Jump to content

Uxbridge boat centre. Need some opinions


Rebeccas Mum

Featured Posts

The chandlery is excellent but expensive when compared with others such as Midland Chandlers.

 

Not my experience, unless you are comparing to Midland Chandlers on a Freaky Friday day or similar.

 

I have always found Uxbridge Boat Certre priced the same as most other non-discount chandlers.

 

Plus they will generally do a deal if you are bulk buying - certainly when we bought all the paint for a whole boat, (in fact too much, as it turned out!), they discounted quite heavily.

 

One of the better chandlers in my view. OK, not Limekiln prices, but unlike Limekiln, UBC is a comprehensively stocked chandlery, where the staff understand what they are selling, and don't simply try to bullshit you into buying the wrong thing, because it is all they happen to stock.

 

Unless things have changed UBC don't open on Mondays - which has caught me out in the past.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I second the above statement.

Do Not, repeat, Do Not Go In The Chandlery....

 

don't ask me how I know this.....

sob

 

I've literally spent thousands in there...

 

Alan Boswell of UBC runs the yard side and controls aspects of docking, steelwork etc

 

So just stay on the right side of Alan and you'll be alright...

 

I know a few people who haven't and come away from UBC less than impressed with his attitude.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A proper traditional coastal boat yard chandlers like Dauntless of Canvey Island sell the top brands of paint, blacking, rope and many other things common to all boats at prices way, way below those of the canal chandler merchants.

Not the coastal posh marina chandlers though, who's main aim is, like most canal chandlers, to flog stuff at inflated prices to the elderly, retired rich folk with posh shiny boats.

Edited by bizzard
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is an enlightening quote from an everyday chap who drove a Bus?

 

Coat?

 

CT

Many a true word spoken in jest: Desmond Dekker did have a 2-LP set released under the title of 'Double Dekker'.

(Yes, this is true).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marine Engine Services ( Peter Thompson) is and was an independent business who rented premises at Uxbridge Boat Centre

Initially Peter moved the Lister spares business to Eskdale Road , but continued to run the workshop from the end of the UBC yard

This was then closed down and Dan Hollands took over separate premises at UBC and became the in house engineer.

The current engineer in residence is ex High Line Yachting ( IIRC) BUT as always they run their own company and are not solely working for UBC

---

Alan Boswell of UBC runs the yard side and controls aspects of docking, steelwork etc

 

Hope this clears it all up

Chris

 

( Ex Marine Engine Services)

What happened to Pete, I haven't seen him for years? He used to play sousaphone/tuba in the band, and I had a couple of memorable Xmas trips on Colonel with him -- including the memorable baked beans incident... ;-)

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What happened to Pete, I haven't seen him for years? He used to play sousaphone/tuba in the band, and I had a couple of memorable Xmas trips on Colonel with him -- including the memorable baked beans incident... ;-)

Pete is alive well and retired, spends his time still playing various musical instruments of torture LOL

Morgan 3 wheelers and Colonel

I will pass on your regards when we meet up soon

C

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We found them to have a very good chandlery, and they sourced us original matching paint from manufacturers that others claimed had long gone out of business. And excellent source of boaty books. That said, Denham YS just up the cut also have an very good chandlery but with quite a different range of interesting stuff.

 

The only unusual thing at UB was that the fellow who ran the dry dock had extremely opinionated views about 2-pack epoxy ... and refused to even consider re-doing our boat. Which I thought odd at the time, but honest and frank!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Point of order M'lud.

 

On clay, it is 'clay heave' that is the usual problem, often confused with subsidence.

clay heave occurs usually when trees have been removed and the ground rehydrates, subsidence is more common occuring when trees or drought dry out the underlying clay

I dealt with these as insurance claims on and off for years - subsidence was far mre common

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Point of order M'lud.

 

On clay, it is 'clay heave' that is the usual problem, often confused with subsidence.

Heave tends to occur on clay when an already established tree is removed next to a new build house (new in tree terms), in effect the water pump that was maintaining the ground water levels is removed allowing the clay to expand.

Subsidence tends to be trees allowed to mature next to established houses, in effect pumping extra water out of the clay causing clay shrinkage.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Heave tends to occur on clay when an already established tree is removed next to a new build house (new in tree terms), in effect the water pump that was maintaining the ground water levels is removed allowing the clay to expand.

Subsidence tends to be trees allowed to mature next to established houses, in effect pumping extra water out of the clay causing clay shrinkage.

