Northwich boat builders?

[libje]

I have this year been acting as a go between between Northwich boatbuilders and French friends for the building of a new 60' broadbeam. They have paid £1,000 to reserve a start date of 1st June for their boat build but now at 19th JULY they have still not started the build, emails are being ignored and the best they have received is 'don't worry' on the 3rd June. We have had various excuses including illness of owners wife, and a complicated previous build . Does anyone know if this firm is still in existance, trading or what? I find myself extremely embarassed by this lack of response and can only hope that they have not been let down big time. If anyone can give further info it would be more than appreciated. Many thanks.

[alan_fincher]

To be completely, clear what is the exact name of the company you are dealing with, please?

 

I can't immediately find a current firm called Northwich Boat Builders (or Northwich Boatbuilders), only the Northwich Boat Company.

 

Is it that one, or another one with Nprthwich as part of the company name?

[Neil2]

Northwich are just fitters out aren't they? Do you mean they haven't started the fitting out or is the boat not built yet?

[libje]

Yes, sorry for that; it is indeed the Northwich Boat Company. A search of company house records says that the firm is dormant and there is a legal charge outstanding which adds further disquiet. Hopefully they are just struggling to keep up with a full order book but a failure to respond to communications makes things very difficult and to my mind inexcusable.

If anyone knows better we would love to have more info. I will be phoning them tomorrow but at what point do you stop believing excuses????

[alan_fincher]

I can't add anything, other than it has the same directors as Elton Moss Boatbuilders, who I know have been around for a while, but I know nothing of the current status of.

[libje]

Hi Neil2,

They are building the boats in Czech republic. My friends have sent all requested plans, a box of French electrical sockets and as I say have paid £1,000 for a start date of 1st June. I don't want to go further into this , I just hope that someone knows the inside track as excuses are cheap and meaningless and my friends are rightly very worried, especially as the boat has to be delivered here before the canal shuts for the winter and the shipyard that has a suitable travel hoist is booked up for 3 months. ie If the boat is not delivered on time they are in deep trouble through no fault of their own.

[Alan de Enfield]

My understanding of the 'companies' house system is that if a company is "dormant" it has ceased trading

 

On checking it appears that in fact they have ceased trading.

The last accounts filed was March 2013

The two Directors are Arthur & Ruth Chambers

 

The registered address is :

Kings Lock Boatyard Booth Lane, Middlewich, Cheshire, England CW10 0JJ

 

The latest accounts show

£ Nil cash in the bank

£ Nil Assets

£ Nil Liabilities

 

It may be time to make a visit and see what is happening.

[mark99]

I'm no fiscal expert but am Company Director of two linked companies - one we keep "dormant" (for last few years) for legitimate tax reasons.

Edited July 19, 2015 by mark99

[keble]

Sorry to hear this. We had a boat built by them in 2008; it was completed on time and to the agreed price.

Since then the technical director (John Pickin I think) has left.

The owner also runs Carefree Cruising boat share, and, as Alan mentioned, Elton Moss.

[Glynn]

When I was buying a new boat I contacted "Artie" who apparently is Elton Moss's MD.

He promised time & time again to get back to me but never did.

I bought elsewhere.

 

I would either go and see them in person and likely cancel the order and then chase them for the 1K through the small claims court and buy a boat elsewhere.

 

You could try ringing them off "your" phone ( the no they will know and if there is no answer immediately ring them off a different phone, if they then answer, well you get the idea.

 

If they are behaving like this at this early stage what will they be like half way through the build ?.

Edited July 20, 2015 by Glynn

[frangar]

When we went past the yard at Elton Moss a few months ago it was all looking a bit unloved...however if the boats are built off site then this might not be a true idea of how things are....there weren't many boats moored there compared to previous times we have passed.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[wiltshirewonderer]

Someone on the FB widebeam group had a Northwich build delivered last week so suspect still going. I looked into using them a couple of years ago, spotted that they had a few companies some of which dormant (Tax efficiency stuff?). Spent time speaking to Artie but wasn't convinced so jumped out of a potential frying pan and into a fire

[mark99]

so jumped out of a potential frying pan and into a fire

 

What happened?

[dor]

When we went past the yard at Elton Moss a few months ago it was all looking a bit unloved...however if the boats are built off site then this might not be a true idea of how things are....there weren't many boats moored there compared to previous times we have passed.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

 

I think they have taken over the sheds and slipway in Middlewich (by Kings Lock) formerly used by Mick Sivewright before he moved to Aqueduct Marina.

[mark99]

They were at Crick this year - so active then?

[wiltshirewonderer]

 

What happened?

 

Collingwood. All fixed now but it took some effort - glad I'm a hands on / DIY person or I would have been buggered. I now understand why you see loads of 1 year old Collingwood boats up for sale

[brassedoff]

I dont know if this is the same as 'The Norwich Boat Company' but it would be interesting to find out.

 

we were looking at their Website, but the fact that the Boats are built in Czech made us think twice.

 

i wondered if the Boat would be substandard because of the transportation costs taking a chunk out of the total price of the Boat.

 

I am not slagging this company but its a shame boat builders are going abroad.

