Colvic Craft - when did they go?

[ds797]

Was thinking the other day.... when did Colvic Craft go?

Presumably they went out of business for financial issues, but what happened to all the moulds etc?

Just idle curiosity on a wet windy Saturday!

 

[DownWest]

IIRR, they also did a line in bomb shelters..
Prob the decline in interest in DIY hulls to finish off, finished them off. As it did several others, Sadler?

There have been several comments over the years about the moulds, but the economics are the same. Just look at the recent thread about two guys buying a 'Never Launched' Colvic and thinking they could fit it out for reasonable money.

 

[pvb]

They went bust in 2000 I believe.

 

[Seajet]

I think I saw a few of their moulds at a ' boat moulds graveyard ' in Doncaster, say 15-20 years ago.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I can remember an editorial in the 1962 DIY magazine about 2 guys called Colin and Vic making dinghies from GRP.

 

[Neeves]

They had a production facility in Witham, Essex, in the early 80s ('81, '82?) on a small industrial estate at the eastern end of the town.

A quick search, on Google brought up this gem:

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?14078-Colvic-Craft

Jonathan

 

[Dan Tribe]

I ways assumed that the VAT changes affected their business. 25% on yachts in 1975 but standard rate for mouldngs?
This all changed in 1979?
I recall seeing lots of old moulds lying about at an airfield, presumably Earls Colne.

 

[Keith 66]

What do you do with old moulds? They would make excellent pond liners, but beyond that they are a liability. I remember seeing the Mirage 26, 28 & 30 moulds at Dauntless yard back in the late 80's, they burnt them over two days, hull, deck & interior moulds plus hatches & everything. The heat & smoke from the fire was like a burning oil well. God knows how they got away with it.

 

[Caer Urfa]

After a long financial court case and losing the high court appeal Colvic Craft went into liquidation on 8th November 2000 with a job loss of over 50 people.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I think I saw a few of their moulds at a ' boat moulds graveyard ' in Doncaster, say 15-20 years ago.

Would that have been Blaxton Boats? They seemed to acquire a lot of moulds for old British boats, but I don't know if they made many. A quick Google suggests that they went under in 2005.

 

[JumbleDuck]

After a long financial court case and losing the high court appeal Colvic Craft went into liquidation on 8th November 2000 with a job loss of over 50 people.

See: https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/5501419.earls-colne-50-jobs-at-risk-as-boat-builder-folds/

 

[Seajet]

Yes it was Blaxton.

I cannot believe 50 people were involved, I'd be surprised if there was a dog on the payroll beside the main player.

I went there with the ex-MD Of Andersons ( Patrick Sinker, yes he laughs about his name, once had a mention in the Telegraph ' chap who runs boatyard called Sinker ' ) to recover the Anderson 22 moulds - the chap there had taken the moulds but never paid the agreed fee, I'm not at all surprised he ended up in court - an eccentric dreamer rather than any intended skulduggery I think.

The place was fascinating with moulds for good well known boats marching off into the distance, scattered everywhere - it was very obvious he would never build these boats as he'd claimed.

 

[LittleSister]

Yes it was Blaxton.

I cannot believe 50 people were involved, I'd be surprised if there was a dog on the payroll beside the main player.

About 50 people lost their jobs at Colvic, not Blaxton.