Solar Powered Boats
Who are Solar Powered Boats?
If you've read about our Thames Solar Electric Nightmare you'll know that we bought a 'fully fitted' solar powered widebeam from them in 2021, and then lost a lot of money (£80,000 so far) because it needed completely ripping out and refitting.
Whilst researching alternative suppliers to Thames Solar Electric for our project I came across a promising looking website; Solar Powered Boats. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that this organisation was not what it seemed, it was Thames Solar Electric trying to look like a new independent company, presumably to compensate for the toxicity around their name by rebranding.
The website, which claims to be for a business "Established in 2023 in the UK" is not a business at all. There is no company at Companies House under that name, nor is there any reference to any company names on the website, other than Thames Solar Electric and some battery and inverter suppliers.
How do you know its Thames Solar Electric
It's not hard to prove, it's all in the photos.
If you go to the Solar Powered Boats homepage you'll see a photo of a blue widebeam with solar panels on top. You'll find exactly the same photo on the Thames Solar Electric website in their gallery (9th photo in). Another giveaway is the person standing on the bank with a moorling line is Ryan Collingwood, owner of Thames Solar Electric!
Another photos from Thames Solar Electric's website is of the kitchen, just above the Product Reviews section of their home page. You can find it in the gallery on the Thames Solar Electric website (5th photo in).
One final example is the photo on the 'How much solar do I need for a boat' blog post. The photos of the kitchen/lounge area are actually of Thames Solar Electric's first boat 'Sunflower'.
On the home page the "Thames Solar Electric News" section refers to them in the third person ("their pioneering advances", "they are changing the landscape"), implying that this website is in some way separate or even independent, when it's clearly setup only to benefit Thames Solar Electric, because they are the only boat builder this website references or links to.
Why does it matter?
Anyone who has read the Trust Pilot reviews or our blog posts will know that at least two of the three fully fitted boats built by Thames Solar Electric were a disaster. One (Solar 2) has never been liveable in after 6 years, Solar 10 we've not heard anything about, and we bought Solar 6, which required a complete refit to be safe and functional.
By setting up a website which gives the appearance of being an independent website offering "in-depth insights into solar technology and eco-friendly boating solutions" Thames Solar Electric are deceiving potential customers, presumably desparate to disassociated themselves from their own brand which is tained by the shocking service they've provided at least two customers.
My advice? Stay well away, and if you decide the only way to get a solar powered eco-boat is to buy one from Thames Solar Electric;
- Use a credit card to pay the deposit, this means you're covered for any loss or legal action in the event of a problem.
- Get a solicitor to look over the contract and make sure you are covered in the event of non-delivery of the boat or failure to meet specifications. Normally such an event would be covered by the suppliers product liability insurance, I doubt Thames Solar Electric have such a thing.
- Don't accept the boat without a Boat Safety Scheme certificate, it's a legal requirement.
- Do not hand over any money until you've had a marine surveyor inspect the boat, ideally at each stage to verify the construction quality is up to standard.
