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Finding a builder
While the sale of my last boat raised a healthy sum of money, there was no doubt that cost was the number one consideration when choosing a builder for the new boat.
I wanted to go up to 60' and demanded high quality steelwork (10mm baseplate / 6mm sides / 5mm cabin / 4mm roof). I also wanted the windows and doors, battening and insulation, tanks and a brand new engine included - known as a 'sailaway'.
With the registration, transport on a lorry and cranage fees, it was going to be hard to find change from £25,000.
Another complication was my mooring licence. This is a residential licence issued by Cambridge County Council, and they are like gold dust, with a waiting list of years. The council have kindly let me keep it, and given me three months from the point of sale to get my new boat onto the mooring.
Of the mainstream builders, The Liverpool Boat Company came in cheapest, with a price of £25,500 all included. You can also buy Liverpool boats from the New Boat Company, but you will be paying slightly more.
I also approached several smaller builders, but found nothing below £27,000. The delivery schedule was also a problem.
I was on the point of ordering from Liverpool, when I happened across a small ad on Apollo Duck for a shell built by a small firm in Boston Lincs. It turned out that this was sold, but the builder could not be more helpful. The time limit was no problem, he would build to any specification and most importantly he was cheap, with a guideline price of £23,000 all inclusive.
I jumped on my motorbike and braved the wilds of the fens to meet the man - Dean Atkinson of ABC boats. He showed me the bows of a boat they had just started, and there was no doubting the quality of the steel (direct from Corus) and the welding. The bow was beautifully shaped, everything was true and square.
Dean showed me lots of pictures of previous builds, and we talked through what I wanted. His approach was very flexible. He would do as much or as little work as I wanted and didn't insist on including anything. He was full of ideas and useful cost-saving advice.
A fine Sunday lunch with his family clinched the deal, and I handed over a £500 deposit, with the build to start in the new year.
For those that are interested, here is a Comparison of builders and prices that may be useful if you are thinking of comissioning a sailaway yourself.