Greeno for that - a scientific explanation so lucid that even I understand it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 years later...

Old thread. But, may I ask? Are all the above comments still true of this business. I only ask as I have read some damming reviews recently. I have been trying to contact them as I understand that they may have some oldish stock of light fittings that I am in need of. As a result I got onto their review page and it doesn’t make good reading I am sad to say.

 

Anyway onwards and upwards

These are the light fittings that I am after. 

5299EE31-DE0B-4173-8CE4-F5B9D642ACCE.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Old thread. But, may I ask? Are all the above comments still true of this business. I only ask as I have read some damming reviews recently. I have been trying to contact them as I understand that they may have some oldish stock of light fittings that I am in need of. As a result I got onto their review page and it doesn’t make good reading I am sad to say.

 

 

There is a fundamental problem with review pages. Two actually.

 

1) For a small number of people, nothing a business does is ever good enough, and such angry people are far more likely to go to the review page and leave a damning review than the hoards of happy customers, who mostly just get on with life.

 

2) There is nothing stopping reviewers exaggerating or even completely imagining problems. Completing companies have even been known to post bad, fictitious reviews and there is little the receiving company can do about it. 

 

They did a small job for me once, quickly efficiently and not particularly cheaply. But they did it right first time which is hard to put a value on.

 

Can't help with the light fitting though! 

  • Greenie 2
  • Happy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If they have the light fittings you want in stock and at a price you are prepared to pay, why would you worry about problems other customers may have had? 

Last time I was there I moored up outside, wandered in, saw they had a suitable battery in stock, bought it, with a tenner off for my old battery in exchange, carried the battery back to the boat and fitted it. Now had lights that stayed on for more than 10 minutes after stopping the engine. And that single battery is still going strong 3 years on.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

There is a fundamental problem with review pages. Two actually.

 

1) For a small number of people, nothing a business does is ever good enough, and such angry people are far more likely to go to the review page and leave a damning review than the hoards of happy customers, who mostly just get on with life.

 

2) There is nothing stopping reviewers exaggerating or even completely imagining problems. Completing companies have even been known to post bad, fictitious reviews and there is little the receiving company can do about it. 

 

They did a small job for me once, quickly efficiently and not particularly cheaply. But they did it right first time which is hard to put a value on.

 

Can't help with the light fitting though! 

Pinch of salt time. I read reviews of a canal side pub we were planning of visiting for my birthday treat with friends on the Llangollen. Mixed reviews. To be honest it was an absolutely awful experience. Now shut and near ruin.

2 minutes ago, David Mack said:

If they have the light fittings you want in stock and at a price you are prepared to pay, why would you worry about problems other customers may have had? 

Last time I was there I moored up outside, wandered in, saw they had a suitable battery in stock, bought it, with a tenner off for my old battery in exchange, carried the battery back to the boat and fitted it. Now had lights that stayed on for more than 10 minutes after stopping the engine. And that single battery is still going strong 3 years on.

I didn’t read the reviews to get an opinion. Not interested in their reviews at all. Just fell upon them whilst searching for a way to make contact. I should have made my post clearer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Pinch of salt time. I read reviews of a canal side pub we were planning of visiting for my birthday treat with friends on the Llangollen. Mixed reviews. To be honest it was an absolutely awful experience. Now shut and near ruin.

 

There is that I guess. But I'm wondering why you are so concerned, as they is very little to go wrong when purchasing a light fitting, surely?

 

Or is it a case of a 100 mile round car trip that could be wasted effort if they don't have what they say they have? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

As I prefer to collect in person so I can see what I am buying on the odd occasion I have been there they seem a knowledgeable, helpful bunch. But them most chandlers are face to face.

If they have the light fittings at the back of a storeroom I’d be on my way to view and pay and collect. They are obsolete fittings but I had heard they have some. I can’t email as the address I have doesn’t go through. I will call. I’m reluctant to call as I won’t get an instant decision as to whether they have any or not. Plus I can’t describe the items clearly over the phone. I have been misunderstood. Not for the first time.

Edited by Nightwatch
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tangentially off topic but:

 

I think there comes a time with obsolete stuff where one needs to mull possible solutions over so they can be replaced with readily available units. It might mean making wooden masking plate for the hole (looks like a flush inset fitting) and using a different type of light or, now with 12V strip LEDs are  available,  it could mean modifying the existing units unless they have physically broken.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.