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New Liverpool boat


Roughchippy

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Hi,

we are looking to buy a 57 ft  semi trad sailaway or part lined we have looked at other companies and Liverpool boats seem very competitive on price We would appreciate any advice?

I am a carpenter and would like to finish the boat and use it as a live aboard has anyone bought from them as a part lined?

many thanks

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This is very much a personal opinion but having hired a couple of Liverpool Boats I found they didn't handle as well as many others and i got the impression the hull shape was fairly unrefined. Having said that may be as a liveaboard that may not be top of your list of priorities.

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The cost of the boat is made up of two main components, steel and labour, the price of the steel will be pretty much identical between manufacturers - the quality of the 'labour' element is variable.

Also ensure you are comparing 'like-for-like', is one manufacturer offering 'thicker' steel ?

Are Liverpool boats 'still going' ? I thought the employees had set up a new company.

Historically Liverpool boats were produced for the 'economy' end of the market and it has been known that they are produced over-width (so will not fit thru all locks), and have been produced 'bent' (banana shaped) and again will not fit thru all locks.

 

You could probably say they are the 'Peugeot /Renault' of he boat world - functional but not 'good quality'.

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1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Are Liverpool boats 'still going' ? I thought the employees had set up a new company.

I don't think so.

Liverpool Boats simply stopped building boats, but did not go bust.   It remained a dormant company, (may still be?).


The same owners started trading again as Collingwood.  No collapse, no buyout, no takeover I think.

Happy to be proved wrong though.

(I've no idea why my posts are getting odd line spacings!)

Edited by alan_fincher
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15 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

were you a Top Gear fan ?? :rolleyes:

No, - just a supplier to PSA worldwide and an ex-owner of 2x Peugeot cars (had to have them to be able to be a supplier).

I think the 'classic' for me was when they launched the 405 (Built at Ryton - Coventry) and found that the engine had severe vibration, the Design engineers could not solve it but one of the Manufacturing Engineers' came up with the solution (that they took from the world of washing machines) - they just bolted lumps of concrete around the engine until the vibrations stopped, once the amount of concrete was identified they cast 'balance weights' and they were then fitted to every vehicle produced.

I had a brand new Peugeot delivered to my house - as the delivery driver was leaving it caught fire on the drive as fuel had leaked from the injectors and dropped onto the exhaust manifold.

After sorting that out I noticed a 'central locking problem', in that you could lock it, walk away and hear a 'clunk' as the locking unlocked itself - again this was across the range and was subsequently found to be that the linkages were  designed at an absolute minimum length which never quite made it to the 'over-centre' position, they 'hovered' on the brink and a couple of minutes later fell 'back' to the un-lock position,

Then of course there were the 'boot lid springs' - another joke ............................

I was in the fortunate position that I had full factory access and so every problem (or modification / update) could be resolved by me taking the car into the 'rectification' bay rather than working thru the local dealers.

Then there was the '205 saga' - where 100s / 1000s of cars were parked up in a despatch yard, the yard flooded to about two feet deep, the water got into every car above the floor level, soaking carpets and everything.

The cars were 'dried out' but nothing was done to steel work and water sat in the chassis channels and a few months later caused huge corrosion problems, for the new owners.

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On 22/09/2017 at 07:58, Alan de Enfield said:

Are Liverpool boats 'still going' ?

 

Well according to their website, they still are!

http://www.liverpoolboatco.co.uk/

The prices on the site are from 2007 though, which is why they look rather attractive. They will also be exhibiting at the Crick Show in 2007 too, I learn from the link....

 

 

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2 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Well according to their website, they still are!

http://www.liverpoolboatco.co.uk/

The prices on the site are from 2007 though, which is why they look rather attractive. They will also be exhibiting at the Crick Show in 2007 too, I learn from the link..

That's about  par for the course.

there were a lot of 'quality complaints' on this forum around that time - (poor welding standards, wrong size / shape hull, poor fit-out etc) wonder if that is what led to the emergence of the 'Phoenix company'.

