Birchwood 22

Fire99

Fire99

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Afternoon guys & gals
Apologies for another question in fairly recent succession but all my searches have drawn a blank...

I've been looking at some Birchwood 22's with Volvo outdrives of around 115-120hp..
They seem to quote the hulls as planing and a topspeed of 20kts...
Can anyone verify this info and also what normal cruising speed would be?
Also has anyone had any experience with this model? My budget has been fairly restricted and im looking for something with good headroom, seagoing ability plus moderate running costs on low expenditure..
Hey,anything to stay afloat.. so to speak..

Any advice or knowledge would be appreciated alot.

regards,

Nick
 
Motor Boat & Yachting did a boat report on this model in about 1974.
You may be able to get a reprint from the YBW website if they go that far back.

I started off with one of these many moons ago, great sea boat and although it probably would have done 20K when new, I would be surprised if they achieved that now.

However planing speeds should still be achievable.

Check the bulkheads in the out of sight areas as they were chipboard under the Teak veneer and have been know to rot if they got wet.

All in all a great boat which should give you a lot of fun for your bucks!
 
Nick,
I personally do not know the BW 22, however I owned the 27 (Countess) and currently a TS37. I do not think Birchwood did a full planing boat, as the 27 and 37 and numerous other derivatives use a similar style, semi-displacement hull.

Having said that, my 27 was capable of 26knt with 2w X 130HP. A forum member, who subsequently bought it, replaced the two petrols with a single 156HP diesel which apparently did 28knts.

My 27 would cruise comfortably at 20 or even as low as 15. I usually did around 18 on long trips.

I loved my 27, which I found very comfortable, sleeping 4 easily. Bags of headroom, and very good in most sea conditions.
Hope this helps
Stuart
 
thanks alot for that insight..
its pretty much starting back at basics again but that what budget allows..without doing the dreaded borrowing.
I'll hopefully take a look at one over the weekend and see what its like..
 
thanks stuart for the info.
Im sure your 37 is a fine vessel.
I saw some of the larger birchwoods at a boat show a couple of years ago.. Did look very fine indeed.
Hopefully when funds allow i'll upgrade to something similar.
For now, without doing the dreaded borrowing, hopefully a 'baby birchwood' will suffice.

thanks,

Nick
 
I used to own a Birchwood 25, its the same as the 22 but just a slightly bigger model all round!
I can confirm that there were planning hulls built as well as s.d. hulls with a tunnel drive.
If it is a planning hull it will have chines the length of the hull, these look just the same as a modern sports boat hull.
If the hull is smooth with no chines, then it is a s.d. hull.
Its unlikely that this boat will achieve 20 knots, but a sea trial will help you know this.
The Birchwood 22 and 25 were never sold as "sea" boats, rather they were sold as river and estuary boats. i.e. they are fine in good weather in more open waters, but I would not attempt a trip miles off shore with either!
p.s. I also have a Birchwood 37 now and it is a good sea boat!
I have been many miles offshore with it.
 
Hi Barry,

Thanks for that..
The 22 is quoted at the marina as a planing hull but i'll have a peek..
It does seem the 22's are virtually all specced with outdrives and most with petrol engines of around 115/120hp so if the engine is in fine fettle i would hope 20kts would be more than possible..
The 25's seem to frequently have low power diesels on shaft..
Is this most likely down to size and where the engine can be located?
I appreciate there may be limitations on range and weather conditions.. (i had a little norman 18 as my 1st boat and regularly took that out into the estuary which was entertaining at times)

Hopefully i'll get a good look at the weekend..

Sounds like you are enjoying your 37.. If/When finances allow it (and similar) will certainly be a vessel i'll be looking at in the future..
 
Yes I think imho that the 37 was the best boat Birchwood ever built!

There were a lot of 25s built with outdrives, in fact the one I owned had a petrol engine with an outdrive. It had a planning hull, but the engine was only a little 1600cc ford so unfortunately I was never able to plane the boat! I saw a 25 a few years ago with a twin installation and it really flew!
They were well put together boats and were built when Birchwood had a good reputation, Birchwood sadly after having been through 3 different owners some of their later models were no where near as good!
Best of luck with the boat

Barry
 
Thanks Barry,

Thats a real shame about some late Birchwoods...
I'll post what i finally end up spending my money on..

Hope all continues to go well with the 37


Nick
 
I don't see what some peoples objections are to the Birchy 25 , mine may be under renovation at the moment but I won't have any worries taking her to sea when she's done , they're built like the proverbial
 
Yes, but you have one of the early ones when they built good boats!

Barry is right - anything from the late 80s onwards was not so well made.
 
The Birchwood 22. Or to give it the correct name the Intercepter Junior 22.
L.O.A. 22 Draft 2'6" Beam 5' 11" Weight 3024 lbs. +motor
It is a fully planing medium-V hull. and the boat was designed by someone called E.Andrews and the engine range was 115-130 hp.
 
Blimey byron,

Thanks for that.. where did you find that info? or are you a bit of a Birchwood wiz?

I'll take a peek of one hopefully tomorrow so be interesting to see what its like in the GRP /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

thanks again,

Nick
 
[ QUOTE ]
Blimey byron,

Thanks for that.. where did you find that info? or are you a bit of a Birchwood wiz?

I'll take a peek of one hopefully tomorrow so be interesting to see what its like in the GRP /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

thanks again,

Nick

[/ QUOTE ]

I have a mine of information when it comes to older boats. I have extensive files, literature and data built up over the years.
 
Quite right Byron, I thought you had no interest in Birchwoods!!
Actually the designer called himself Ted Andrews, guess its was Edward! He designed quite a few of the Birchwood hulls including the TS37

Barry
 
Thats great..
does you literature say the max speed and cruising speed of the 22?

I had a look at you're website.. You've had some fine boats.
Is that two border collies you have on your 'launch'?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Thats great..
does you literature say the max speed and cruising speed of the 22?

I had a look at you're website.. You've had some fine boats.
Is that two border collies you have on your 'launch'?

[/ QUOTE ]

I aint gotta clue what the max speed is but I would think 20 knots with the 115 is not unreasonable and more with the 120 or 130. The picture I have shows one with 2 people aboard and well on the plane.

The dogs... One was a working Collie from my neighbour's farm the other a Springer Collie Cross. There was a stage when this place seemed to have more dogs than Battersea. Now I'm down to just two plus a scabby bad tempered cat.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Don't suppose you know as much about my 25 do you , I know she's a Birchy Interceptor 25 ft , but as for performance and abilities , any ideas ?

[/ QUOTE ]
I can only give you the tech.spec.
LOA 25' Draft 2'9" Beam 9'3"
Medium vee. engine 115-130 weight 4100 Lbs + motor.
Some were made with a tunnel drive and an 80hp Ford C.T.Marine engine driving a conventional shaft.
 
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