Tristar Boats Ltd

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Reviews

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  Philip Beale

  27-05-2022
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  Adrian Moreton (Stedman II)

  Tristar built our boat in 2017, and we’ve had four great years travelling around the system. Stedman II is one of several hybrid boats that Tristar have built, and we’ve really enjoyed the peace and quiet in electric mode, and the extra power the big battery bank provides. Stedman II is a gas-free boat, and until recently everything electrical in the galley has worked fine. But at the start of this season, the inverter started making strange noises – usually at about 1:00 am on a Monday morning! One day, the inverter powered itself off, and refused to restart. With no inverter, there was no power to the fridge or freezer, and no power for cooking. Victron who manufactured the inverter, were very helpful in tracing who supplied it (not Tristar – they only installed it), and we luckily found it still had 4 months of warranty remaining. The supplier needed the inverter at their works, so the next problem was how to remove it from the boat. We contacted several organisations - one would charge over £600 to remove it and reinstall it, another couldn’t do the work for 2 weeks, and a third not for 6 weeks. We contacted Jeremy at Tristar to see if he had any advice. He said he would have come himself, but he was very busy on a new boat – instead he talked me through the process to remove it myself. Apart from one screw holding the unit to the side-panel which was very tricky to access, the whole procedure was straightforward with Jeremy’s help. In next to no time the inverter was in the boot of the car, and we could set off for home. The repaired inverter is now back on board, and is working fine. Thanks to Jeremy at Tristar we are on our way again, and there is pizza for tea!

  27-05-2022
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  Michelle Greenwood

  We've just received this review from Stuart and David the owners of narrowboat Ohm from 'ome which I said I would post. Thank you for your kind words! "The decision to finally make the jump and buy a narrowboat began with several visits to the Annual Crick Boat Show over a period of 4 yours or so. These shows gave us the opportunity to look at different boats, different layouts, equipment - indeed, the whole raft (sorry for the pun) of elements which go into making a narrowboat. Finally, the decision made and a budget established, we went to another Crick Show and began specifically looking at boat-builders and the quality of their workmanship.... I have to say that they made the process of the build - from our point of view as customers - as easy as possible. Investment in a boat is a significant commitment and we didn’t experience any worries at all during the process.... As an aside, when we notified one of the significant suppliers for the boat that we had chosen Tristar, they said that, whilst they couldn’t say anything before which might influence our decision, if they were having a boat built, they would have chosen Tristar. So that gave us an added confidence in the knowledge that someone ‘in the trade’ as it were had the confidence in Tristar to produce a quality vessel. I cannot praise Tristar enough for our boat. We got exactly what we wanted, the layout, the equipment, everything and the quality of the build is simply first-class. I don’t know what else I can say. Whilst I doubt if we will ever look to having another boat built in our lifetimes, if we did, then there would be no question as to who we would choose to produce it."

  27-05-2021
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  Rhiana Henderson

  We had literally been in touch with over a dozen boat builders, and Tristar Boats easily outshone the rest! We found their communication to be brilliant following a number of attempts to contact various boat builders after our visit to the Crick Boat Show, and the amount of time that they spent in responding to our numerous queries, researching our requests, and detailing the quotes provided - prior to us even placing a deposit for a build slot - was nothing short of outstanding. The level of communication we got throughout the build process never changed, and whilst inevitably some snagging was required after delivery, they have remained attentive in rectifying any issues! It has been incredibly reassuring from start to finish. We walked through their narrowboat in build as well as a full-size Dutch barge about to be delivered before we committed to signing the contract; not only was the fitout spot-on with striking interior designs, the level of care they put in to ensure that everything meets the latest legislation for every step of the build was most reassuring. High on our wish list was a Hybrid Engine, and something they are an old hand at installing; to add to that, Michelle is an interior designer so she was fantastic in helping our very vague ideas become reality. As we were commissioning a vessel for use commercially as well as a living space, it was vital we found someone who would be able to research and adhere to all the regulations; again, very reassuring on that front too! You can see the handrail they insisted we needed, and despite our initial concerns that it might obscure the view outside, it turned out absolutely fine; it gives an extra sense of security and does look the part! The former chairman of the London Canal Museum declared the boat to be ‘possibly the most beautiful boat in the world’; do check out the smart exterior, and the beautifully crafted interior at ‘The Piano Boat’!

  27-05-2021
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  Phil Beale

  Tristar have been a fantastic company to deal with, many boat builders offer limited choice, and you are stuck with "The way they have always done things". Tristar I'm sure they have never produced two boats the same as they always build bespoke to the customer. They have taken onboard my ideas both in hull design and interior finish and equipment. I've spent a long time building up my ideas for the ideal boat and Tristar have accommodated these all the way along At the design and room layout stages. Currently, at the early stages of the fit out but can already see how they fit out the boats to have a Long operational life rather than going with what would be cheaper and easier but wouldn't last as long. Even during lockdown they have kept me up to date with what's going on with photos and videos. I can truly say they build a boat the customer wants rather than what a boat builder may want to sell. Looking forward to the rest of the fit out. Follow the fit-out on Instagram widebeam_build

  27-05-2021
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  Maxine Kavanagh

  We feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to stay on Marjorie (43 foot narrowboat). Beautifully furnished, Michelle and Jeremy have a real eye for detail.She was really comfortable and well equipped. Easy to steer when out on the canals. I would recommend TriStar boats. Thank you. Max, Beth, Thomas and Adam

  27-05-2021