 

Northwich Boat Company still have a Website Active CW10 OJJ

Edited July 22, 2015 by brassedoff

[Athy]

I dont know if this is the same as 'The Norwich Boat Company' but it would be interesting to find out.

 

we were looking at their Website, but the fact that the Boats are built in Czech made us think twice.

 

i wondered if the Boat would be substandard because of the transportation costs taking a chunk out of the total price of the Boat.

 

 

Not necessarily - they are built in Czechoslavakia, Poland etc. because these countries can offer skilled labour at keen prices.

[brassedoff]

Not necessarily - they are built in Czechoslavakia, Poland etc. because these countries can offer skilled labour at keen prices.

 

 

Yer i get what your saying their.

[Boredrider]

Still very much alive and kicking, in fact they have just done some paintwork for me. OP needs to start here: http://www.canalcentre.com

[The Northwich Boat Company]

My Name is Arthur (Artie) Chalmers and I am the Managing Director of Elton Moss Boatbuilders, who build boats under both the "Elton Moss" and "Northwich Boat Company" names.

 

I am very annoyed with these postings. We are very much alive, and have a strong order book.

 

We have contracted to build a boat for French customers with the agreed delivery date being 30th September 2015. This boat is a relatively simple wide beam sailaway. It is "next on the floor" and will take approximately six weeks to complete.

 

I was contacted by the customer in early July and confirmed to them that their boat would be delivered by the contracted date.

 

The Nortwich Boat Company Limited is a "dormant" company. It has NOT "ceased trading". Where a company trades under two or more names, it is good and safe practice to register the trading name at companies house as a limited company and then leave it dormant. This stops others trying to "steal" the goodwill attaching to that trading name by registering a limited company with the trading name in the title.

 

I trust that this posting will bring this nonsense to an end.

 

I am contacting the origininator of this topic by e-mail.

 

Best wishes

 

Artie Chalmers

 

 

[MtB]

My Name is Arthur (Artie) Chalmers and I am the Managing Director of Elton Moss Boatbuilders, who build boats under both the "Elton Moss" and "Northwich Boat Company" names.

 

 

Welcome Artie.

 

You have a valid point if your contract with the OP's friend carries a completion date rather than a start date, but they feel you are blanking them to the point they are asking on forums about you. Letting a customer get this worried is not good business practice for obvious reasons.

 

And as you are MD of Elton Moss Boatbuilders, presumably this is Elton Moss Boatbuilders Ltd, trading as Elton Moss" and "Northwich Boat Company", yes?

 

And your comment about this thread being nonsense is uncalled for. Other posters have commented about your lack of communication too, and it has lost you at least one order to Collingwood, apparently.

[mark99]

Indeed this thread is free feedback of the sort that is invaluable to a business albeit maybe very hard to accept when first read.

Edited July 25, 2015 by mark99

[The Northwich Boat Company]

Hello Mike the Boilerman,

 

Tthanks for the comments. Sorry to disagree, but the issue here is better described as a problem of understanding (probably caused by language differences, as I do not speak good French and the customer does not speak good English), rather than communication. I was asked by the customer on 3rd July to confirm that their boat would be delivered by the contract date of 30th September. I responded to them assuring that it would be. There was therefore no "blanking".

 

With regard to other postings on this thread:

 

Last September, we purchased Kings Lock Boatyard in Middlewich and moved there. The premises that we used in Sandbach prior to this were a combination of rented offices at a local business centre and canal-side outbuildings owned by myself and my wife as part of our house. Having obtained planning consent for housing on the sites of these outbuildings, they have been demolished, hence the "neglected" look at Elton Moss Bridge, Sandbach. We have already spent a substantial amount of money on the refurbishement of Kings Lock Boatyard and our businesses there are very much "alive and kicking".

 

The reason that we build in the Czech Republic is that they did not destroy their skills training, like the UK has. Anyone who has seen our boats will testify that the interior finish is far superior than almost all of the UK boat builders can achieve.

 

If I understand WiltshireWanderer's posting correctly, it was not a lack of communication that persuaded him to place his order elsewhere, it was the fact that he was "unconvinced" by our company structure. New Boat Sales, Boat Brokerage and Shared Ownership are distinct activities and so we run each through separate limited companies. The "dormant" companies I have explained in my previous post. WiltshireWanderer, had you bought from us, you would not have had to be handy at DIY. We have a dedicated After Sales manager who not only answers the phone when problems arise, but also arranges for our own staff to attend and resolve any warranty issues.

 

Glynn, I have to be honest and say that I don't remember your enquiry. I apologise if I did not give you the attention that your enquiry deserved.

 

Best wishes

 

Artie

[libje]

After hearing about my original post I have been contacted today by Artie in an email .

I have also been in touch by phone with the yard on behalf of our French friend and was told that the boat was in progress.

I just think it's a shame that poor communications led to the original post and this surely cannot be helping their business.

With the advent of Google Translate you do not need to be fluent in a language, just translate an email and keep the clients in the picture.

Anyway, hopefully all is on track and our French friends will end up with a boat to be proud of and Northwich will have found a new market here in France!