Useful Information for Boat Buyers

The New and Used Boat Co are one of the most established and experienced retailers of both new and pre-owned narrowboats, widebeams and Dutch barges in the UK. We provide a contemporary retail experience for customers, and if you are looking to buy a narrowboat, widebeam or Dutch barge The New and Used Boat Co should be your first port of call.  With offices at Hanbury Wharf (Droitwich) and Mercia Marina, Willington (Derby), we are ideally placed to service the needs of our customers wherever they are based. Each office carries a range of new demonstrators together with a selection of specially specified stock boats available for immediate delivery.

The New and Used Boat Co is proud to offer an extensive range of Narrowboats and Widebeams from the Aqualine Range and the Hanbury Range, available as fully fitted boats and as sailaways for completion by the purchaser. The part-completed widebeams are available in various stages from a basic weather tight hull with engine, insulation and windows fitted, through to the lined out ‘Sailaway Plus’ and onto the ‘Sailaway Additions’  level which include inverters, bulkheads, central heating, plumbing and electrical tails and so forth,  and can be either fully painted or just primed. All in all, they offer a really cost effective way for the competent DIY enthusiast to get a widebeam on the water. For more information click on the here: www.newandusedboat.co.uk/new-boats-narrowbeam.php

If you are looking for a pre-owned narrowboat or widebeam the New and Used Boat Co carries an extensive selection, located either at one of our sales offices or with some available from the home moorings at various locations around the country. To see more details of the current selection available click here: www.newandusedboat.co.uk/used-boats.php

The New and Used Boat Co offers a professional brokerage solution for both buyers and sellers of boats. Selling a narrowboat or widebeam is a major undertaking and using a professional brokerage service can pay dividends both in terms of the price achieved and also the speed with which it sells.  Anyone considering selling a narrowboat, widebeam or Dutch Barge on brokerage would be well advised to contact Ian or Glyn at Mercia Marina on 01283 707357, Marc or Sam at Hanbury Wharf on 01905 794445 or sales@newandusedboat.co.uk to discuss the options New and Used Boat Co can offer.

Of course a good retailer not only sells you a narrowboat but is also there to support you both through the buying process and beyond - this is where The New and Used Boat Co has an enviable reputation. With its own in-house warranty and engineering department we are able to offer a solution to most problems, whether they be minor warranty repairs on a new narrowboat or service requirements on a brokerage boat. We can usually sort these problems out or, on the rare occasion we cannot, we can put you in contact with someone who can restore your narrowboat or widebeam to fully functioning condition. You may be interested to know that there is a breakdown service for narrowboats provided by River Canal Rescue which is best likened to the AA for narrowboats. Click here for more information: www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk

For purchasers new to narrowboats a short training course may be helpful and we have found over the years that the RYA accredited courses offered by Terry at TR Boat Handling  www.trboathandling.com

Once you have taken the plunge into narrowboat or widebeam ownership you will need to consider things such as insurance and there is no better company to speak to for narrowboat insurance than Collidge and Partners, a long-established, family-owned insurance company that understands, narrowboats, widebeams and Dutch Barge insurance requirements inside out. Click here to find out more and get a free no-obligation quote with the added benefit of a 10% discount on your premium and free RCR membership - what better way to protect your new boat?

In order to legally navigate the inland waterways you will need to licence your narrowboat or widebeam with the relevant authority; normally this would be CRT (canal & rivers trust) but there are a few other licensing bodies such as The Environment Agency and private entities such as The Lower Avon Navigation Trust. You can find licensing details from the two main narrowboat licensing authorities here:  www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/boating/licensing or here: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/recreation/129910.aspx

You will need to consider where you are going to keep your narrowboat or widebeam and we are always able to help source a mooring for a narrowboat or widebeam bought from us.  We can provide both narrowbeam and widebeam moorings through our outlet at Mercia near Derby, details of which can be seen here:  www.merciamarina.co.uk and sometimes have moorings at Hanbury Wharf too  (call 01905 794445).

Alternatively we have a network of contacts throughout the inland waterways network and can also help with moorings in many other locations. For more information on moorings for your narrowboat or widebeam try looking here: www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/boating/moorings

Maintenance of you narrowboat, widebeam or Dutch Barge is vital to ensure enjoyable and trouble free cruising. For advice or assistance with any matters of this type please  contact our Engineer Robin on 07884 110134 or warranty@newandusedboat.co.uk  who will be pleased to advise you on anything connected to boat maintenance.

Once a narrowboat or widebeam is four years old it will require a Boat Safety Scheme Certificate.  Details of the scheme can be seen here: www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/boating/boat-safety If you would like to talk to somebody about the Boat Safety Scheme, Chris Williams of Ovation Boat Services is definitely a friendly face and a mine of information, he is also Gas Safe registered, www.ovationboatservices.co.uk

Need to try before you buy your new narrowboat, widebeam or Dutch barge? We are pleased to be able to offer demonstration cruises on all the boats we offer for sale - just call the offices on 01905 794445 or 01283 707357 to make arrangements. For those who would like to try a widebeam for a longer period, The Puddlings is a young hire company operating a boat supplied by us. Owned and operated by The Goosey family at Willowbridge Marina in Milton Keynes who will be pleased to discuss what they can offer, contact them here: www.puddling.co.uk

If you want to discuss any aspect of buying or selling a narrowboat, widebeam or Dutch barge, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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