birchwood boat help needed

[clyst]

I looked at a birchwood TS39 today . Now, being a "raggie" who MAY be converting to MoBO I need your help on this one !

The Boat ia a birchwood TS39 with twin IVECO 320hp on shafts . Reported to be near new with 20hrs on the clock .

The boat is looking a bit tired and asking price is £80,000

My questions to you MoBo chaps are

A. what sort of age is the boat likely to be and are there any obvious differences in the year / MKs.

B. What sort of fuel comsumption would engines like these return ??

C. Is the asking price a tad high or a fair price .

Any other info on this boat would be appreciate .

Thanks in anticipation

Terry

 

[volvopaul]

Hi

Firstly Iveco engines are not the best marine engine, look at there popularity compared to volvo, mercruiser, yanmar etc.

The dealer network is not good.

Iveco is aimed more at the commercial market.

The price is about right would not pay anymore though, its a big volume boat for the money but dated now, the hulls are prone to osmosis, get a thorough engine survey as I have seen so many poor re engine installations it untrue to say that they had been carried out by so called qualified companies, I can help with that if you wish.

As you are moving from sail to power expect around 1 mpg at cruise say 18/20 knots.

THe hull isnt a planing hull at all, unique to Ted Andrews, they were built 5 miles form where I live, I have many friends who worked for Birchwood over the years, im not commenting any more about the build etc!!.

If 80k is your budget and you want something nice with a better pedigree and aft cabin then look at the Fairline turbo 36 its a much better boat.

My friend has one for sale that has been the subject of a full interior and engineering makeover in recent years, it too has been re engined with 350 yanmars, pm me if your interested in it, its for sale at a bit abouve 80k, but its all good.

Most ts37 which the 39 evolved from had the early bmw/ later mercruisers some boats have been re engined with yanmars as they fit nearly straight on the mounts.

Some had tamd 40 and 41 volvo units, thses are the ones to go for, and a couple with volvo 61a in. But you will have to pay for one like that.

 

[Bloater]

Hi,

I owned a TS39 for 7 years until 2008 so if there is anything you want to know just ask or PM me.

There were not many built 'in the teens' was the best guess by the Birchwood salesman when I asked at a boat show many years ago. They were expensive at the time and that's because they were built well.

Mine had SRM8061 engines which were the only fitted option, they are 300hp so it sounds like the one you are looking at has been re-engined. I think I know the boat you mean.

Expect 28kts top speed. 1.1mpg flat out. The hull is fully planing, there is no keel. The hull is nothing like a TS37 in size, shape or otherwise. Great boat at sea but the high topsides and no keel give a fair bit of windage when at low speeds. It handles well though in the marina and excellent all-round visability from the flybridge. My avatar is of my TS39 cruising at 24kts.

The Ivecos were great to live with as they are very cheap to service and easy to work on. They are based on agricultural units and commonly found in commercial craft. By pleasureboat standards they are not very compact hence the high air draft of the boat as the saloon floor is quite high. The boat is quite noisy inside when cruising - especially the rear cabin.

They are all built around 1990-1992

I sold mine privately, in very good condition for £85k. If you are looking at the boat I think you are then it does look tired and be harder on the price.

If it has got new engines ask yourself why? - it shouldn't have needed new ones unless neglected Also are they the original gearboxes?

Look out for the teak decking on aft cockpit and flybridge - this is teak faced plywood and may need replacing if lifting (I changed mine to Flexiteek). Also check for any leaks around the windscreen and the aft cabin ceiling. The alcantara can stain although it can be cleaned to some extent.

If you want more info let me know.

Ian

 

[clyst]

Thanks for your replies chaps . Its food for thought . will have another look at the boat at the weekend with your comments in mind . Thank you both .

 

[Chris_d]

Thanks for your replies chaps . Its food for thought . will have another look at the boat at the weekend with your comments in mind . Thank you both .

Do a search on YBW.com for old MBM boat tests, they tested a TS38/39 with twin Iveco's in the mid 90's, boat name was Timbo, i still see it on the Thames.

The above seem to be talking about two different boats, I thought the TS39 was a TS38 with restyled windows, that had an SD hull and a keel carried over from the original TS37. Although Birchwood history is complicated and there are many variations, bare in mind a broker might describe a TS38 as TS39 so you need to know what your looking at.

 

[Medskipper]

I have a Birchwood 37, which I think is a good boat, if I were to ugrade it I would be looking at a Princess 435. You should be able to get one for a little more than you mention, But I do think they are really worth the money! very spacious boat and great sea keeping with a planing hull.

Good Luck with your search.

Barry

 

[aquapower]

Dont be put off by the Iveco engines, as they say they are comercial they will be far more reliable than the volvo, yanmars etc, the service parts are a lot cheaper and the parts are easy to get hold of. I work on all kinds of marine engine (mostly volvo) but have never experienced any major problems with Iveco, If it has been re engined it would have been an expensive job but will not put much of its cost onto the value of the boat so any new owner will benefit from not having to pay for it

 

[pheran]

Dont be put off by the Iveco engines, as they say they are comercial they will be far more reliable than the volvo, yanmars etc, the service parts are a lot cheaper and the parts are easy to get hold of. I work on all kinds of marine engine (mostly volvo) but have never experienced any major problems with Iveco, If it has been re engined it would have been an expensive job but will not put much of its cost onto the value of the boat so any new owner will benefit from not having to pay for it

I fully endorse that. I've had two boats with Iveco Aifo engines and they have been brilliant. The fact that they are far less stressed than the other common makes just adds to their reliability and longevity and as aquapower points out, spares and consumable items are far cheaper too. I would certainly have Ivecos again.

 

[APM]

In response to the two previous well informed posters I wanted to add another endorsement for the Iveco Aifo 8061 SRM series marine engines.

We have run a pair of these for over ten years and have always found spares pricing, availability, reliability and dealer support to be superb.

I could recommend the engines and would have no hesitation in buying another pleasure craft with them fitted.

 

[John100156]

I have a Birchwood 37, which I think is a good boat, if I were to ugrade it I would be looking at a Princess 435. You should be able to get one for a little more than you mention, But I do think they are really worth the money! very spacious boat and great sea keeping with a planing hull.

Hi Barry, thought you would come in on this one! Your B37 is a solid boat, enjoyed trips out with you last year! PM me to let me know when your next out to Sant Carles.

John