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A licence is not required for using a boat on inland waterways, however qualifications are required at sea. Insurance is always required.
When buying a boat from us we will show you how to use your new boat during the allocated handover time which includes a short river trip.
If you require further tuition, we can arrange this for you with a qualified skipper or in-depth tuition is available via Bisham Abbey Sailing.
This depends on the size of the vessel and where you plan to moor her - you will find a cost calculator on each boat specification page. This will give you a guideline of mooring, insurance and licensing costs for a boat on the Thames.
The Thames is navigable as far up as Lechlade but access to the upper reaches is limited by the low bridge at Osney, near Oxford. Osney Bridge has a clearance 7ft 6in (2.3m) which means it is only passable to smaller or specially modified cruisers. The Thames also gives access to the extensive inland waterways of England, via the Wey Navigation, Basingstoke Canal, Grand Union Canal and Kennet & Avon Canal. You can also access the sea through the Thames Estuary, assuming the boat is capable.
You should get the engine and domestic system professionally winterised.
A broker will have a choice of boats for sale for you to view and will be able to advise you on the merits of different sizes, styles and engine options. The broker will also be able to guide you through the buying process: Surveys, moorings, insurance and finance. A good broker will ensure that all relevant paperwork is in place for your purchase, with an initial contract agreeing the terms of your purchase, through to the Bill of Sale passing title from the vendor to you. The broker will also protect the purchaser against any outstanding liens and finance on the vessel.
We ask for a deposit once a price has been agreed for your purchase, which is held in a "client account", subject to satisfactory river trial and/or survey and the boat is placed Under Offer whilst these are arranged. Once the vessel is placed Under Offer, it will be taken off the market and reserved to yourself. The deposit is returnable should the survey or trial be unacceptable to you minus any unpaid services such as surveyor fees or lift for survey.
We always strongly recommend that you have the boat surveyed by a reputable surveyor. This will give you peace of mind that the boat you are buying is sound and her equipment is working correctly. The surveyor will give you an extensive report on the boat and her condition, including the installation of the engine(s). He will however, not give an opinion on the engine(s) themselves. An engineer can be employed to provide a report on the machinery but we offer a river trial to demonstrate the vessel's machinery to you. If your intended purchase is over 10 years old, most insurance companies will require you to have a survey before they will offer cover on the vessel.
Yes, there are several marine finance companies that will be happy to finance your purchase. They have many different products and can advise you on which would be best suited to your circumstances.
A boat built by a well-known, reputable manufacturer which is put back on to the market in similar or better condition will usually make a similar price to when she was purchased. Generally speaking, secondhand vessels hold their value (subject to market conditions and also assuming that the correct price was paid when the vessel was purchased).
We are here to make the process of selling a boat as easy and pain free as we can for you. As soon as your boat arrives, we ensure that she is advertised in the relevant publications, including on the internet and produce a detailed colour specification; once approved by you, this specification is distributed to all relevant customers on our extensive database. When someone is interested in your boat and has made an acceptable offer, a river trial will be carried out and a survey is arranged by the purchaser; issues and concerns raised from the survey will be discussed and we will recommend a course of action to conclude the sale smoothly.
Our brokerage fee depends on the selling price of your boat. Please contact your local office to discuss rates and terms.
The brokerage fee pays for the services we provide in selling your boat including advertising, inclusion on our website, administration, mailshots, transfer of title. All boats sold by us must be moored on our sales pontoons to enable easy viewing for customers. We operate on a "no sale, no fee" basis.
No. All broker charges are included in the brokerage fee.
We advertise in all the major publications including our award-winning website. Our brokerage advertisements can be seen in Motor Boats & Yachting; we also advertise our brokerage boats when attending major boat shows e.g. London, Southampton and a number of regional shows, ensuring that your boat receives maximum coverage. Naturally, your boat will also be displayed on one of our dedicated sales pontoons.
The better presented your boat, the more interest you will receive from prospective purchasers. We have an on-site professional valeter who can clean and, if required, polish your boat internally and externally. There is a charge for this service, which is dependent on the size of the boat and how often and extensively it is cleaned. You are welcome to clean the boat yourself - water is available on all pontoons. Our aim is to keep your boat well presented but would ask that your boat arrives in a smart, clean and saleable condition to achieve a quicker sale and a better price.
This is dependent on the type of boat, time of year and the demand for our sales berths - please contact our individual offices.