 

"it wasn't us - it was that other company "

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On 22/09/2017 at 09:42, Alan de Enfield said:

That's about  par for the course.

there were a lot of 'quality complaints' on this forum around that time - (poor welding standards, wrong size / shape hull, poor fit-out etc) wonder if that is what led to the emergence of the 'Phoenix company'.

 

"it wasn't us - it was that other company "

 

I doubt it. When I did the gas PDIs on them for New Boat Company at Thames and Kennet Marina, LB didn't give a sh!t about after sales problems according to Chris the guv'nor, and they refused to fix anything once the boat came off the lorry. He used to deduct the cost of local repairs from the money he paid for the boats, and eventually stopped selling them.

This broadly coincided with the 2007/8 financial crash and orders for new boats dried up completely I suspect, hence them closing the doors. Later, when conditions improved and the market returned, Collingwood and Aintree popped up. Totally unconnected companies, apparently...

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12 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Collingwood and Aintree popped up. Totally unconnected companies, apparently...

Best to say "allegedly".

allegedly
əˈlɛdʒɪdli/  
adverb
adverb: allegedly
  1. used to convey that something is claimed to be the case or have taken place, although there is no proof.
Edited by Alan de Enfield
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51 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Well according to their website, they still are!

http://www.liverpoolboatco.co.uk/

The prices on the site are from 2007 though, which is why they look rather attractive. They will also be exhibiting at the Crick Show in 2007 too, I learn from the link....

 

 

Perhaps they have diversified and are making time machines now? :P

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As the owner of a Liverpool Boat for the last 5'ish years I can speak from experience.

The company had gone by the time we bought the boat, so I can't speak to their customer relations and after sales approach.

What I can say however is that we have been very pleased with the boat. It passes surveys and BSS exams first time, it fits into locks and is straight fore and aft.  The internal fit out is pretty good, alright I concede that there is a little bit more MDF than you might get with one of the high end builders of today, but it is robustly put together and certainly fit for purpose. 

I know there is a certain reputational issue around Liverpool Boats, but of all of the fellow owners we speak to when we are out and about, I have never met anyone who actually owns one with a bad word to say about them.

  • Happy 1
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1 hour ago, lockedout said:

As the owner of a Liverpool Boat for the last 5'ish years I can speak from experience.

The company had gone by the time we bought the boat, so I can't speak to their customer relations and after sales approach.

What I can say however is that we have been very pleased with the boat. It passes surveys and BSS exams first time, it fits into locks and is straight fore and aft.  The internal fit out is pretty good, alright I concede that there is a little bit more MDF than you might get with one of the high end builders of today, but it is robustly put together and certainly fit for purpose. 

I know there is a certain reputational issue around Liverpool Boats, but of all of the fellow owners we speak to when we are out and about, I have never met anyone who actually owns one with a bad word to say about them.

It's the usual thing here. People slating certain boat builders mainly on here say or because they know of the odd one that had problems. I know at least three owners of Liverpool boats that are very pleased with their boats. Ian.

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3 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

This broadly coincided with the 2007/8 financial crash and orders for new boats dried up completely I suspect, hence them closing the doors. Later, when conditions improved and the market returned, Collingwood and Aintree popped up. Totally unconnected companies, apparently...

 

3 hours ago, Dave Payne said:

hmmm been looking at sail aways from these company's for a couple of weeks, changes things!


That's total bollocks Mike, but then I'm sure you know that!

There has never been any suggestion that Collingwood was unconnected with Liverpool Boats, and it is daft to suggest there has.

If you look up Collingwood it clearly shows that it was originally called Liverpool Boats

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/04953783

Aintree boats on the other hand show no obvious connection to either Liverpool Boats or Collingwood, other than that they have a Liverpool based address.  However the addresses are miles apart, with evidence of two completely different boat building sites easily found on Google Street View.   There is no obvious tie up between the directors of Aintree Boats and those of Liverpool/Collingwood.

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07333796

It is not hard to find this stuff out, and not really helpful to potential buyers to post stuff that simply doesn't seem to be supported by actual fact.

