Boat Ownership

Why should I buy a boat from Classic Boats Ltd / France Afloat?

At Classic Boats Ltd, we feel that all our customers should be able to sleep in comfortable beds with sprung mattresses and not have to lie on camp or inflated beds. We also believe that they should be able to walk tall so all our deck heads are over six feet high. We have provided plenty of space for our customers to move about in comfort and get away from others if they wish. All our EuroClassics are spacious, well constructed and a pleasure to be on.

The partnership between the boat builder and Classic Boats Ltd in the UK and France Afloat gives us the unique opportunity to provide the experience we have of operating boats on the French inland waterways.

Here are some facts to support our claim.

1. We can arrange for conducted tours at the boatyard to see boats in build and discuss the layout that you would prefer. Remember, these boats are built to your specific requirements and providing we keep to the overall dimensions of the hull, several layouts are available.

2. We can arrange for you to hire a similar vessel from our base at Vermenton, enabling you to 'try before you buy'.

3. These days it is mandatory to have the ICC qualification if you own a boat on the French inland waterways. This is only a two day course and we are qualified to stage and examine this test at our base in Vermenton.

4. We are able to arrange transport of your boat to virtually anywhere in France where there are craning facilities. If you decide to use our base we have engineering back-up should there be any warranty requirements.

5. We normally have a presence at the Southampton and London Boat Shows when you could come and discuss your boating requirements with us.

6. We would like you to compare our prices with our competitors because we feel that you may well be surprised at the low cost of owning and keeping your own boat on the magical canals and rivers of France.

We are all English and some of us speak French fluently.

For more information about Build Slot availability, just drop us an e-mail and we will provide answers to any questions you may have.

Payment Terms - As these boats are built to order, we have a scheme that gives prospective owners a clear idea when we will commence the build of their craft. To facilitate this we ask that customers cnfirm their agreed Build Slot with a deposit of £2000 that is ultimately deducted from the final payment for their boat. We would then expect to draft a Bitish Marine Federation contract to build the boat, in consultation with the boat builder, with a quoted price including VAT that would be guaranteed thus removing the worry of any increase in the price of materials.

Should you wish to cancel your Build Slot, providing notice of cancellation is received within one calendar month from the date of your payment, all monies would be returned without penalty