Does anybody else have problems with Burscough Boats?

[rgreg]

9 hours ago, matty40s said:

I have seen several on launch and a couple in for service. Far better under the water finish than another yard a mile away which are also throwing widebeams out by the dozen. 

Oh, and yes, I do have photos to back up my statements.

I know somebody who has a new widebeam from a yard 4 miles away from the Aintree one and he is generally pleased with it. His only quibble is getting them to stick to arrangements to sort out a few minor teething issues. I doubt he will have closely examined the under the water finish so couldn't really comment on whether this was good or not. 

 

Edited March 3, 2018 by rgreg

[Laurie Booth]

22 hours ago, JillD said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My partner and I ordered the build of two 70ft widebeams which were delivered to the Thames in January and April last year (2017). As they claim, Burscough Boats do seem to build good steel foundations for their boats (unless there are more surprises to come...).

 

While the boats look lovely, the experience of dealing with Burscough to address issues caused by their rushed workmanship has had a devastating effect on us as well as robbing us of time and quality of life.

 

So many of these have been down to bad installation and lack of attention to detail, including gauges incorrectly installed, fuel leaks (50 litres on one occasion), a failure to secure the generator in the stern, and the rear fender fitted so it impeded the rudder. 

 

To go into detail of just one example of many:

For months after delivery of our boats, we had to live in what I can only describe as a sewer. The most unbearable smell was all caused by wrong fittings, lack of gaskets and washers and nothing sealed properly. Despite visits down from Burscough, they did not fix the problem so we had to find someone who solved it but at our (considerable) expense: financially and in terms of time.

 

The latest.. although not really the latest, given that the systems have never worked properly on both boats, is that we are without adequate heating on either. Burscough just failed to respond. We have had to instruct an independent accredited firm to step in and help solve the problem. One boat is sporting a borrowed fuel pump and the other has issues caused by Burscough failing to install it properly.. 

 

When the heating failed on one boat, the first fault diagnosed was the fitting of the wrong size pipe connecting the Webasto heating system. To compensate, Burscough merely fitted an extra jubilee clip. This clearly wasn't good enough or to the manufacturer's specification, and the water from the heating system leaked out. This was fixed by the local dealer but water is still disappearing. He found a second leak at the back of the kitchen cupboards requiring the units and possibly the granite to be removed in order to reach it. 

 

Burscough have not fitted an inspection hatch on either boat.

 

A report prepared by the local dealer revealed that the system had been badly damaged as a consequence of Burscough's faulty installation. Burscough have been contacted by email and phone on numerous occasions requesting them to dis-assemble the units to allow the second leak to be fixed and to make good the system (either by replacement or having a main dealer repair it to manufacturer's satisfaction). 

 

It should be Burscough dealing with this, but they aren't. Worse, they aren't enabling the matter to be addressed. 

 

This  issue has been going on since before Christmas. I appealed to them yesterday sending them photographs of our boat in the snow.....no reply.  The weather has worsened; the marina has frozen solid with half an inch of ice.

 

You might suggest that we bring in outside contractors and then claim the cost back from Burscough. But it took them two months to settle a £180 bill we initially paid for a gauge they had incorrectly fitted.  The heater problems will be considerably more, and a glance at Burscough's accounts and financial history suggest that recourse to law might not result in repayment regardless of judgment. 

 

The thing is, we are not alone. We have been in discussion with three Burscough customers who acquired their boats immediately before or after us, and they have been enduring similar traumas. We would be interested to hear from other owners.

 

All new boats have teething problems, but what we have endured are a consequence of Burscough's workmanship (!) and a failure to honour their commitments.

 

JillD

Confirms buying second hand might be the way to go.

[Tony Brooks]

16 minutes ago, Laurie.Booth said:

Confirms buying second hand might be the way to go.

Tempted to add - "and ex hire from a reputable fleet." I bet that would not have many access problems for items likely to require attention.

[WotEver]

On the subject of access problems, if the OP is going to be paying folk £185 every time something difficult requires dismantling then the bills are going to start stacking up pretty quickly. Dismantling is exactly the sort of job that any competent boater needs to be able to do for him/her self. 

