Establish a 'Boat Budget'
When thinking about a budget, please bear in mind how you wish to use your boat - river or coastal, family with children, pets etc and what costs are incurred when purchasing a boat - our experienced sales staff can assist you, their help and advice is FREE.

Arrange Viewings
We encourage you to view as many makes and models that we currently have for sale, this will give you an idea of what different styles are available.

• All specifications are available on our website
• Each sheet incorporates a Cost Calculator relating to costs such as survey fees, survey lifts and mooring fees at all the MDL Marinas.

Final Questions
Discuss any queries you may have regarding Insurance, Mooring and River Licensing costs. Naturally, these depend on the type and size of boat that you are interested in.

Confirm your Offer to us
Many vessels are open to offers - we can advise you on this.

Purchase Price Agreed
Once the price has been agreed, a 10% Deposit is payable and a Contract is then drawn between yourself and the vendor. This contract details the conditions of the purchase which are generally:

• Demonstration
• Survey and/or Engine Report
• Acceptance of Finance (if applicable)

All Deposits paid to a reputable Broker are held in a Client account which is a segregated account that is separate to the Trading account of the Broker; this Deposit is returned if any of the above conditions are not to the purchaser's satisfaction, Terms and Conditions apply - please ask for a copy of our Sales Contract. We are members of the BRBA (Boat Retailers and Brokers Association) and BMF (British Marine Federation) this will ensure you are dealing with professional, qualified staff and that business is carried out to a high standard as expected by these professional bodies.

Boat Demonstration
We then arrange a river trial with you, this entails about half an hour manoeuvring on the river; if this has been successful we advise you to instruct a Surveyor, their report is generally available within a few days; if you are happy to send us a copy we will take you through and explain in detail any points raised and recommendations made.

Once you confirm to us that you are happy to proceed with the purchase, the balance becomes due; this process (offer acceptance to clearing of balance funds), will generally take between 7 to 28 days.

Legal Paperwork and Tuition
Once funds have cleared, all necessary paperwork will be obtained from the vendor including Bills of Sale etc and these will be presented to you during the handover.

The handover will generally take about 2 hours - depending on size and complexity of the boat - all basic functions will be explained to you and we will assist you in mooring the boat onto your berth.

When you buy a boat from TBS Boats, all basic functions will be explained to you during the handover and we will assist you in mooring the boat onto your berth.

In depth tuition is available via Bisham Abbey Sailing.

When purchasing a boat from us we like to make sure you are happy with how she works and handles. When the purchase has been concluded we offer a "handover". This will consist of showing you how to use all the major systems on board, including a short river trip and mooring the boat. The handover takes approximately two hours, depending on the size and complexity of the vessel and your own previous experience. If you require further tuition, we can arrange this for you with a qualified skipper.

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.

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.

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.

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, second hand vessels hold their value (subject to market conditions and also assuming that the correct price was paid when the vessel was purchased).

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.