Moonrakers

Is there a market for these boats do you think? Modern Joinery and wood work, what price could they command. The benefits of modern engines and systems would mean an up to date boat with classic (?) styling, a bit like re-worked classic cars?

Clearly the company concerned want to make a profit, so what would they retail for?

It will certainly be interesting to see.
 
Good question...
IMO For the money they would have to offer something that other manufacturers don't and, as you say, still make money.

My concern with this is that, and im no expert here, it seems hull design has come quite a long way over the past 25 years so unless it was very cheap what would it offer that main manufacturers dont.
 
I don't think hull design has come as far as you think. Certainly production techiniques such as vacum forming and composit construction are more common now, but the actually hull shape for bigger fly bridge boats is much the same as it was 20 years ago.

Ok, so there are boats with air step hulls, reverse chines and the like but these tend to be smaller sports boats (Sealine T50 and T60 excepted, but other manufacturers are yet to follow suit).

I will be interesting to see what happens when (if) they get it off the ground
 
well if thats the case then it gives them a better chance.

I wish them the best of luck. I think any small company that takes a risk like that should be applauded.
 
Yep, provided they are realistic and don't run the business assuming they will sell dozens a year then they should be fine - at least it is something a bit different. They will live or die on the quality of the construction though. If it is good then they stand a chance, if it isn't then they might as well give up now. The market is more demanding than it once was.
 
One other quick thing while i think of it. Not just moonrakers but for all boats of a similar size (33-38 ft flybridge), what are they like to handle single handed?
My old Freeman 30 wasn't too much of a handful unless a strong side wind when mooring...
I'm fairly confident on these things but will the extra 7 or 8 feet cause me too many headaches?

cheers,

Nick
 
Good for the norfolk broads, crap sea boats, very iffy build quality, lousy layup. Built for playboys to play with for a season, after which they started to deteriorate.
 
Ok, so I'll stick my neck out. Basicly all Mobos were crap, till Olsinki came along in the 80's and redesigned them. P 35 then through the range, then others. All boats since. Largly influancest by him. Or coppied him. They have not changed much since.

Before it was largly flatish bottomed and would slam alot. Also difficult in following seas. Largly to do big engines, producing little performace for the time.

Anyway, Olsinki developed a boat that just did what it said on the tin. Nearly all coppied since, or same hull.

Nothing to complicated, than big broad bows and smaller stern.
 
I think it's fair to say that Olesinski's hull designs did transform the performance of the manufacturers he worked for. I remember an article in MBM from the mid/late 80's when they eulogised about the performance of the then new Princess 45 in marginal sea conditions. But Don Shead was already producing excellent hulls for Sunseeker by then and well before then there were the Fairey hulls which were very good sea boats as well. In the US, designers and builders like Levi, Bertram, Aronow, Fountain etc were producing superb deep V hulls from the 60's/70's
Yup, Olesinski is good but he's not by any means solely responsible for the current state of planing hull design
 
"very iffy build quality, lousy layup. Built for playboys to play with for a season"

Why is it that nearly 30 years later,so many are still around and they hold their price just as well as any of the other makes around at the time ?
 
"The problem, if it existed at all, was due to her big bum (transom) and very fine entry up front"


wise words as ever Mike, that description puts me in mind of my Broom 37 Crown, cos she had a big bum semi dis and ickle Perkins (horizontal) 145's , following seas were rather interesting in her
 
thanks chaps...
more insights....
Well i think finances will dictate just how much of an easy ride at sea i'll have..
Plus my theory is, if i can happily do some coastal/sea work in an older design, if one day my budget increases and i get to try a 'modern' hull i'll be truely spoilt.

For what its worth at the moment i'm enjoying spirited trips on the coast in an early 80's Shetland Black Prince 23. When i had engine trouble in a F7 she surfed a following sea at 20kts. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Many will have bought the the first decent boat that came along within their budget limitations,sometimes it is not a good idea to set your heart on a particular boat but to look at a few similar ones from different makers.It would be a shame to pass by a little beauty from a out of favour builder only to buy a dog from your choosen one!
The overall condition of hull/mechanicals is most important not the badge,chum of mine has just bought a cracking older Fairline after walking away from many much newer but tattier boats.He was looking for two years.We must have looked at 20 boats,only one of them was any good and at the right price.Good Luck.
 
Good advice.....
Well i certainly won't be buying the Moonraker T-shirt and Cap just yet /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. As you say there's plenty of competition out there. I certainly agree there's a huge difference between boats for sale.
I'll certainly be taking alot of time over the next purchase.

regards,

Nick
 
Hi
I'm Terje, chairman of Danish Moonraker Owners. We're running a Register collecting info about the produced Moonrakers and their whereabouts. Are you able to help me regarding your fathers Moonraker, what was the vessels name, and are you able to provide some photos of it?
This would do, but are you able to provide further info, - it would be great! Check our web site www.moonraker.dk, and please mail me t.dehn@moonraker.dk.
Regards Terje
 
Hi Terje.

She was originally Junijon II (well I think there was a "II") and my parents renamed her Azul Criada and had her hull painted blue. She went from Essex up to Hull Marina when they sold her.

Not sure I have any photos of her - I'll have a look when I'm up in the loft.

All the best, Mike
 
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