MBM's Flagship - up for renewal!

[stuartw]

MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

While on the Broom stand at Excel yesterday, I learned from a source I couldn't possibly name, that MBM are going to replace their 2 year old Sealine F37, with something else. So they are actively looking at all possibilities. I said, "of course it's got to be British made ". " oh no, not necessarily" said my source. "after all one of the other mags runs a Nimbus". Horror of horrors.
I half jokingly suggested we throw the choice open to the forum. He blanched noticeably at this idea. Mainly because I wasn't supposed to know this bit of info. But what the hell.

So lads & lasses, what about it. Which make and model do YOU think MBM should have as their flagship?
Bearing in mind, it really would end up with which manufacturer gave them the best deal. But I think we ought to give them out two penny worth anyway.

My choice - Birchwood Crusader 400 Compact/flybridge

I hope this doesn't get pulled.


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[hlb]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

I'd give them Long Johns old Blue fisher. Just so they dont get ideas above there station..../forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn

 

[longjohnsilver]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

Cheeky git!

But a brand new CI 32 or maybe an Aquastar or Seaward would be good choices, but I suppose they'll have to go for a whizzy over the waves thingy such as yours.

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[Bejasus]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

Perhaps the one who couldn't be named, fancied a Broom 50 OS.

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[kindredspirit]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

A Nelson 38 from Dale Sailing.

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<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.begleys.com/kevin/weather.htm>Useful links for when cruising in Irish waters.</A>

 

[lanason]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

Fairline P40.

<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/kelisha>Kelisha</A> I never snub anyone accidentally

 

[stuartw]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

Actually I was told it didn't have to be very fast, but must of course keep up with any of the fast ones that go on the MBM cruise, cos that is essentially what it's for.
The other fact is, as it is a lease boat, resale value is not an issue. Which is presumably why the last 4 or 5 have been a Sealine.
Despite my comment about the Nimbus, I personally think it should be British thru & thru, unless of course IPC have a more global agenda. By the way, is an Aquastar classed as British?


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[Pendana]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

I think they should go for a second hand one, Just think of all the features they could run on keeping it seaworthy and reliable.
There are 4 beautys in Able UK's berth on the north bank of the Tees estuary at Hartlepool - a bit bigger than the usual stuff covered in MBM and made of steel not GRP - I'm sure they would get a bargain!

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[stuartw]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

Not a bad idea. But as I commented further down, they are normally leased, so I think it's not an option.

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[longjohnsilver]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

Well they're made in the CIs so I'd class it as British, although some of their commercial boats were/are made in Ireland.

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[Artie]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

I'd say a Nelson/Channel Islander or Seaward semi displacement for excellent seakeeping ------ But as the new Editor seems to want everything cheap I think a second hand tub is right then he can practice what he preaches.

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[whisper]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

They're as British as Seawards as well.
Choice is obvious really for the job it's needed for. It has to be strong, practical, simple for idiots to manage and have seakeeping abilities that would allow it to recce. the routes of the MBM Booze Cruises and drag participants off mud banks etc. Something Finnish comes to mind, fitted with "Rolls Royce" jet drives.

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[stuartw]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

Come on, out with it- what make & model?

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[whisper]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

Botnia Targa 30 upwards of course./forums/images/icons/cool.gif

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[tripleace]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

Why not for the same money have a couple of secondhand boats?

The reports would then include the problems of the selected marque relevant to more people than the few who have brand new boats?

say 5 to 7 years old, one planning one displacement?





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[stuartw]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

No, no. As I have already pointed out, they have to be leased ones, so almost by definition they will be new.
Lets face it. If they want a boat to front the magazine, then it has to be smart, functional and reliable.

I think also, it should be fitted with every kind of Navaid, gizmo etc, to act as a sort of testbed. This hopefully could generate some useful reports.

