List of British yachtbuilders

[laser45]

Hi all,

Just for fun I'm trying to work up a list of all sailing yacht builders based in the UK. Here's how far I've got so far:

Arbor Yachts - http://www.arboryachts.co.uk/ - Arbor 26 wooden yacht

Blaxton Boats - http://www.blaxtonboats.co.uk/index.php - dayboats & yachts, power & sail

Bowman Yachts - http://www.bowmanyachts.com/ - 35-48ft modern GRP yachts

BP Sailboats - http://www.bpsailboats.com/ - Parker 235 GRP day sailer

Bristol Classic Boat Co. - http://www.bristolclassicboat.co.uk/ - custom wooden yachts and restorations

British Hunter - http://www.britishhunter.co.uk/ - 20-31ft modern GRP yachts

Broadblue - http://www.broadblue.co.uk/ - sailing and power catamarans

Butler & Co. - http://www.butlers-wooden-boats.co.uk/ - traditional wooden boatbuilding

Cape Cutter - http://www.capecutter19.com/ - CC19 traditional daysailer

Cockwells - http://www.cockwells.co.uk/ - one off wooden yachts

Cornish Crabbers/Mystery - http://www.cornishcrabbers.co.uk/ - 17-30ft GRP pilot-cutters & 30-43ft traditional-style GRP yachts

David Moss - http://www.davidmossboatbuilders.com/ - wooden boatbuilder

Demon Yachts - http://www.demonyachts.co.uk/ - custom smaller yachts/keelboats

Discovery Yachts - http://www.discoveryyachts.com/ - 55-67ft modern GRP cruisers

Drascombe - http://www.drascombe.org.uk/ - traditional style GRP yawls

Farrow & Chambers - http://farrowandchambers.co.uk/index.html - custom wood / epoxy yachts

Fyne Boat Kits - http://www.fyneboatkits.co.uk/ - dinghies, dayboats, kayaks

Gaffers & Luggers - http://www.gaffersandluggers.co.uk/ - 23-28ft traditional wooden working boats

Gunfleet Marine - http://www.gunfleetmarine.com/ - 43ft modern GRP cruiser

Honnor Marine - http://www.honnormarine.co.uk/ - traditional GRP dayboats

Ian B Richardson - http://www.ianbrichardson.co.uk/ - traditional wooden boats

IRC Boats - http://www.corby29.com/ - 26-33ft racing yachts

Jeremy Rogers - http://www.jeremyrogers.co.uk/ - Contessa 32 new build

Jordan Boats - http://jordanboats.co.uk/JB/ - plywood kits for day boats

Kittiwake Boats - http://www.kittiwakeboats.co.uk/ - 14' - 20' day boats

MB Yachts - http://www.mbyachts.co.uk/ - custom wood/epoxy yachts

Multimarine Composites - http://multimarine.co.uk/ - custom power and sailing multihulls

Mylne (A. Mylne & Co) - http://mylne.com/ - design a broad range of traditional and modern yachts

Oyster - http://www.oystermarine.com/ - 46ft to superyacht modern GRP

Pendennis Yachts - http://www.pendennis.com/ - large custom yachts (including Devonport Yachts)

Peter Nicholls - http://www.steelboats.com/ - 37-65ft steel yachts

Pippin Yachts - http://www.pippin-yachts.com/ - 20ft GRP daysailers

RB Boatbuilding - http://www.pilotcutter.co.uk/ 30-50ft wooden pilot cutters

Rossiter Yachts - http://www.rossiteryachts.co.uk/ - Pintail, Curlew & rowing boats

Rustler Yachts - http://www.rustleryachts.com/ - 24-58ft classic style GRP yachts

Simmons & Broome - http://www.simmonsandbroome.com/ - classic day boats

Southerly - http://www.northshore.co.uk/ - 32-67ft modern GRP yachts (also Fisher and Vancouver brands)

Spirit Yachts - http://www.spirityachts.com/ - 37-130ft wooden yachts

Stirling & Son - http://www.stirlingandson.co.uk/ - one off wooden yachts

Swallow Boats - http://www.swallowboats.co.uk/ - Bay Cruisers

Swallowtail Boatyard - http://www.swallowtailboats.co.uk/ - traditional Norfolk Broads boats

T. Nielsen & Company - http://www.tnielsen.co.uk/ - build and restore tall ships

Voyaging Yachts - http://www.voyagingyachts.com/ - 35' steel cruising yacht

Whisper Boats - http://www.whisperboats.co.uk/ - 12' - 24' gaffers

Willow Bay Boats - http://www.willowbayboats.co.uk/ - classic day boats

Working Sail - http://www.workingsail.co.uk/ - 40-50ft wooden pilot-cutter style yachts

Yarmouth Boats - http://www.yarmouthboats.com/ - traditional style pocket cruisers

Looking through the list, the British yacht industry doesn't seem as impoverished as I would have thought... We might not churn out production bathtubs like the French and Germans but there are some really gorgeous boats there...

