We're looking for a surveyor in the Lea Valley area

[Froggy]

More advice is needed regarding the ongoing purchase of our first narrowboat. Does anybody have personal experience of surveyors in the Hertfordshire area, and if so who can be relied on to do a good job?

[Neil Smith]

I used john hutley frm Essex and found him very fair, there were a couple of things he wanted doing that I did then took photos and emailed them to him as asked then he sent me the cert back. I found him on the BSS list.

 

Neil

[Froggy]

I used john hutley frm Essex and found him very fair, there were a couple of things he wanted doing that I did then took photos and emailed them to him as asked then he sent me the cert back. I found him on the BSS list.

 

Neil

 

Thanks for the suggestion Neil, and i'll add it to the other names to discuss with my partner tomorrow.

[Tim Lewis]

More advice is needed regarding the ongoing purchase of our first narrowboat. Does anybody have personal experience of surveyors in the Hertfordshire area, and if so who can be relied on to do a good job?

We have used Tony Tucker, from Hemel, for our last couple of surveys:

 

http://tucker-designs.com/survey-and-consultation/

 

Tim

[Froggy]

We have used Tony Tucker, from Hemel, for our last couple of surveys:

 

http://tucker-designs.com/survey-and-consultation/

 

Tim

 

Thanks Tim.

[Froggy]

Well this narrowboat-buying lark is becoming extremely frustrating. All the surveyors that have been highly recommended on various threads in this forum are tied up for weeks. We have a list of surveyors supplied by Lee Valley Marina, Herts, but would have preferred to use someone further afield who is more likely to be completely impartial, unless any of those names were particularly recommended by people here. As it is, of the only names that fit that bill, Trevor Whitling is based in Northants and is tied up locally in the near future, and Tony Tucker is also tied up for the next few weeks. So, we're left with the following names supplied to us by Lee Valley Marina. Can anybody recommend, or warn us off, any of the following names?: Ralph Kitts, Hugh Elacott, Pete Crispin, R.K. Marine, William Flannery, Colin Mallard South, Balliol Fowden, Eliot Berry Marine, Celtec Marine Associatio, Richard Ayers Ltd., Broomfield Marine Services, London Marine Surveys, BW Marine Services, David Stewart.

 

If you wish to give anybody negative reputation please feel free to PM me if you prefer.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Edited October 18, 2016 by Froggy

[Keith M]

T. Tucker is excellent

 

I would wait

 

Keith

[cuthound]

Balliol Fowden is (or used to be) based at Braunston and had some built and repaired many boats. I thought he had retired? He must be getting on a bit now though.

[Froggy]

T. Tucker is excellent

 

I would wait

 

Keith

 

The trouble is we've put a deposit down and i don't suppose the seller, a dealer based in a marina, would be too happy to have the boat kept there for weeks with the possibility that we will walk away from the deal at the end of it.

Balliol Fowden is (or used to be) based at Braunston and had some built and repaired many boats. I thought he had retired? He must be getting on a bit now though.

 

Thanks, it's possible that the list provided by the mariina might be out of date.

[Keith M]

Sorry

 

I would never put a deposit down before a surveyor has had a look

 

Did the deposit idea come from the marina?

 

Wait for some one who is not on the list supplied by the marina

 

Keith

[Froggy]

Sorry

 

I would never put a deposit down before a surveyor has had a look

 

Did the deposit idea come from the marina?

 

Wait for some one who is not on the list supplied by the marina

 

Keith

 

Ok, you have a point, and it's great to be wiser with the benefit of hindsight, but we are novices to narrowboating and it's certainly proving a steep learning curve. (Lesson 1: try and avoid buying a narrowboat around October in future; we've also learned many other things). We were, to be fair to the seller, quite happy to put a deposit down. It's refundable if we walk away from the deal, we had travelled a long way to see it, it's the best boat by some margin we've seen, and anybody could, and probably would, come in and beat us to the deal without giving the dealer some sort of security. Being objective, if i was a dealer i would want some sort of commitment myself under similar circumstances.

 

As an aside, Tony is actually on that list, as is Trevor Whitling, but both of these also seem highly recommended by users of these forums.

Edited October 18, 2016 by Froggy

[Neil Smith]

Did you try john hutley as he normally has a slot.

 

Neil

[Chris-B]

Ralph kitts / r k marine is good along with Elliot berry e b marine surveys

I am in the trade so not trying to hid anything

I would use either of these guys if I wanted to buy a boat and have it checked out

[Froggy]

Did you try john hutley as he normally has a slot.

 

Neil

 

No, not yet, and for a couple of reasons. Firstly, i'd be happier if several people recommended the same person. But, additionally, i think he did a BSC for you so am not sure he is a fully qualified surveyor. Please advise if you can.

Ralph kitts / r k marine is good along with Elliot berry e b marine surveys

I am in the trade so not trying to hid anything

I would use either of these guys if I wanted to buy a boat and have it checked out

 

Thanks, i will consider those. Would prefer a name that several people are recommending though, ideally.

[baz gimson]

You could ask this question on the London Boaters Facebook group

[Froggy]

You could ask this question on the London Boaters Facebook group

 

Thanks, great idea, i'll take a look.