CE certification

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geardownthreegreens

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So, i've been offered my friends bosses boat for 11K.

Its a Crownline 230 sc,identical to a CCR model. Year 2000
Its immaculate with a stunning Continental 4wheel trailer, so you'd think 11K was a bargain.
Well, it was imported about 3years ago,hardly used at all,has relevant paid up paperwork like vat etc but has no CE mark, and nor does it have a camper cover or tonneu cover.
Is this boat worth pursuing,anyone here run a boat with no ce stamp. Boat does have a bimini, so does that mean that side covers could be fitted to it,thus saving on overall costs.
Any views most welcome, oh, what would be the very rough cost to cover the boat as mentioned.
Cheers Si
 
It seems like a good price and it shouldnt cost a lot to get it CE marked, I have done the work on many of them and there insnt a lot to it, its just paying somebody to advise and sort out the paperwork that seems to cost for some reason.

There are a lot of myths about US boats being a diferent quality but its rot, the main differences are in terms of Battery connections and Fuel lines and some safety features like the right warning stikers and such.

I have a US boat that was CE marked but we still changed the feul lines and upgraded the Battery cables and it only cost a few hundred quid.

Best advice is to look up a good CE consultant, price the work and add it to cost of boat and see if it still makes sense.

Gary
 
Yes, many thanks and i agree with what you say about why the expense for so little work. I'm pretty sure that anything the americans build is good enough for us if its good enough for them. Bloody regulations hisses me off. I knew at 11K it was too good to be true as an average price is around 16K if you can find one.
Would still like to assertain a rough figure for the covers. 11K is really my budget and stretching things a bit.
Cheers
Simon
 
I'd guess at £500 - £800 for a camper cover, depending on quality and who does it, and assuming the bimini framework could be utilised, so no new metal bits needed.
 
Not sure whether the bimini frame would be substantial enough to support a full cover in a bit of a blow, but if you judge it OK, then you could try Frank Rouse Motor Trimmers and Upholsterers in Cheltenham for a cheap solution if budget is tight. 01242 513394 - Ray Bevan is the man to speak to.

They made up a full cover in vinyl for my Bayliner in about 2001 iirc. It cost me circa £800 and was made to suit my old frame. I've only just replaced it last year, although it was only done in cheap non-marine stuff. (It was pretty gross by the time I scrapped it, mind! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif) If budget is tight and you decide to go that route instead of pukka sunbrella or similar, choose a colour that won't fade in the sun - red is definitely best avoided.

I asked Frank Rouse to quote for a replacement cover (in sunbrella or equivalent to a completely different design) last year and they were v. expensive (£2k) so I went elsewhere and got what I needed for £1,300.

Edited to correct phone number - dyslexia rlues /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Appreciate that Excalibur, tis always a thought. Thing is, if Rouse were more expensive, where did you go for the cheaper option? :-)

I'd only have either one or the other, a full camper cover which is more expensive but more useful or a cheaper tonneu which is still useful but not so much.Difficult to overnight with a tonneu :-)
 
Many thanks Nick, amy ideas who could make one cheap enough. Would be excellent if the bimini metalwork could be utilised. Sounds a more realistic price. Boat is on south coast at present.
 
Well i'm assuming the boat is about 23', and the cover will fit over the bimini frame so will have a sloping back, whereas a full camper cover would have an additional frame member further aft, and the back of the canopy would be almost vertical.

Given my assumptions, I think a number of suppliers could make you a canopy in a copy acrylic (but not sunbrella) within the budget i've suggested.

Personally i'd use JB Services and get a premium job, but they may be more expensive. Mastertrim in Cannock would do a good job at a good price, but may be more difficult to get them to measure up if the boat is on the South Coast.

You could make a pattern up in thick polythene (from B&Q), then send it to mastertrim for them to make up in acrylic. I've done this lots of times (as my boat is in France), and i've been pleased with the results. You can buy a fastener tool for £30 or so, to fit all the press studs yourself. Depends how practical you are really

Alternatively search back on this forum, lots of people have reccommended cover makers for being good or cheap or both
 
I had a US boat that was imported, there are a large number of them about as they were a huge bargain espescially when the exchange rate was more favourable.
A few do get a CE plate here but most buyers do not bother as it is a bit of a rip off, it is mainly those which are imported commercially to be sold that are marked.
Some US brokers can provide CE plates if asked.
If you intend to keep the boat long term, I would happily buy it, then do what you are comfortable with.
regards mikej
 
Dont know if the size of boat makes any difference to the price of obtaining a CE plate. 26ft self finish yatch was quoted at around £1200 five years ago,
 
I suggested Rouse as they are local to you and relatively inexpensive for vinyl, which is what they do a lot of. I wrongly assumed the boat was near to Cheltenham from your profile, but I now see it's on the South coast. Rouse had never used sunbrella when I visited them for a quote last year and I suspect the high price was to cover purchase of a quantity of material that they may have had no further use for, plus a bit of experimenting with stretching allowances etc during manufacture.