That's my best effort - corrections/additions anyone?

Updated 7.5.2013 - still trying to keep it current; any further suggestions?

 

[Al Dickson]

Oyster were most definitely building big ones at Southampton on Tuesday - do they not build the smaller ones at Ipswich also ?

 

[AIDY]

http://www.gunfleetmarine.com/

 

[laser45]

Not sure about Oyster building overseas, but they are definitely a British company...

Good point Marsupial... although the Swedes tend to build the premium stuff so it makes sense them being hit in the recession...

What I don't understand is why with such a range of British boats out there people continue to hand their hard earned cash to the French and Germans. I admit that we don't have any of the mass-production here so our yards are in theory more 'expensive', but if you have £150k to spend on a yacht is it so hard to spend an extra £10k to get a British built craft, which will be built to order and be so much nicer to own in the end? Just look at that Mystery 35. Beautiful. Why buy a Bavaria built by a robot when you can have one of those? Lack of pride in your own country makes so little sense when you live somewhere as great as we do.

Cheers Eastbrae, adding them to the list.

 

[Shuggy]

I thought that Rustler/Bowman/Starlight were the same company? See bottom right hand corner of this page.

 

[satsuma]

Oyster surely don't build yachts!
They have E.C.Landamores in the UK to build their smaller ones up to about 65' some are/were built by boat builders in poland I believe and others abroad.

 

[Fluter]

Oyster are a British company building yachts between 46 and 89 feet in the UK using two exclusive sub contractors in Norfolk and wholly owned Southampton Yacht Services. They don't build anything abroad apart from super yachts in Turkey. I saw their seriously impressive 625 at Southampton yesterday. News on their site of the first 100 now launched - awesome.

 

[snooks]

I don't know whether they are still around, now that Martin Heard is sadly no longer with us. But there was Tregatreath Boat yard run by Martin who used to build the Heard 28 and 23
http://www.gaffersandluggers.co.uk/

Also Discovery Yachts
http://www.discoveryyachts.com/

If you're going to split Mystery and Cornish Crabbers up you might remember that Northshore not only do Southerly but also do:
Fisher
and
Vancouver

 

[laser45]

Cheers Snooks, added to the list.

And no, I don't really want to list different ranges by the same company... Mystery and Crabbers are now listed together

 

[snooks]

Cheers Snooks, added to the list.

And no, I don't really want to list different ranges by the same company... Mystery and Crabbers are now listed together

But Bowman and Rustler are still apart

 

[Sandgrounder]

RB Boat Builders of the Underfall Yard in Bristol build Wooden Pilot Cutters and very nice they are too; if you like that sort of thing.
www.pilotcutter.co.uk/pilotcutters.html

 

[boatbuilder]

Multimarine Composites Millbrook, Cornwall.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Not sure about Oyster building overseas, but they are definitely a British company...

Good point Marsupial... although the Swedes tend to build the premium stuff so it makes sense them being hit in the recession...

What I don't understand is why with such a range of British boats out there people continue to hand their hard earned cash to the French and Germans. I admit that we don't have any of the mass-production here so our yards are in theory more 'expensive', but if you have £150k to spend on a yacht is it so hard to spend an extra £10k to get a British built craft, which will be built to order and be so much nicer to own in the end? Just look at that Mystery 35. Beautiful. Why buy a Bavaria built by a robot when you can have one of those? Lack of pride in your own country makes so little sense when you live somewhere as great as we do.

Cheers Eastbrae, adding them to the list.

Unfortunately they aren't just more expensive in theory, they are simply more expensive. And not just by 10k. Cheap, adequate, roomy boats aren't made in the U.K...... we lost that game long ago. Have you seen what Bavabenejen will give you for 150-160k?

 

[Flying Penguin]

Not sure about Oyster building overseas, but they are definitely a British company...

Good point Marsupial... although the Swedes tend to build the premium stuff so it makes sense them being hit in the recession...

What I don't understand is why with such a range of British boats out there people continue to hand their hard earned cash to the French and Germans. I admit that we don't have any of the mass-production here so our yards are in theory more 'expensive', but if you have £150k to spend on a yacht is it so hard to spend an extra £10k to get a British built craft, which will be built to order and be so much nicer to own in the end? Just look at that Mystery 35. Beautiful. Why buy a Bavaria built by a robot when you can have one of those? Lack of pride in your own country makes so little sense when you live somewhere as great as we do.

Cheers Eastbrae, adding them to the list.

Just £10K more? That's optimistic...

For that budget, you could get a brand new Beneteau 41 (list price - £137k) with change for upgrades. Nothing wrong with that for your average marina hopping weekend sailor.

Can't find many list prices for the others but even for second hand boats the others are much more expensive (or would be to get a modern variant):
2008 Southerly 38 - £245k - Estimate £350k+ for equivalent new?
1993 Starlight 39 - £89k - Estimate £350k+ for equivalent new?
New Gunfleet 43 - £500k+?



