Birchwood are back

[MapisM]

Why are you in a yachting forum?

Simple, 'cause I'm one of the few who does know Birchwood, as well as another yard or two.
Mind, I'm far from pretending to be the only one, here in the asylum.
But I also think that we aren't so representative of the larger market.
Regardless, I see no reason why having a passion for boats should restrict me (or anyone else of course) to call a spade a spade.

Btw, just by heart I could name at least a dozen of my compatriot builders which I'm 90% sure that were all larger than Birchwood, and arguably used to build better boats - though that's subjective, of course.
And their outstanding heritage is now history for good, sadly.

That said, bonne chance anyhow! :encouragement:

 

[Whitelighter]

If you are going to build boats there is zero point copying established manufacturers.
There are enough swoopy stylish grp motorboats and unless you are going to undercut them by half (you aren’t) then you will fail.

Now, do something different, carve your own niche then you stand a chance. If you bring back the aft cabin integrated design the TS37 and F43 has but modernise and contemporuse it then you maybe have a chance.

Rebadging average boats from unknown yards selling for the same price as established brands (which was the basis of the last birch wood rebirth) won’t work

 

[I’m no expert]

The problem is Birchwood were for a large part “different”.
I can remember going to Earl’s Court in the early 90’s looking around all of the boats and decided that if I ever had the money Birchwood would be were it was going because I preferred the accommodation layout, Sunseeker didn’t even let a keen teenager onto their stand so I have never been interested in Sunseeker since that day.
When I eventually had the money Birchwood were no more so I went for Sealine, another British builder that tried to compete with the big boats and lost out. (If only they had stayed at what they were good at)
No British brand that I know of is building in the reasonably priced 20 to 35 foot range anymore because the economics of needing to build large numbers to make a sound profit but in my opinion this is where Birchwood should be and there is a huge gap in the market place.

 

[Bouba]

The problem is Birchwood were for a large part “different”.
I can remember going to Earl’s Court in the early 90’s looking around all of the boats and decided that if I ever had the money Birchwood would be were it was going because I preferred the accommodation layout, Sunseeker didn’t even let a keen teenager onto their stand so I have never been interested in Sunseeker since that day.
When I eventually had the money Birchwood were no more so I went for Sealine, another British builder that tried to compete with the big boats and lost out. (If only they had stayed at what they were good at)
No British brand that I know of is building in the reasonably priced 20 to 35 foot range anymore because the economics of needing to build large numbers to make a sound profit but in my opinion this is where Birchwood should be and there is a huge gap in the market place.

I’m with you on one thing, if I’m ever refused entry to a boat at a boat show, they have lost me for life

Ps, I’d like to see a British trawler

 

[petem]

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

That's a bit like Fairline relying on goodwill from the Turbo 36 days to sell boats today, it's just not enough. In any case, the TS boats were roomy, sturdy and semi-displacement things, is that the same market that you're chasing today?

One other thing, you're trying to raise £40k, is that your sole source of funding as I fear it won't go very far at all in a boat building industry that is renowned for burning cash.

Finally, it's a bit rich to claim "flying the flag" when the boats are built abroad!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Ps, I’d like to see a British trawler

+1 100%. I do not understand why the UK boatbuilders are ignoring the fast trawler market. The likes of Beneteau, Azimut, Absolute, Cranchi and others have cottoned on to the fact that some buyers want their boats to look a bit rufty tufty and look like they could take a bit of sea (even if they probably cant) but dont want the accommodation compromises that more traditional trawler designs impose. For me, with the reputation that the UK yards have for building boats with good seakeeping, it seems like a no brainer to me. Not everybody wants to cruise at 30kts in a look alike gin palace, which lets face it, is all that the main UK builders offer

 

[kashurst]

If you are going to build boats there is zero point copying established manufacturers.
There are enough swoopy stylish grp motorboats and unless you are going to undercut them by half (you aren’t) then you will fail.

Now, do something different, carve your own niche then you stand a chance. If you bring back the aft cabin integrated design the TS37 and F43 has but modernise and contemporuse it then you maybe have a chance.

Rebadging average boats from unknown yards selling for the same price as established brands (which was the basis of the last birch wood rebirth) won’t work

I think Jeanneau nailed the Birchwood/Sealine aft cabin thing with the 420/450 with the mid cabin and separate stairs. Good layout with galley aft as well.
Galeon seem to have found their own way of doing things.
I was watching this video recently - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWZu-ve0w1A
Galeon 640 - not convinced about the fold down sides, (to much trouble for how often? We had a Sealine extending cockpit and I think we rolled it back once) but I do like the walk through windscreen to the fore deck idea. Arguably a bit over complicated (hinges and a couple of gas struts?) Makes using that fore deck space much easier than squeezing down the sides.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I do like the walk through windscreen to the fore deck idea. Arguably a bit over complicated (hinges and a couple of gas struts?) Makes using that fore deck space much easier than squeezing down the sides.

I liked it too but then I thought what happens when (not if) the mechanism fails with the hatch open? You couldnt go to sea because of the risk of getting seawater into the accommodation. And then what happens when the seals fail as they inevitably will in a few years? The 3rd or 4th owner could have to deal with leaks coming through the screen

Yes, great idea but I'd really want to be convinced that the mechanism was super robust and that there was a manual override

 

[Whitelighter]

Ps, I’d like to see a British trawler

Totally agree. I think there is a huge market from a proper long range trawler: single engine, stabilised with long term accommodation. Thing is you will never be able to profitably build one in this country, so you’ll end up in China (who build very good boats) but if you are going to do that why not buy an established brand. It’s being shipped globally and there are some good American marketed boats - check out helmsman trawlers for example