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Do you know these Boat Builders?


Bat & Frog

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So how have you faired in your dealings with them? as I am interested in them as a supplier. PM if necessary.

 

We have been writing a blog from the very start - you can find it in our signature. It has all the Ups and Downs! The boat is well built, good quality and we are proud of with it. Others who have seen it say the same. Of course there are some little things that are not perfect.

 

The best piece of advice would be to get every single detail agreed and put in writing before handing any money over - as with any big project such as a house extension! We of course knew this but it is easy to let it slip, and when you are dealing with a salesman...things can get a little bit vague.. what did we agree again? :lol:

 

Cheers -Frog-

 

PS. PM if you need more detailed info.

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  • 3 months later...
We have been writing a blog from the very start - you can find it in our signature. It has all the Ups and Downs! The boat is well built, good quality and we are proud of with it. Others who have seen it say the same. Of course there are some little things that are not perfect.

 

The best piece of advice would be to get every single detail agreed and put in writing before handing any money over - as with any big project such as a house extension! We of course knew this but it is easy to let it slip, and when you are dealing with a salesman...things can get a little bit vague.. what did we agree again? :lol:

 

Cheers -Frog-

 

PS. PM if you need more detailed info.

 

 

Just wanted to add that we can now not comment on an open forum, if anyone is looking to buy we will be happy to discuss in person, or read our blog, more coming soon :lol:

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Just wanted to add that we can now not comment on an open forum, if anyone is looking to buy we will be happy to discuss in person, or read our blog, more coming soon :lol:

 

If you want to pass on advice to others who want to comission a new boat to be built, please do, I started a thread just for that reason, where boaters can pass on their 'do's and don'ts without pointing the finger at any builder in particular.

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=26560

 

We would much rather boaters posted thier advice on a thread like this rather than on 'name and shame' threads that invariably get taken down for legal reasons. We've all had valuable experiences, so lets hear them!

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  • 1 year later...

Hello, I just tried to have a look at your blog and it said I needed to be invited to view. I'm in a similar osition myself with a sailaway being delivered in the sring next year. I trust all is going well with your fit out?

 

Hi

 

I don't think you noticed that this post is nearly two years old so hopefully they should be finished by now ;)

 

 

Ann

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Hello, I just tried to have a look at your blog and it said I needed to be invited to view. I'm in a similar osition myself with a sailaway being delivered in the sring next year. I trust all is going well with your fit out?

 

I'll have a P please Bob.

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  • 2 years later...

Viking is a serial production budget builder. Also they build their boats in Poland so you won't get to see your boat along the build. They don't offer a great array of bespokenss but I believe are good enough when one is in a budget and not too fuss about their boat not being too personalised. You will still get to choose colour paint or the type of stern but if you are picky about the type of windows your require for example you may need to go somewhere else. They don't have the best reputation when it comes to customer service but that happens with most boat builders. Their boats are pretty much Collingwood replicas. They are in the league of Collingwood, (Liverpool) or Bluewater boats when it comes to quality and customer service (although the later are more expensive). If you are after something bespoke and a good communication during and post build, I believe XR&D, Colecraft or Taylor Wilson are some of the best.

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I don't know anything about Viking's operation, but anyone considering them might wish to do a bit of research into this......

 

Very recently placed on their web-site.....

 

Linky

 

Whereas you can also find this....

Linked In Linky

 

So Chris Motyl is apparently both their MD, but has also left the company.

 

Quite possibly innocent, but whenever considering having a boat built, it has been repeatedly been proven that you need to extensively research the actual situation with your chosen builder.

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I assume they're linked to the similarly named hire fleet.

 

I think you are assuming quite wrong.

 

In exactly the same way as the boat builders with ABC in their name I don't think have anything to do with the boat hire firm with ABC in their name, I believe.

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I some time last summer dealing with Viking as we were looking for a new build widebeam and wanted to evaluate the options. Got so far as visiting a couple of owners, both happy with the product and one who had a pretty much customer fit out (They will do it). Apparently the guys over in Poland are proud and professional, seemed to show in the workmanship even if the materials were definitely on the more budget concious side (laminated chipboard....).

