I guess there is a lot of side issues here, and we can't compare to (say) buying a Quintrex, where more than likely the boat is in stock, and all you have to decide is what motor and accessories you want, you pay some sort of deposit and pick your boat up a few days later, in the custom world, there is nothing at all to look at (kind of) the builder buys in materials, and uses paid workers to actually build the boat, this process takes weeks to months to complete, not exactly sure it is fair to expect the builder to carry the load of wages and materials for such a long period without progress payments? Just like building a house, or doing extensions, progress payments are made along the way, the issue as I see it, is the lack of some kind of uniform laws to protect deposits paid, and also the reverse, if the buyer changes his mind after materials are purchased and work started, that's the true issue, in any business there will be honest traders, fair work deals and so on, just as there is shonky fly by nighters who spring up here and there, a common legal contract might help sort out the riff raff?