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

Tempted to add - "and ex hire from a reputable fleet." I bet that would not have many access problems for items likely to require attention.

 

[TheBiscuits]

12 minutes ago, WotEver said:

On the subject of access problems, if the OP is going to be paying folk £185 every time something difficult requires dismantling then the bills are going to start stacking up pretty quickly. Dismantling is exactly the sort of job that any competent boater needs to be able to do for him/her self. 

 

[WotEver]

Just now, TheBiscuits said:

I see you appreciate the techniques involved. 

[Athy]

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

Tempted to add - "and ex hire from a reputable fleet." I bet that would not have many access problems for items likely to require attention.

Indeed - but how many "widebeam narrowboats" are active in hire fleets? I am not sure that I have ever seen one. So they may be hard to find.

[TheBiscuits]

Just now, Athy said:

Indeed - but how many "widebeam narrowboats" are active in hire fleets? I am not sure that I have ever seen one. So they may be hard to find.

There are a few up on the L&L.  Makes Skipton exciting on a busy summer day, with drunk eejits on day boats bombing round the corner to meet a 14' wide boat under a bridge.

Fortunately the Boathouse pub has outside seating so you get a great view.

[Captain Pegg]

13 minutes ago, Athy said:

Indeed - but how many "widebeam narrowboats" are active in hire fleets? I am not sure that I have ever seen one. So they may be hard to find.

Might that have something to do with your boat being based on a narrow canal? How much cruising have you done recently in places where you might encounter a wide beam hire craft?

They do exist albeit not in large numbers. I know someone that hired a wheelchair accessible wide beam to accommodate their son.

JP

 

[Athy]

7 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

Might that have something to do with your boat being based on a narrow canal?

 

Gosh, I would never have thought of that - in fact I almost added a coda to say that we are based on the narrow Oxford Canal. In answer to your other question, I haven't measured it, but some.

[Laurie Booth]

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

Tempted to add - "and ex hire from a reputable fleet." I bet that would not have many access problems for items likely to require attention.

I agree.

[Movin' on]

29 minutes ago, Athy said:

Indeed - but how many "widebeam narrowboats" are active in hire fleets? I am not sure that I have ever seen one. So they may be hard to find.

And long may that continue....................

The two that hire out of Milton Keynes cause chaos everywhere they go.

14 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

 I know someone that hired a wheelchair accessible wide beam to accommodate their son.

JP

 

FYI - Granthams Bridge hire out a great wheelchair accessible narrow boat 

 

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

Tempted to add - "and ex hire from a reputable fleet." I bet that would not have many access problems for items likely to require attention.

Good thought we bought exactly that quite deliberately in our early days to learn how boats worked and it made what was at that time a slow refit a very easy job as everything was accessible and therefore adaptable 

[Athy]

36 minutes ago, Halsey said:

And long may that continue....................

The two that hire out of Milton Keynes cause chaos everywhere they go.

 

 

 

Let's just hope, then, that Canaltime, or their successors, don't get their hands on one.

[blackrose]

1 hour ago, Athy said:

Indeed - but how many "widebeam narrowboats" are active in hire fleets? I am not sure that I have ever seen one. So they may be hard to find.

Some on the K&A too

Edited March 3, 2018 by blackrose

[blackrose]

50 minutes ago, Halsey said:

And long may that continue....................

The two that hire out of Milton Keynes cause chaos everywhere they go.

And there we go again... reinforcing the two most popular myths amongst some of the more blinkered narrow boaters, that widebeams and hirers both cause chaos wherever they go.

I have never caused any chaos on my 12ft widebeam (and I've been around more of the system on it then most narrrow boaters), and I thought that the myth peddled about hirers had been exploded many years ago on this forum, but it appears sadly not. There are plenty of perfectly competent hirers. Indeed, many hirers know more about boats and the waterways and are better at handling craft than some boat owners.   

