Deffee Mast Ladder

I spoke with the owner a couple of months ago and he's now retried from the business. He was looking for someone sensible to take over the production but if I remember correctly was worried about the quality remaining the same.

The Medway Yacht Club have one of his mast ladders with an assortment of mast slides for members use and a query was raised over its lifespan, which was why I contacted him.

A thoroughly charming chap on the phone. I used the email on the website and he called me back a day or 2 later.
 
I met him when I collected mine several years ago. Very nice guy. He was talking about retirement then. I hope he managed to sell the business as the product is very good. One took me to the top of my mast to replace a windex close hauled indicator (broken by a gull) quite recently.
 
As a result of discussions here, I sent an email to Mr Deffee asking what the situation was, and he has very kindly sent the following "Now with the aid of my eldest Son since June 2015 and with a revised website, Deffee Ltd. is up and running again supplying our unique mast ladders." He asked that I pass this on to the forum, and I am very pleased to do so as I feel this is an excellent product.

Incidentally, he has a new web-site at http://www.deffees-yachtmastladders.co.uk/; Google still finds the old Freeserve one!
 
As a result of discussions here, I sent an email to Mr Deffee asking what the situation was, and he has very kindly sent the following "Now with the aid of my eldest Son since June 2015 and with a revised website, Deffee Ltd. is up and running again supplying our unique mast ladders." He asked that I pass this on to the forum, and I am very pleased to do so as I feel this is an excellent product.

Incidentally, he has a new web-site at http://www.deffees-yachtmastladders.co.uk/; Google still finds the old Freeserve one!

That link doesn't work for me. Get error 404.
 
Thanks to the Yachting Monthly article recommending the Deffee Ladder and mentioning that Mr Deffee intended to retire, we made contact, researched the product, set up Kinleven Marine and are now producing a British-made development of the design, improved in several respects and more easily available. See our regular classified adverts in YM or occasional ads in PBO. Happy to help with any questions or information, not sure if we'd be allowed to give a link here?
 
So Defee & Son are back in business (good - I'm another satisfied customer!) but has Kinleven taken the idea, developed it and are now in competition? Or have I misunderstood?
 
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