So for a new boat you either go smaller (much smaller) or you give your money to a mass producer.*


I'm sure new Southerly's and Gunfleets are great, but we don't really have a home grown alternative to the mid sized (32'-45') European built boats, at least not where money is an object. Not everyone can pull together the £200k+ extra for the better boat.

Cheers,

Jamie

*Of you could buy second hand, but that doesn't get money into any builder's hands.

 

[laser45]

Brand new Mystery 35 = £155,750

But yes, I know you can get a "lot more" boat from Bavabenejen for the same price... perhaps that's why so many people sell their yachts so quickly, when they realise their mass-produced 46ft monster is just too big to maintain economically, whereas their savvier friend is sailing his thirtysomething footer across the seven seas for a lot less money... going from mid thirties to mid forties incurs a huge increase in the volume and weight of the boat and it's components, but often not in the number of berths or the seagoing capability in the right hands.

There will always be some big differences in opinion on this but i'd rather have a nice 35 footer than a 45ft bavarian bathtub any day

 

[Fluter]

Oyster ONLY UK?

http://www.boatpoint.com.au/reviews/2000/oyster/oyster-53-9075

and its in Turkish but here is the Turkish involvement.

http://www.rmkyachts.com/140.aspx

AFAIK hull production was farmed out of the UK because of elf n saftey regs but some are still finished in the UK.

The UK boat building industry could/should have been so much bigger and better than it is now, we had designers and skills but no vision. the vision must lie with Benneteau who in 1960 were just a small shed not unlike what we still find in Tichmash but then they also had a co-operative government who could see social boat ownership was a huge economic benefit along with the jobs production provides. The rest is history, too late to turn it back now. Why are UK governments so blinkered?

Correct - Oyster build two Superyacht models in Turkey as joint venture with RMK Shipyards.

Other than Superyachts all Oysters are UK Built.

Some of their Oyster 53s plus their now discontinued powerboats were built at McDell Marine in Auckland to supplement UK capacity but that arrangement stopped some time ago when Kim McDell retired.

The NZ venture was nothing to do with H & S.

This is factual since I skippered Oysters at that time and still know several Project Managers.

 

[Alfie168]

Pippin Yachts..only small..but still a UK builder

http://www.pippin-yachts.com/

BP Sailboats..the rump of Parker Lift Keel Yachts

http://www.bpsailboats.com/

Tim

 

[laser45]

Cheers Tim - added.

 

[Flying Penguin]

Brand new Mystery 35 = £155,750

But yes, I know you can get a "lot more" boat from Bavabenejen for the same price... perhaps that's why so many people sell their yachts so quickly, when they realise their mass-produced 46ft monster is just too big to maintain economically, whereas their savvier friend is sailing his thirtysomething footer across the seven seas for a lot less money... going from mid thirties to mid forties incurs a huge increase in the volume and weight of the boat and it's components, but often not in the number of berths or the seagoing capability in the right hands.

There will always be some big differences in opinion on this but i'd rather have a nice 35 footer than a 45ft bavarian bathtub any day

That's no good if your budget was £150k... . And a brand new Beneteau 34 is under £80k, so still nearly half the price.

You are presupposing that everyone has the same priorities as you. Assuming running costs are manageable, a significant proportion of people value liveability over sea keeping, at least at the price differential we are talking about. If the average new boat buyer valued seakeeping over 'liveability', or was willing to pay double to get both, you'd see a lot more of the British boats in marinas.

This isn't happening. Why? Probably because the average new boat buyer isn't willing to pay the same again, as compared with an adequate AWB, for the privilege of buying British. Is my £80k Beneteau really going to cost me £70k more in maintenence and depreciation than the equivalent Mystery 35 over the 5-10 years I'll own it? I doubt it.

You may prefer a smaller, better boat, it seems most new boat buyers disagree with you.

Cheers,

Jamie

 

[laser45]

As I say, opinions will differ...

OK, the "living space per £" of a Bavabenejen may be roughly double that of a comparable "nice" yacht. Point taken.

Personally I can't understand the mentality of spending that amount of money on a new boat anyway, so perhaps I'm not the one to make the point!
I'll stick with a nice £40k 1980s Countess any day. Reassuring solid look and get you through anything. Plenty of money left over so turn her in to the ocean bashing solidly rigged island of mounds of rope and spare parts which I love. The clinical, spindly-rigged AWB just doesn't do it for me.

So OK, if you aren't a banker and really need a big new yacht (and you probably don't) then Bavabenejen might be the only option. But listen here, rich people. There's a big list of British boatyards producing top quality craft at the start of this thread. Don't you dare let me see you paying money to some dodgy Swede for a big premium bathtub full of bits of shiny metal when one of your fellow countrymen is working his nuts off producing something just as good but without that pretty European blonde draped over the pulpit. People seem to forget that the leggy girl in the brochure doesn't actually come with the boat...

Anyway, keep the names coming folks, we're doing well...