Finance for glass fibre inland cruisers on the Thames, Great Ouse and Norfolk Broads, arranged with funders who price a river boat properly.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Yes. River cruisers are funded as leisure marine assets, usually on hire purchase or a marine loan taken against the craft. Second-hand boats make up nearly the entire market, and funders will consider hulls built decades ago provided the survey reads well and the engine has a service history. The point buyers miss is that a glass fibre hull is judged on osmosis, deck delamination and stringer condition rather than on age or hours, so the surveyor shapes what a lender is prepared to advance against. Small Ships Register details and a valid Boat Safety Scheme certificate also need to be in order.
Used kit: Yes — used dominates this class, and well-kept hulls from the 1980s onwards are commonly funded when the survey and engine hours stack up.
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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).
Volume asset funders write almost no marine business, so an inland cruiser goes to the handful of lenders who genuinely operate in this space. Those funders will want an independent marine survey, evidence that the vendor owns the craft outright, and confirmation that nothing is registered against the hull. Because the buyer is nearly always an individual buying for pleasure, the agreement is frequently regulated, which rules out commercial-only panels immediately. Berthing is a separate matter again — the marina contract, the navigation authority licence and winter hardstanding are all outside the boat agreement, and a buyer who has budgeted only for the boat gets a surprise in the first autumn.
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 |
|---|---|
| Broom 35 Coupe | Aft-cabin river cruiser |
| Broom 430 | Inland and coastal aft cabin cruiser |
| Haines 32 Sedan | Sedan-style river cruiser |
| Haines 400 Aft Cabin | Broads and river cruising boat |
| Sheerline 950 | British-built canal and river cruiser |
| Sealine S330 sports cruiser | Petrol or diesel sports cruiser |
| Bavaria Sport 300 | Sports cruiser for rivers and estuaries |
| Fairline Targa 34 | Sports cruiser with aft cabin |
| Nanni T4.200 diesel | Inboard diesel for river cruisers |
| Volvo Penta D3-220 shaft drive | Inboard diesel and sterndrive package |
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Usually a family or a retired couple on the Thames or the Broads stepping up from a syndicate share or a hire week, buying through a brokerage at Shepperton, Brundall or Ely. The trigger is often retirement, a move to a riverside house, or the end of a shared ownership arrangement. Buyers frequently want the boat funded on its own rather than borrowing further against the home, and want the purchase settled before the season starts.
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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.
Older than most people expect. Glass fibre does not date in the way a vehicle does, so condition governs the decision rather than the year. A cared-for hull with a recent engine overhaul often places more easily than a newer boat that has sat unused on a mud berth for several seasons.
Not automatically. Blistering is common on older GRP and a surveyor will grade how far it has gone. Light cosmetic blistering is usually accepted, while structural moisture or a failed previous treatment gives a funder reason to pause until remedial work is quoted and done.
Yes, though private sales take longer to fund. A broker holds client money and prepares the bill of sale, whereas a private deal means we have to build the ownership trail ourselves from receipts, registration entries and any earlier finance settlement letters before funds can be released.
Registration on the Small Ships Register is quick and inexpensive, and most funders want it or Part 1 registration in place at or shortly after completion. It gives the lender something to tie the agreement to, which matters on a craft with no equivalent of a logbook.
Sometimes. An ex-hire boat is usually well maintained but heavily used, and the funder will want the operator to confirm the hours and the hull history. If the boat is being bought to keep earning, the deal is assessed on the charter income rather than as a leisure purchase.
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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.