What's your best (or favourite) chandlery or online supplier?

Greenheart

Greenheart

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Googling odd bits & pieces for the boat, I've been sent to at least a dozen online nautical suppliers. Are any of these strongly recommended by forumites...

...or strongly condemned as overpriced/incompetent/out-of-stock/unreliable?
 
OK I'll start. Had good acceptable service from: Marine SUPERstore in Port Solent, Seamark Nunn and Seascrew to name a few. Worth doing a search on here as this has come up a few times recently :)
 
I'd go there again.

The latest online chandlery I usd was Fox's of Ipswich. I bought a Teleflex-Morse engine control unit from them at a much lower price than from any other I could find. It arrived within 48 hours.

I have dealt with many on-line chandlers (because, infuriatingly, none ever seems to stock everything you need) and never had any problem with any of them.

As far as I know, the distance-selling regulations seem to offer good protection (although I have never had to make use of them) and if you pay with a credit card you have additional protection.
 
I agree with Parsifal.

Currently I find Piplers of Poole to be very good. But so are several others.

There seems to be only one particularly to avoid. It has been mentioned in many posts in the past. But I'm sorry to say I can't remember their name. Please check rather than me giving you wrong information.

Mike
 
dmmbruce said:
I agree with Parsifal.

Currently I find Piplers of Poole to be very good. But so are several others.

There seems to be only one particularly to avoid. It has been mentioned in many posts in the past. But I'm sorry to say I can't remember their name. Please check rather than me giving you wrong information.

Mike
Click to expand...


Marine MEGAstore.

Many, many threads on here.
 
I rarely buy stuff on line. I don't buy a lot anyway. ( A pension does not last long if you start spending it in chandlers! )

I buy most of what I do buy from Force4, because they are only a short detour from my normal route to the boat or from Seateach in Emsworth because they are the nearest to the boat.
 
I have had either good or reasonable service from nearly all the online chandlers I've used. I would never use MarineMEGAstore, because of the problems I've heard repeately on these forums.

I now tend to try to stick to stores that identify whether they have actually have the item in stock, and give a good description of the item, with dimensions/spec (many are frustratingly sparse on that front). I'm happy to pay a little more for that kind of 'service'.

Many of the online chandlers' (and other online businesses') websites are surprisingly difficult/irritating/slow to use, considering how dependent they are on them.

Force 4 I've used a number of times, and had some issue nearly every time (e.g. nothing arrives because one item is out of stock), but it has always been sorted out fairly quickly by email. I would still use them, but look elsewhere first.

A chandler in the south-west (name forgotten) immediately contacted us after receiving an order to say the item was out of stock (due to Plastimo folding), but were expecting it in by a certain date a couple of months later, and would ring if there was any further delay. Next season came round it still hadn't arrived. When I rang they still hadn't got it, and were very apologetic for not having contacted us. Presumably when/if the item came in the computer would have identified us as having ordered it, but in the meantime they'd completely 'forgotten' we were waiting.
 
For a different kind of chandlery, try Barry at Dauntless Boatyard, Canvey Island.

No website as such, except this one by his mate Alan at Heron Yacht Services http://www.heronyachtservices.co.uk/

Huge stock at Dauntless. Cash only. Barry's number is 07833 562536. Don't go if you are offended by swearing as Barry's language is "colourful". (worse since he packed up smoking).
 
MoodySabre said:
+1 for Dauntless. He is a wheeler dealer and his prices are hard to beat. Take a wheelbarrow - you will get tempted:)
Click to expand...

+2 for Barry. Not sure that a wheelbarrow will be big enough though. A Transit might be better suited.... I go there at least twice a year when I'm back in the UK. Loads and loads of stuff which changes all the time. Nearest cash machine is in Canvey about 5 mins away (again, you'll probably need it.) He does do most of the organised boat jumbles in the SE (or used to) so if you can't make Canvey keep your eye out for him at one of those. Always used to have a big white van full of slightly dented tins of antifoul going really cheap.

As a pure online chandlery I have always had good service and reasonable prices from

www.yachtbits.co.uk



Chas
 
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Marine Superstore and Arthurs Chandlery in Gosport both excellent and I like the way Marine Superstore can tell you how many of an item are in stock or not, quite useful and can save a pointless journey!
 
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