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Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
according to this months Motorboat Owner
Not sure how the crowdfunding will go. Anyone tempted?
Not sure how the crowdfunding will go. Anyone tempted?
markc
Well-Known Member
Does the brand have any goodwill in that size sector? I doubt it. Wonder why they don't develop a new 'challenger' brand without any legacy baggage. Can't find them on Crowdcube either
Whitelighter
Well-Known Member
Relaunched again (I think this is the third time)
Before the Chinese venture they tried selling rebadged Garin boats built in Spain.
Before the Chinese venture they tried selling rebadged Garin boats built in Spain.
Fishtigua
Well-Known Member
I used to skipper an Argentine-built boat in Venezuela in the late 90's.
Dear Lord, what a bleedin' lash-up that was! Just the lighting system had 12, 24, 32, 110 and 220v bulbs scattered around the boat in no order. The engineroom had no logic to it either, pumps fitted and then the floor beams welded down on top of them, needing a disc-cutter to access them.
Not impressed.
http://www.tangoyachts.com.ar/en/tango.php?op=home&mod=85
Dear Lord, what a bleedin' lash-up that was! Just the lighting system had 12, 24, 32, 110 and 220v bulbs scattered around the boat in no order. The engineroom had no logic to it either, pumps fitted and then the floor beams welded down on top of them, needing a disc-cutter to access them.
Not impressed.
http://www.tangoyachts.com.ar/en/tango.php?op=home&mod=85
jrudge
Well-Known Member
I looked at buying Birchwood from the receivers.
The factory, moulds, brands etc were all owned by different companies and it was not possible to see the whole picture or negotiate one deal. All the bits had different owners through quirks of history etc.
They made I believe 12 boats in their final year.
Not for the feint hearted. I was interested really due to the massive space, combined with dated interiors I thought might have an opportunity. There wasn't!
The factory, moulds, brands etc were all owned by different companies and it was not possible to see the whole picture or negotiate one deal. All the bits had different owners through quirks of history etc.
They made I believe 12 boats in their final year.
Not for the feint hearted. I was interested really due to the massive space, combined with dated interiors I thought might have an opportunity. There wasn't!
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Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
Blimey you dodged a monster sized bullet there!
petem
Well-Known Member
How do you know he wouldn't have made a success of it! J could have been our very own Jack Rolfe!
Anyhow, I cannot for the life of me think why anyone would anyone could consider this to be a goer. It's not like they have a stellar reputation or loyal brand following client base.
To be honest, I've always thought it more a pity that Fletcher haven't risen from the ashes. A lot of people cut their teeth on their boats. Having said that, I think they'd need to transform themselves and their model range to something more akin to Axopar or Invictus (different markers I know). But I do think there's a market for cheap / stylish sub 30 foot outboard boats.
Pete
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Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
And thats the point. Birchwood had a few loyal customers but little or no brand credibility in the UK or anywhere else in the world so why resurrect it?
jrudge
Well-Known Member
What puts it into perspective is Duseldorf.
Whilst in the UK we tend to feel there are maybe 4-5-6 mainstream motor boat manufacturers that we know of ( not just UK) there are in fact more than you can count.
Mapism pasted a list a long time ago of the IT boat manufacturers. As I recall just the letter A went over a page. Almost none were still in business.
It is hence a crowded market in a capital intensive and cyclical market.
Interiors sell to a point, but as Fairline found to their cost dressing up the boat ( my plan) only gets to so far. New models sell - Princess / Sunseeker - but then you can't make any money as the R and D is high and the production run short. We're all doomed!
I can see no way Birchwood or anyone else without a huge pile of capital they don't mind losing can really compete. And building 2 crowd funded boats does not give much confidence in long term warranty and support. Broom I think went bust also and there was not a lot between them. I never understood why they stuck with the dated interiors ( either of them) as that must have put off a lot of buyers who liked the rear cabin space.
The only new brand I can think of that churn out nice boats for not a lot of money that are different is Axopar. I have no idea if they make money.
Whilst in the UK we tend to feel there are maybe 4-5-6 mainstream motor boat manufacturers that we know of ( not just UK) there are in fact more than you can count.
