Did Southerly really destroy the Seastream moulds?

[Tim Good]

I run the Seastream Owners Association. British boat designed by Ian Anderson. As the person tasked with keeping the Owners Association going, I was wondering if anyone had any information about this or knows if there is any truth behind it?

Background:
Anyone that knows of Ian Anderson knows he was well know for designing well founded British boats. However the company was broken apart in 2004 when the main investor, Christopher Matthews,died in a Helicopter crash. The liquidators / estate managers basically sold off what they could of Seastream and its assets.

However, when I was viewing a Rustler at the Southampton boat show, one of the reps asked me what boat I currently had. When I said a Seastream he casually mentioned that him and a friend considered buying the Seastream assets following Chris Matthews death. At that time the design Ian was still alive and involved. However, he said that Southerly ended up over bidding them for the assets and subsequently burying the business and name by destroying the moulds and plans, and laying off the staff.

 

[KompetentKrew]

I don't mean to disrupt your thread, but I think you've made a typo on the year the company was broken apart. I think the forum software will allow you to edit it of you do so today. If you edit and press the like button I'll delete this comment to save cluttering the thread.

 

[Tim Good]

I don't mean to disrupt your thread, but I think you've made a typo on the year the company was broken apart. I think the forum software will allow you to edit it of you do so today. If you edit and press the like button I'll delete this comment to save cluttering the thread.

Many thanks. Corrected to 2004

 

[Refueler]

There are many 'stories' about moulds disappearing .....

I used to live in Cowplain ... just outside Waterlooville and knew a lot of the Westerly people .... When Westerly folded - I was interested in knowing about the old moulds .. primarily Pageant, Centaur and its later version - Griffon.
Why ? In the yard could be seen later larger boat moulds abandoned ... but those particular ones were long gone .... and the word was - they had been quietly shifted away ...
Of course never to be seen again ...

Later I had agreement with Ridas Jachts in Tallinn .... very nice high quality yachts ... and I used to talk with Ridas himself about lack of new builds in the 25 - 27ft ... to which he made the point that the cost of producing a 26ftr was not much less than a 32 - 35ftr ... but no-one would pay for it.
Some time later a mould appeared in his yard for a 25ft racing class yacht ... a design that had been out of fashion for a while due to changes in rules etc. I watched as they modified the moulds mainly in the stern to bring it up to date. Then they produced a new Ridas 25 .... nice boat as well ... but as he prophesised .. cost !
So old moulds do come up at times ...

 

[Tranona]

Suggest you contact E39mad who posts here as he used to work for Northshore. He pops in regularly (last yesterday) so he may pick this up anyway.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

It wouldn't surprise me at that time Northshore were going full blast promoting and marketing the ever growing the Southerly range and would have taken any opportunity to reduce the opposition but was a Seastream opposition to a Southerly so perhaps not.

 

[northwind]

There is an elephants graveyard of boat moulds at northshore, you can see them on Google maps.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

There is an elephants graveyard of boat moulds at northshore, you can see them on Google maps.

There was always a fair number of old moulds from the early Vancouvers, Fishers etc as they concentrated on the Southerly range.

 

[Concerto]

I used to live in Cowplain ... just outside Waterlooville and knew a lot of the Westerly people .... When Westerly folded - I was interested in knowing about the old moulds .. primarily Pageant, Centaur and its later version - Griffon.
Why ? In the yard could be seen later larger boat moulds abandoned ... but those particular ones were long gone .... and the word was - they had been quietly shifted away ...
Of course never to be seen again ...

The Merlin and Fulmar moulds ended up in Scotland with a company planning to continue building them. I believe they built one Merlin before going bust. About 2015 the Fulmar moulds were for sale on eBay but failed to sell and as they needed to be moved to clear the site, I believe the moulds were cut up.

 

[Tim Good]

There is an elephants graveyard of boat moulds at northshore, you can see them on Google maps.

Hmm I sense a little road trip with a side helping of mild trespass coming on

 

[penfold]

Baffled at why Northshore would throw money away buying a mould when it was unlikely any competitor would touch them, moulds are a consumable and wear out, old ones that have been heavily used or stored outside are junk unless your customers are very unfussy or you have low labour costs and can afford a lot of hand refinishing.

 

[Tim Good]

Baffled at why Northshore would throw money away buying a mould when it was unlikely any competitor would touch them, moulds are a consumable and wear out, old ones that have been heavily used or stored outside are junk unless your customers are very unfussy or you have low labour costs and can afford a lot of hand refinishing.

I thought the point was fairly obvious. They’d buy the mould to stop anyone else, even a couple of keen people who work for them for example, buying the Seastream company for a £1 and then having what they need to make boats. A supply chain and workforce and all. They’re not buying a mould to use, it’s to prevent anyone else using them.

 

[Jim@sea]

I always wondered if the Motor Sailer Trusty 24 was based on the Colvic Watson 24 as they looked very similar.

I know in 1973 I bought a Cabin Ctuiser made by Conway Power Boats and remember being told that the mould was a Lancing Marine Power Boat. (Funny how I can remember conversations from 50 years ago but dont remember where I put my hacksaw,

 

[penfold]

I thought the point was fairly obvious. They’d buy the mould to stop anyone else, even a couple of keen people who work for them for example, buying the Seastream company for a £1 and then having what they need to make boats. A supply chain and workforce and all. They’re not buying a mould to use, it’s to prevent anyone else using them.

Buying up the assets of a competitor who went bust doesn't seem like a winning business strategy in a sector that is as short of capital as boatbuilding; you only get to 'buy' distressed Cos for £1 by also shouldering all the secured debt.