Commissioning charges?

[david_e]

What do you get for your money with commissioning on a new boat? Haven't asked the RYA & other bodies yet but would be interested to learn of what experiences and charges people have had including any nasties. Is there a standard sort of list of things that you would expect to be included and would you expect it to include a sea trial? I note that with some mftrers it varies quite a bit from dealer to dealer for the same boat. Accept that delivery charges will obviously differ from one part of the country to another.

 

[cynthia]

We did a hybrid. Bought the boat in Spain. They paid for the rigging and commissioning over here - sent a very efficient German out. The rest of the work we sub-contracted to a local yard i.e. fitting spray hood, anti-fouling, expoxying etc. We also had the non-factory fitted extras e.g. radar/chart plotter fitted locally. Took a bit of time, but we ended up with a boat + all the extras at sig. lower prices than if we'd simply asked the U.K. agent to do the lot!

P.S. the only problem was with the local yard! Most of the jobs were excellent, but some of the hours charged were 'ridiculous' (allegedly!!).

 

[Guest]

I've never understood this "commissioning charge." Surely if you buy a boat then you expect to be presented with the boat in up & running order, not a flat pack! In the old days when boats were built by the water I suppose this wasn't a problem. Now they are built in factories somebody has to go along and put the thing together, but surely the cost of this should be clearly included in the overall price of the boat?

 

[billmacfarlane]

Yes of course the price could be included in the overall price of the boat, but that would mean that there would be a price rise on the boat as the commissioning charges are absorbed. I don't know why the commissioning charge is separate. Maybe you can choose not pay it but shop around and find a yard that would do it cheaper or even DIY.

 

[charles_reed]

It really covers the cost of getting the boat from where it was made to where you take delivery.

Far better to go and do the delivery yourself - the Beneteau people will open your eye to what service should be like.

 

[tristan]

When a new boat is 'commissioned', this is something of a vague area for most owners. What is generally involved is the checking of all seacocks, clips and hoses for signs of damage and leaks, checking that the engine, heads, electric and water systems are all functioning properly and all appropriate levels are adjusted. Also ckecked is the rig, the engine controls and basic items, such as deck fillers can be undone etc. (this has been known to be a fault!!). Then all the appropriate paperwork is gathered and checked, any keys, tags, special items are included and finally the boat commissioning is completed. This should go some way to explaining the (admittidly high) cost.
Not included in most commissionings is delivery, but you may be able to come to an arrangement about this with the agent.
Possible ways to make this cheaper, or to de-mystify this process, is to either be there when the boat is commissioned or to combine this with an acceptance trial, this will be perfectly acceptable with a reputable agent or dealer.
Although commissioning could be carried out by a third party body to save money, this can have tha effect of reducing or eliminating the warranty (if you are at all that bothered) and also, the third party may not be equipped or experienced with that particular product.
This does not mean that no-one apart from the dealer or agent can carry out an acceptable commissioning, nor does it mean that the above checks will be carried out (although they should!).
Hope this has helped.
Tristan

 

[david_e]

Thanks for the info, this is what I was seeking clarification of. However it creates a thought in my mind that much of what is done is similar to a PDI on a new car. Should this type of work not be done as a matter of course to ensure that the goods are fit for purpose and also just what does the dealer do to justify his margin? Most new boats are built to order so they are not exactly carrying stock and most of their business is brokerage etc. If there are implications for the warranty in the owner/other people doing the work then it suggests that the commissioning charge is just another way of ramping the price up? On the other hand if they had to supply parts then it is reasonable to expect to pay extra, but you would not expect this on a standard boat. Hmmmmm