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[itsonlymoney]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

What about chartering Nigel Mansell's new 3 Mil Sunseeker as seen on Ch 4 LBS highlights. I cant beleive that he is going to take it to the Caribbean and "charter" it. You would think he could afford not to, or is it some kind of tax dodge I dont no about. Anyway thats my suggestion "charter said sunseeker for a year"

Ian



<hr width=100% size=1>Play the best game you can with the cards you've been dealt ! ! !

 

[franktheseadog]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

Let's face it they're gonna go for whoever wants the most publicity and is therefore prepared to give the biggest discount and the most freebies. And then we will hear about the darned thing for the next hundred million issues, plug upon merciless plug.

Surely, if MBM wanted to be a serious dispassionate reviewer of boats they would not have a flagship, i.e. a favourite. As it is, it is quite remarkable how many plugs Sealine have had over the past couple of years....

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[jhr]

Re: MBM\'s Flagship - up for renewal!

I think that's a bit unfair. Sealine are a major UK manufacturer and one of the Big 4, so it's inevitable that they get quite a lot of mentions - they've made a lot of boats and they're not bad (cue oldgit........../forums/images/icons/smile.gif), tho' not my cup of tea.

For a reasonably priced, mass market workhorse, how about one of the new Bavaria mobos? They are obviously aiming to be a major player in the market, hence quite a lot of people will be looking at them as a possible alternative to the usual suspects and will want to know what they're like. It would be interesting to see if a longer term test produces the same broadly favourable impressions that the short "New Boat" tests have conveyed so far.

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[kimhollamby]

Sorry but...

<font size=1>Surely, if MBM wanted to be a serious dispassionate reviewer of boats they would not have a flagship, i.e. a favourite. As it is, it is quite remarkable how many plugs Sealine have had over the past couple of years.... </font size=1>

'Flagship' doesn't equal favourite. I cannot speak for what is going to happen now in terms of choice because that is Hugo's call but I make no bones about having originally organised for the magazine to have lease an F36 and then two F37s.

The boat is used for a large variety of purposes. When we took the original F36 on I had no idea how it would work out and frankly neither did Sealine. In the second season I took it right around Britain when the combination of 36ft, shaftdrive and speed capability turned out to be just the ticket. Any bigger and we couldn't have visited some waterways; any smaller and it would have not been big enough to manage the various tasks set (hosting often large groupd of visitors, equipment tests, staff accommodation, carrying three lots of IT...all that kind of thing). In more ordinary times that boat still has to cope with everything from Try A Boat events to cruise in company escorts to photoshoots.

Given that the boat is indeed on a commercial leasing arrangement (and so needs to be new) and given that there is not exactly an overabundance of new shaftdrive 36-footers these days of that format I stand by the choice. Sealine didn't exactly have it all their own way...the 36 blew a KAD44 which, although not their fault, gave Sealine and us some headaches to get a quick enough fix to sort in time for a show. The first 37 had tank issues that were aired, on here among other places. The current boat is a genuine goodie, best of the three, although that too had an engine issue with one of its KAD300s.

For many years I ran my own boats as if they were the magazine's own; firstly my Pedro 30 and then my 33. I put 800 hours on the first in two years and 1600 on the second in five years; apart from diesel and some servicing costs and business insurance I had no direct support from the magazine's then owners and it wasn't sustainable for me in the longer run; the lease boat was a relief. Plus it gave us, in many respects, a more versatile boat. My boats put the title hugely in touch with its readers because I took them all over the place and learned a lot in the process. The Sealines have done the same for us and I don't think it is fair to believe that they either skew the editorial, or represent unhealthy bias.

Owning a Sealine has nothing to do with reviews; in fact, some of the engine hours we have clocked on a Sealine have directly benefited other manufacturers (when conducting photoshoots) or boating as a whole (Try A Boat).

Please don't believe that boat manufacturers are lining up to give out freebie demonstration fleets where journalists can take a different one home each night a la car titles. They are not and given the money involved they never will be. One has to make a choice of one, or not get involved at all.

If this sounds a bit harsh in reply then sorry, but I feel very strongly about this, as you might have guessed!

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