 

A common theme was Chris. Unfortunately he seemed the most disorganised man I'd ever met when we tried dealing with him. Viking owners had a similar view, saying the company was great if only you can get past Chris's bumbling.

 

We didn't go with them for other reasons but if those other reasons didn't exist it would have been Chris that would have likely lost them the sale. He seemed a nice enough chap, just didn't think he was cut out for it.

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I don't know anything about Viking's operation, but anyone considering them might wish to do a bit of research into this......

 

Very recently placed on their web-site.....

 

Linky

 

Whereas you can also find this....

 

Linked In Linky

 

So Chris Motyl is apparently both their MD, but has also left the company.

 

Quite possibly innocent, but whenever considering having a boat built, it has been repeatedly been proven that you need to extensively research the actual situation with your chosen builder.

 

The website gives no address and only an overseas (presumably Polish) phone number. So who would you be doing business with? Everything might be fine, but if it all goes wrong it looks as if it could be a whole lot more difficult than with a UK-based builder.

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Dear sirs,

I would like to answer some of the questions you could have. Viking Canal Boats is a reliable boat builder, the shipyard of which is really situated in Poland. We have built more than 100 boats since 2008. Usually we encourage our clients to come to Poland and to see the process of building in flesh. We work with every client individualy and do our best to improve the client-company relationship.

Right now our company is in a process of changing of an office address in London. If you are interested in a purchasing of a boat you can find our details on our web site (contacts). We have given you the Polish number but we have done it temporarily untill we open a new office place in Febraury, 2014. But any way we are ready to organize a boat viewing on the territory of Great Britain. More over if you want to speak with our sales representatives in GB just let us know. Our specialists are always at your service.

We would like to add that Mr. Chris Motyl has left our company and is not a member of the board now. The profile of Chris Motyl http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/chris-motyl/48/4b8/535 is his personal profile, not a company one.

If you have any issues to discuss you can contact directly to us and we will be happy to help you.

Krzysztof Gorzkowicz

VCB Director

 

 

 

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  • 5 weeks later...

Evening All,

 

Viking have just appeared on our radar in our quest for the grail (( ie 45x10'widebeam).

 

Having read an older thread ....does anyone have any knowledge/direct experience of them with regard to new builds please?

 

Posts or PM s welcome!

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"Viking Canal Boats is a reliable boat builder" - why are people buying canal boats from Poland? Because they are cheap? How so? Made with cheap labour? Does cheap labour spell 'Quality' and 'Reliability'? And what about transport costs - wouldn't it be better to pour those transport costs into a British-made boat, ie less transport costs but better craftsmanship?

Wasn't Poland the country selling coal to Britain during the UK miners' strike 1984-85? Now, THERE's "Solidarity" for you!

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"Viking Canal Boats is a reliable boat builder" - why are people buying canal boats from Poland? Because they are cheap? How so? Made with cheap labour? Does cheap labour spell 'Quality' and 'Reliability'? And what about transport costs - wouldn't it be better to pour those transport costs into a British-made boat, ie less transport costs but better craftsmanship?

Wasn't Poland the country selling coal to Britain during the UK miners' strike 1984-85? Now, THERE's "Solidarity" for you!

I wouldn't have put it quite so strongly, but in principle I do agree. Why buy from outside the UK when there are boat builders chomping at the bit to build here at home. Sorry to the Polish workers who also need to make a living, but aren't we at a stage where we ought to looking after our own. Mind you, how many UK builders employ European workers from outside the UK. They are entitled to work here of course.

 

Sad that Ledgard Boats couldn't hang on. They seemed very good boats and well built with quality materials. Perhaps that was the problem. Couldn't compete with less expensive competition whilst having a conscience.

 

My opinion.

 

Martyn

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Wasn't Poland the country selling coal to Britain during the UK miners' strike 1984-85? Now, THERE's "Solidarity" for you!

I'm not sure you can compare the politics of pre-Solidarity Poland with the post-90s democracy.

 

It is more an indicator of how low Thatcher and MacGregor were willing to stoop in order to destroy the rights of British workers rather than an indicator of Poland's reputation in the boat/ship building industry.

 

Also remember that it was the shipbuilders of Gdansk that initiated the downfall of the regime that sold coal to the UK.

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