Funding for refrigerated sea water plant, chilled hold systems and insulation that keep a catch in condition between the haul and the market.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Yes. Hold refrigeration is funded as marine equipment, usually as part of a refit rather than a standalone purchase, and the case rests on the fishing or transport business it serves. New refrigerated sea water plant from established marine refrigeration suppliers places most easily. What owners need to understand is that once the plant, pipework and insulation are installed in the hold it becomes part of that vessel, so a funder needs the boat identified and needs to know whether an existing marine mortgage already sits over it.
Used kit: Rarely — funders prefer new plant with warranty, since a used marine refrigeration system removed from another hold is hard to value or guarantee.
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Business asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what this shows — with the equivalent APR underneath, because the two are not the same number. A quick guide only; your actual rate depends on the asset, term, deposit and lender.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 6.0% flat rate (equivalent to 11.5% APR representative), you would repay around £646 a month; total amount repayable approximately £31,000, of which £6,000 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval. CW Asset Finance is an Appointed Representative of Rural Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 630701).
This is marine equipment lending rather than boat lending, and the vessel context dominates. A funder will want the fishing business assessed in the round — licence, landings, buyer relationships and the skipper’s record — because the chilling plant on its own has little independent value once it has been cut into a hold. They will also want the yard quotation covering plant, pipework, insulation and commissioning as a single package. The ownership position on the hull matters: with no registration document, we establish title through the vessel registration and bills of sale, and we clear where any marine mortgage sits before installing equipment that becomes part of another lender’s security.
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Teknotherm RSW system | Refrigerated sea water plant |
| Cflow RSW chilling plant | Hold chilling plant and compressor |
| PTG Frionordica RSW unit | Vessel refrigerated sea water unit |
| Optimar hold chilling package | Fish hold cooling installation |
| Bitzer semi-hermetic compressor | Refrigeration compressor package |
| Kilfrost and Kingspan insulated hold lining | Insulated fish hold lining |
| Buus Ice System slurry ice unit | Slurry ice generation system |
| Optim Ice slurry ice system | Liquid ice plant for holds |
| Alfa Laval plate heat exchanger | Condenser and heat exchange package |
| Desmi sea water pump set | Sea water circulation pump set |
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Skippers whose buyers are paying on quality rather than volume, pelagic and shellfish boats needing to hold a catch longer, and live transport operators moving shellfish to market. The trigger is usually a processor specifying temperature control, a move to longer trips further offshore, or a refit window in which the hold is being relined anyway and it makes sense to put proper chilling in at the same time.
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Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
Usually yes, because the two are installed together and neither works properly alone. Funders in this market expect one yard quotation covering plant, insulation, pipework and commissioning rather than a machine price with the installation left hanging. Commissioning and the initial pull-down test should sit in that quotation too.
It needs addressing rather than avoiding. Once refrigeration is installed it forms part of the vessel and therefore part of the existing funder’s security. We establish the position with them first so the new agreement is not in conflict from day one. Most funders handle this routinely provided they hear about it early enough.
That is usually the reason for the investment, and it is also part of the funding case. If a buyer pays a premium for chilled product or will only take temperature-controlled landings, say so, because it turns the equipment from a cost into a documented income argument.
Yes. Live holding and chilled transport systems are assessed the same way, on the trading business moving the product. The equipment differs but the principle is identical, as is the need to identify the vessel on the agreement. Holding tanks, pumps and aeration on a live transport boat are treated as one installed system.
It is difficult to fund. Marine refrigeration is stripped from a hold rather than removed intact, warranties do not follow it, and condition is hard to verify. Most funders want new plant from a recognised marine refrigeration supplier with commissioning included. A warranty covering the first full season at sea is worth more than the saving.
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Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call 07581 364281 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.