Mapism pasted a list a long time ago of the IT boat manufacturers. As I recall just the letter A went over a page. Almost none were still in business.
It is hence a crowded market in a capital intensive and cyclical market.
Interiors sell to a point, but as Fairline found to their cost dressing up the boat ( my plan) only gets to so far. New models sell - Princess / Sunseeker - but then you can't make any money as the R and D is high and the production run short. We're all doomed!
I can see no way Birchwood or anyone else without a huge pile of capital they don't mind losing can really compete. And building 2 crowd funded boats does not give much confidence in long term warranty and support. Broom I think went bust also and there was not a lot between them. I never understood why they stuck with the dated interiors ( either of them) as that must have put off a lot of buyers who liked the rear cabin space.
The only new brand I can think of that churn out nice boats for not a lot of money that are different is Axopar. I have no idea if they make money.
rafiki_
Well-Known Member
Interestingly the article says the factory closed in 2002. I visited the factory in 2005 or 6 and there were several boats under construction then. Factory in Nottingham iirc.
I think the U.K. built boats are nicely styled. A wee bit quirky, but some great features. I also remember seeing 3 or 4 factory boats in a line on the Solent, doing some sort of photo shoot or launch. They looked great.
I think the U.K. built boats are nicely styled. A wee bit quirky, but some great features. I also remember seeing 3 or 4 factory boats in a line on the Solent, doing some sort of photo shoot or launch. They looked great.
oldgit
Well-Known Member
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henryf
Well-Known Member
What on earth would possess someone to throw crowd funding money into Birchwood? It's not as though they've re-invented the wheel or have a product that's going to revolutionise boating. No matter how good the product might be there are a number of very well fundeed firms out there currently building excellent boats to compete head on with Birchwood.
I can see how buying into a race horse gives you a bit of skin in the game when you go to a race meeting but this will just see your money vanish.
If a wealthy individual wants to take a punt then so be it. They get an ego massage, have something custom built and possibly if they plough enough money in see an eventual return but it's risky.
You'd be better off buying lottery tickets.
If you want a custom built boat go and see someone like Fairline.
Henry
I can see how buying into a race horse gives you a bit of skin in the game when you go to a race meeting but this will just see your money vanish.
If a wealthy individual wants to take a punt then so be it. They get an ego massage, have something custom built and possibly if they plough enough money in see an eventual return but it's risky.
You'd be better off buying lottery tickets.
If you want a custom built boat go and see someone like Fairline.
Henry
Momac
Well-Known Member
Huthwaite
Hot Property
Well-Known Member
Some comments on the Facebook Fletcher group about Fletcher's being built in a UK factory somewhere.......
halcyon
Well-Known Member
First supplied Birchwood around 1986, massive factory with a few cruisers being built to high end quality. It appears they were major suppliers of speed boats to the US, from memory 500 a month, got caught in US recession. I just remember walking round massive ghost factory with just bear concrete floors. But they did at the time have massive World customer base, but not UK financial support .
At the same time we supplied Westerly, another firm with massive space, and a little better order book, but again a massive yacht supplier caught up in the US recession,
This was also the time of Maggie, both these firms were manufacturing, so not required. Today we need manufacturing but cannot see the volumes that these firms built.
Brian
Ernesto
New Member
Of course they do, if you look at the TS range they have built up to 61ft. And were in the top 5 boatbuilders in this country.
You need to go to crowdcube.com/Birchwood
markc
Well-Known Member
Hey Ernesto, I guess you have a vested interest as you joined to forum to post about this, but AFAIK the larger TS Birchwoods haven't been built for 25 years. That's hardly going to provide a strong future customer base from those customers. With the best will, this venture does not have success written all over it, but hey, you've got £8k of funding so far, don't spend it all at once!
Bon chance
Bon chance
Ernesto
New Member
Maybe but they are still selling for more than they were originally built for.
I have a vested interest as you say but no monies are taken from investors until the minimum amount needed is raised, so can’t spend it all!!
Keep watching or maybe you would invest £10 just think positive!
MapisM
Well-Known Member
+1.
Also having been the 5th boatbuilder in a Country where most folks can actually name only four (if that) is not going to help a lot, I reckon...
Ernesto
New Member
Why are you in a yachting forum?
