Choosing the boat builder

Trying to select the right builder to create the boat of my dreams, was quite a slog. Loads of emails, phone calls and visits to potential builders and research on various forums, resulted in a very short short-list of two possibles.
Some were excluded on price. I wasn't looking for the lowest cost, but I was looking for good value for money and most importantly, people I could really work with, who would be willing to be innovative and practical. They also needed to be able to deliver the boat within a sensible timeframe.
A visit to XR&D in Ollerton, Notts gave me a great deal of confidence. Although they had a full order book, they work on three boats at a time, so were able to offer a May-June 2018 build slot, which fitted in well for me.
A second visit confirmed my feelings. This was a half-day session, really nailing down details.
Can you build me a Potter's locker?'
Can you do me square gunwales instead of rounded ones?
Can you do a rat trap grab rail?
Can you fit me in a 700 litre diesel tank?
Can you build Birmingham Square?
These and dozens of other questions were answered positively, sometimes with suggestions of how it might be done better. Looking through their portfolio, these are the guys who built a hydraulic lift, to get a motorbike on and off a narrowboat. https://youtu.be/SpmA5G_JQ2g They were happy to give guidance about how to make the boat look right - the proper dimensions from the stern to the 'duck feeders', the length of the bow and well deck, to keep things looking 'right'. The quality of their work looked excellent.
They directed me to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/X-R-and-D-Boatbuilders-387771004924883/ it was obvious they were vey proud of this boat:


This was very close to what I was looking for, with just the addition of the Potter's locker.
So a few hours after I got home, with just a little trepidation, I transferred the deposit for the build slot and committed to having my boat built!