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1 hour ago, Richard10002 said:

Having said everything above, the fact is that Roughchippy won't be buying a Liverpool Boats sailaway.

It would be interesting to hear how he got close to making a decision to buy one based on a competitive price, before discovering here that they don't exist?

By doing what i did, google sailaway, liverpool website is still up and running, i did suspect based on price and had planned to call them.

 

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2 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

 


That's total bollocks Mike, but then I'm sure you know that!

There has never been any suggestion that Collingwood was unconnected with Liverpool Boats, and it is daft to suggest there has.

If you look up Collingwood it clearly shows that it was originally called Liverpool Boats

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/04953783

Aintree boats on the other hand show no obvious connection to either Liverpool Boats or Collingwood, other than that they have a Liverpool based address.  However the addresses are miles apart, with evidence of two completely different boat building sites easily found on Google Street View.   There is no obvious tie up between the directors of Aintree Boats and those of Liverpool/Collingwood.

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07333796

It is not hard to find this stuff out, and not really helpful to potential buyers to post stuff that simply doesn't seem to be supported by actual fact.

Alan there's no need for that sort of language.

 I now see what I wrote was ambiguous. I meant there is no connection between Collingwood and  Aintree boats. 

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Liverpool Boats

The site is 10 years out of date and is no longer valid, don't know why they don't take it down but hey ho not my problem.

Got one, like it, was very good value

Mine was a later 2005 model shell, very pleased with it. Couple of issues found by the Surveyor Liverpool fixed or payed for them be fixed no problems.

Was told by someone in the trade, whilst I was fitting my boat out, that I had a "very nice looking shell good job you didn't buy a Liverpool boat", red faced when I told him it was a Liverpool and I was very happy with it.

Around 2004 - 2007 many boat builder were struggling due to a down turn in the market, Liverpool IMHO read the market correctly and did a planned downsize and then, if my recollection is correct, a voluntary liquidation, might be wrong on that point but its 10 years down the line. I believe that all suppliers and contractors etc were correctly looked after. In my opinion that was good business practice, read the market act accordingly before anyone gets hurt. Not all suppliers did that and some none Liverpool purchasers were hurt. 

My take on things.

To the OP try 

Lymm narrowboats, often have shells ready or nearly ready with an option on level of fit out.

http://lmbs.co.uk/about/

Eta.I would strongly recommend that if you are buying a new shell or sailaway take up the offer to have it sprayfoamed, an important decision but one i didn't regret

 

======================

Looked back at the threads from 10 years ago, where a lot of boll***cks (seems to be the word of the day) was spouted, here is the Alan's the director response from 10 years ago

" I am the managing director of Liverpool Boat Co Ltd and Collingwood Boat Builders Ltd. It has been brought to my attention the discussions taking place on this forum about two of my companies. To all whom it may concern Liverpool Boat Co Ltd has simply been mothballed for a number of reasons, none of which I wish to disclose. I would like to assure every one on the forum that no customers or suppliers have lost any money due to Liverpool Boat Co Ltd's business activities and in fact the phones for Liverpool Boat Co Ltd were left on for 12 months to take care of any outstanding issues."

That is basically my recollection of things at the time. Good and sensible business practice.

======================

Hope i'm still here in 10 years time when the same rubbish is spouted. Signed:Mr peeved Tunbridge Wells

 

 

 

 

Edited by reg
Kelsey (Grammar)
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Hi Everybody,

Thanks for all the advice I realize after I had read the comments that the website I was looking on for Liverpool boats hadn't been updated since 2007! Feeling very foolish!

With that in mind would you be able to recommend a supplier of a decent 57ft semi trad sailaway supplier?

thanks again 

 

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12 minutes ago, Roughchippy said:

Hi Everybody,

Thanks for all the advice I realize after I had read the comments that the website I was looking on for Liverpool boats hadn't been updated since 2007! Feeling very foolish!

With that in mind would you be able to recommend a supplier of a decent 57ft semi trad sailaway supplier?

thanks again 

 

Tyler Wilson for one, not the cheapest but definitely one of the best you just missed their open days

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