I ended up getting my new cover made by Mark Llewellyn of Neyland, Pembrokeshire (01646 600112) who did a superb job from scratch, including all template work. I had already fitted a fixed stainless arch to the boat as I had got fed up with wrestling with the old canopy sticks every time I wanted to put the old cover on or take it off, so there was no existing design which he could copy. Mark was very helpful with advice before I gave him the go ahead, his price was competitive, and the boat was in Pembs at the time, so it was a no-brainer really. He suggested a few minor changes to my design proposals, and the finished result is superb.

Frank Rouse would be OK for a cheap vinyl tonneau cover, but if you want a full canopy in sunbrella, a marine specialist would probably be better. Not sure if you're planning to keep it on a trailer; if so, you will probaby need a tonneau at some stage anyway.
 
This is a case of buyer beware. The original importer of the boat should have had the boat CE plated before first use. In real terms the original owner/seller is responsible for getting it through. If you buy it and then want to sell it you then become liable and it could cost in the long run.

It will cost around £2,000 to be correctly plated. I checked this price with our surveyor this afternoon.
 
You say it has a trailer which has been made in the US if it has then it will be over 7'6" and have a 2" hitch and for sure wont be legal ( I have be caught in a road side check with one and been fined ). You will need to look into the cost of a new trailer if you do alot of towing.
 
Had my US boat ce marked - circa £1800. For me the only reason for getting the ce plate was for future sale purposes, as I have no concerns as to the quality / safety of the boat. The ce requirement is all about paperwork. Although currently there seems to be no enforcement, it is still illegal to sell an uncertified boat with potentially a custodial sentence.

Even with little or no risk of regulation, let alone criminal proceedings, people are gradually becoming more aware of the need for a ce plate and so without it, the boat is likely to become unsellable in the future, particularly if some beaurocrat decides to introduce some form of checking. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

The only problem you may encounter is that for a relatively recent import, the engines may require emmission testing, which could add a lot of cost to the above estimate.
 
I'd check the legals on this - if YOU buy it non-CE certified then that's your lookout, but I really wouldn't fancy trying to then sell it on NON certified to another owner - and sell it on you will certainly want to do one day even if thats 3 years down the line. And if you sold it to someone who didn't know it needed a CE certificate, and then there was a dispute at a later date, you have committed the offence for selling it uncertified - indeed I am not sure you are allowed to sell it uncertified even if the buyer knows the implications of that. What if there was an accident with someone on board, would you be insured knowing it should have been CE Marked when you bought it?

If it was me, I'd insist that it was certified, OR get £2000 or so knocked off what you think it's worth to cover the cost of you getting it done at a later date - then consider whether you do it yourself, or wait till you come to sell - but one thing I DO know is I'd check VERY carefully with the RYA what the exact law is and what the implications are - and check with a couple of insurance companies tell them the truth, that you aren't the importer and it is not CE marked and see what they say, and if they say OK get it in writing.
 
Fully appreciate what your saying there solitaire and i had a gut feeling it wasn't CE plated, not for 11K. Yes, fully aware the previous should have had it done, though he may not have been aware. Story is, they were in America, had been out on a boat,he fell in love with the idea, got back home and decided to import one for himself but his wife and daughter weren't too keen on it in this country. Sold it a year ago for 13K so hasn't made any money on it.
I do still feel that its a complete rip off though and in my opinion,not necassary, its just a money making scheme. Thankyou though for finding out the cost, appreciate that solitaire.
 
Hi me2. My mate was the one who drove it back from Wigan to Weymouth without any problems, said it towed like a dream so i guess the hitch was sorted. I really dont get why(not what your saying but in general) the trailer width should be illegal. I'm pretty sure if authorities in this country were that concerned,they wouldn't be allowed out of the dockyard. Its certainly no wider than the boat so its madness for authorities to say otherwise. Bloody pen pushers again. How wide is an articulated lorry for heavens sake ! ? :-)
It would only be towed from weymouth to poole anyway and boat then left on trailer in yard.
 
[ QUOTE ]
where are continantal trailers made ?

www.continentaltrailers.com

[/ QUOTE ]

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif easy to think its our continent :-) Yep, Florida. I still really dont get why they're illegal,its just plain ridiculous.This particular trailer has disc brakes alround and is as strong as an ox. A ball hitch is an easy fix if thats the problem.
 
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