Listed below is a rough guide to the cost of boat ownership, for various sizes and engines, for a year. Please appreciate this is a very difficult question to answer and the figures given provide a rough guide taking...
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Inspections on craft are undertaken by independent surveyors who are usually members of professional bodies such as the International Institute of Marine Surveyors (IIMS) or of the Yacht Brokers Designers and Surveyors Association (YBDSA). They carry a professional indemnity...
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Moving boats between different waterways is entirely possible. Craft up to approximately 27ft (max total weight including trailer 3½ tons) can generally be moved by vehicle, trailer and slipping. As a rough guide the cost of moving a 25ft...
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Unfortunately not, all our craft are being sold on behalf of owners and we do not buy in craft. Please always ask us and we will do our best to work out the best way to help you. Quite...
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River cruisers are seen as a long term commodity; many craft built 40 years ago are still going strong and offering good service. For this reason they do tend to hold their value well. Clearly if a new boat...
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There are many high street finance providers in addition to the major banks. For purchases of crafts up to £20,000 unsecured personal loans are possible. On higher value loans specialist marine companies such as Lombard Marine, http://www.lombard.co.uk/asset-finance/marine/, are worth...
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We can only reserve a craft once a deposit is paid. The deposit is usually subject to both a satisfactory river trial and any inspection such as a survey or personal inspection. Once a price is agreed and a...
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The sale of any boat is subject to trials and inspection. The deposit you pay will sit in a client’s account until final payment is made. If the purchase is rejected because of trials or inspection your deposit will...
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Unfortunately not, all the craft we sell are on a brokerage basis, i.e. on behalf of private owners and sold as seen. We strongly suggest that you have a demonstration and, where applicable, a survey on a boat before...
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HMRC have declared that craft built before 1st January 1985 and in E.U. waters on 31st December 1992 are treated as VAT exempt. For boats built since 1985 the customs authorities may require proof that VAT has been paid...
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All craft built after 16th June 1998 or those imported from outside the EEC after that date have to carry a C.E. mark. This is usually presented on the boat in the form of a small plate which will...
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A Bill of Sale is a legal document signed by the lawful owner to transfer the title of their craft to a new owner. The document also confirms that the vendor declares there is no outstanding debt on the...
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The control of the River Great Ouse and Nene is under the Environment Agency and they have a tariff of charges for using a boat on the river, see their website for a list of these tariffs https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency. The...
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The Boat Safety Certificate scheme began in 1998 and was devised as a minimum safety standard to which inland craft should adhere to. The directive mainly covers the integrity of fuel and gas systems, electrics, ventilation and fire fighting...
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The Environment Agency require a minimum third party insurance cover to register craft for inland use. The best way to insure your craft is with a marine specialist company. It is usual that craft above around 20 years old...
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This service is available for owners of craft under 24 meters who intend to cruise in European waters. It’s essentially a document to prove nationality of the vessel, like a passport, nut not ownership. This service is not available...
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We rarely see Part 1 registered craft, these are controlled by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency. Here are some guidelines as to whether it is worth registering. If the vessel is over 24 meters in length, it is...
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We can generally offer moorings for boats that we sell. The only difficulty we sometimes have is for craft in excess of 40ft in length in our current marina, we are currently excavating an extra pit which will extend...
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Many marinas, ourselves included, do not offer residential moorings. This is often due to the planning restrictions of the site rather than the marina operator. If you take out a residential mooring it is usual that you will be...
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Yes, we welcome well behaved dogs which are kept under control and as long as all mess is cleared up without fail. It is very common for dog owners to go boating as the open, spacious environment is ideal...
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From Earith upstream to Bedford the River Great Ouse is well served with many small villages offering 48 hour stop over on public moorings. If you join the Great Ouse Boating Association they have negotiated strategic moorings along the...
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Painting GRP is very much an acceptable practice today. In fact, if you order a new boat from a major manufacturer such as Sunseeker or Oyster, the only natural gel finish will be white; all other colours are a...
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If two metals of differing electromechanical potential (i.e. alloy and steel) come into contact with each other galvanic cells are formed. The metal with the lower potential on the galvanic scale will corrode (alloy in this example). Sacrificial anodes...
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The word osmosis used to strike sheer dread amongst boat owners, particularly when lengthy articles were published in the yachting press. There was a period in the late 70’s when simply the word ‘osmosis’ would send prospective purchasers into...
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The majority of GRP hulls are over engineered and therefore a surface blister which has not penetrated the hull too far is unlikely to cause a problem, particularly inland. If you are unsure about whether your craft requires attention...
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This is a very difficult question to answer as a great variety of engines are used and average consumption therefore varies, especially at river cruising speed. A small outboard, particularly modern 4 strokes, at a river speed of around...
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There are several retrofit heating systems available today. The cheaper units are gas powered hot air units. These are cost effective for casual use but more costly to run than diesel units. If you are intending to use the...
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Most craft will have fresh water on board either in water tanks, engines or toilets. To prevent frost damage all water systems need to be drained off or inhibited. Outboard motors self drain so are safe, inboard engines whether...
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All GRP hulls will absorb moisture during prolonged emersion (see our section on osmosis). We have found lifting craft out of the water on a bi-annual basis beneficial as it gives the hull a chance to dry out. Doing...