesn't feel right then walk away, either way do your homework and check everything out you can.

I agree with the buyer beware sentiments...but it's annoying when you've been mislead with the wrong information resulting in a wasted journey...

[Nige G]

Another reason to be wary is the "non refundable" deposit but they are certainly not the only broker that operates this policy.

For this reason alone, I wouldn't even consider buying anything from them.

[Traveller]

For this reason alone, I wouldn't even consider buying anything from them.

I got mine back ok. As I understood it, the deposit was not refundable if the prospective purchaser decided to pull out of the deal for no material reason - material in Whilton's case appears to mean the survey was poor or the price could not be renegotiated on the back of a poor survey. I can understand the desire to stop time wasters but what would have happened if I had wante to pull out because I had lost my job or something? I do not know the answer to that but I bet someone does :-)