Boatbuilders 2

[Plan_B]

Follow on from Aluijtens thread really. So how many boatbuilders have we lost?

It was general knowledge about Westerly, although I don't know whats happening there now, but what about FL Steelcraft, Colvic Craft, Blondcel and Tyler Boat Company appears to be dormant although not wound up.

How many more of the names are there, and more importantly - who is left - English companies of course? Holland probably has its fair share too, de Ruiter/Moonen etc.

If I wanted a yacht built from plans who would go to now?

Dave D

 

[Talbot]

Not forgetting Catalac and Prout - and Victoria Yachts, although they seem to have resurrected themselves recently.

 

[Brian_B]

Just put this list under the endurance post:

What I've never worked out is why there are so many.
Ripped this this list from a links site and I'm sure there's more.
Why are there so many answers to the same question?

Alliaura Marine
Baltic Yachts
Bavaria Yachts (Germany)
Bavaria Yachts (USA)
Beneteau
Beneteau USA
Boo Marin
Catalina Yachts
Corsair Marine, Inc.
CR-Yachts
Degero Yachts
Dehler
Dufour Yachts
Elan Marine
Flying Scot, Inc.
Fountaine Pajot
Freedom Yachts
General Boats
Grand Soleil
Feeling
Hallberg-Rassy
Hans Christian Yachts
Hinckley Yachts
Hobie Cat
Hunter Marine
JBoats, Inc.
Jeanneau
Lagoon
MacGregor Yachts
Malö Yachts
Maxi Yachts
Melges Boatworks
Moody
Najad Yachts
Northshore Yachts
Oyster Marine Ltd.
Pacific Seacraft
Prout Catamarans
RGC Steel Boat Builders
SABRE Yachts Corporation
Saga Yachts
Sam L. Morse Company
Santa Cruz Yachts
Shannon Yachts
Siltala Yachts Oy
Swan Yachts
Tartan Yachts, Inc.
Valiant Yachts
Van de Stadt Design
Wally Yachts
Westerly
Wasa Yachts
X-Yachts

 

[orion21]

Hi all, this is a yacht that was built up here (orkney) by the last boat builder left here, it was launched last year, she's about 36ft clincker, the work was done meanly by one man.
just a shame he didn't have an apprentice that could have learnt the trade while building this boat.

 

[Birdseye]

Who's left? Northshore, Hunter / Cornish Crabber, Rustler, Prout reincarnated as Broadblue. You might add Oyster and Moody but only if your budget is over £200k and you want a small ship.

There's only one volume producer - Luhrs - and I'm not sure what volume they do. Or if you would count them as English.

Not much left of the marine components business in UK ownership either.

But then you cant buy an English car worth a damn or a truck or a tractor AFIK. How can a country live on imports?

 

[Skents]

The reason people don't build boats is economics. My husband is a [censored] hot boatbuilder...30 plus years experience....just built us a glorious Van de Stadt Carribean 40 in composite, full teak fit out. He earned so little before giving up the paid work to tackle this project (two years from start to finish) that it was no great sweat to live without the wages. Now we have completed, the material costs have added up to slightly less than £100k and we have a wonderful boat but market value? Hardly two years wages at seven days a week for an ordinary joe who has spent five years qualifying for his trade.