Edited March 3, 2018 by blackrose

[Athy]

3 minutes ago, blackrose said:

And there we go again... reinforcing the two most popular myths amongst some of the more blinkered narrow boaters, that widebeams and hirers both cause chaos wherever they go.

I have never caused any chaos on my 12ft widebeam (and I've been around more of the system on it then most narrrow boaters), and I thought that the myth peddled about hirers had been exploded many years ago on this forum, but it appears sadly not. There are plenty of perfectly competent hirers. Indeed, many hirers know more about boats and the waterways and are better at handling craft than some boat owners.   

Halsey was not reinforcing any myth; he was commenting, from his personal experience I assume, on two specific boats.

"The myth peddled about hirers" is emotive language - evidently you don't approve. It is not a myth. Many beginners have little clue what they're doing. I'll include Myself When Young in that category. Were you competent and supremely confident from the first time that you took a canal boat out? If so, well done, but there are plenty who aren't.

[TheBiscuits]

6 minutes ago, blackrose said:

And there we go again... reinforcing the two most popular myths amongst some of the more blinkered narrow boaters, that widebeams and hirers both cause chaos wherever they go.

I have never caused any chaos on my 12ft widebeam (and I've been around more of the system on it then most narrrow boaters), and I thought that the myth peddled about hirers had been exploded many years ago on this forum, but it appears sadly not. There are plenty of perfectly competent hirers. Indeed, many hirers know more about boats and the waterways and are better at handling craft than some boat owners.   

That's because a lot of the narrowboats just stay in their marinas.  I'm always amused by a beautifully polished shiny boat with 4" of weed hanging off their shoreline cable.

You will note that I rated the drunken eejits on the narrow dayboats as the problem, not the hired widebeams.

Admittedly sometimes the hirers can get it all a bit wrong, but usually they have at least had some tuition.  There is nothing at all stops people buying a boat with no training and setting off to cause chaos.  It must be fun boating anywhere near Whilton.

[Movin' on]

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

And there we go again... reinforcing the two most popular myths amongst some of the more blinkered narrow boaters, that widebeams and hirers both cause chaos wherever they go.

I have never caused any chaos on my 12ft widebeam (and I've been around more of the system on it then most narrrow boaters), and I thought that the myth peddled about hirers had been exploded many years ago on this forum, but it appears sadly not. There are plenty of perfectly competent hirers. Indeed, many hirers know more about boats and the waterways and are better at handling craft than some boat owners.   

I love being misquoted by others.............. I started by hiring as I'm sure did many of you and yes, thanks Athy, my comment was particularly about those 2 boats which are promoted to people on the basis of their capability to cruise from London to Birmingham with no experience necessary  

Its CRT for licencing them and the company for peddling them who I would hold to account - I have seen and feel genuinely sorry for the unsuspecting inexperienced hirers expecting to be well received in Braunston on a wide beam in the height of the season

Sorry blackrose there's no crusade to be had here at my expense.......................... 

Edited March 3, 2018 by Halsey

[JillD]

6 hours ago, Laurie.Booth said:

Confirms buying second hand might be the way to go.

I agree. One of our boats particularly needed a bespoke spec. (apologies to the experts out there if that is not the correct term..) . but I would definitely recommend to anyone to buy a second hand boat about 2 years old so that it's 'teething troubles' are fixed. In fact, our close friends are looking to buy a narrowboat and that is exactly what we have recommended to them.

[JillD]

20 hours ago, rgreg said:

Aintree do seem be building a good reputation and their prices are very reasonable. Do you know some who has one of their boats or do you have one yourself?

You have so hit the nail on the head!!  If they had just one person employed full time to oversee quality control, it would save so much heartache. Also save them so many after sale visits and frustrated customers.

[rgreg]

12 minutes ago, JillD said:

You have so hit the nail on the head!!  If they had just one person employed full time to oversee quality control, it would save so much heartache. Also save them so many after sale visits and frustrated customers.

Just for clarification, my comment was regarding positive feedback I've heard regarding Aintree Boats. I have no knowledge of any feedback regarding Burscough Boats.