michael_w
Well-Known Member
Anyone who is prepared to shell out a large sum of money to buy a boat without organising a banker's guarantee needs their head examined.
Northshore creditors meeting
- Thread starter Ex-SolentBoy
- Start date
Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
Yes, but would you pay a substantial premium to have a lifting keel? It seems not enough buyers would.
Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
Agreed, especially after the UK Bavaria dealer (Opal?) went under and proved that client accounts were not sacrosanct.
Barbican
Well-Known Member
I am very sorry for all the guys that worked at Southerly, and I hope they all find work quickly once the remaining boats in build are finished and delivered.
My own boat is a great testament to the build quality from the team of guys who built her and Stephen Jones design skills. The combination of 10ft draught, twin rudders and huge form stability gives an extremely reassuring motion, at sea she is a very comfortable and stable platform.
I invited Lester and his design / comisioning team on board for the RTIR earlier this year, all of them are very keen sailors so despite the light winds we got a creditable result for a heavy cruiser with a full inventory on board, so I am very happy with the light airs performance too. That 10ft draught with a nice lead tip means she points very well, but it doesn't get in the way when we want to get into places with little depth. A convenient way to have a real deep draught was more appealing to me than the potential to dry out on the beach, but I may also do that one day.
These newer Southerly designs including the Dubois 535 (First two completed) are great boats with IMHO fabulous and practical interiors. They generated lots of interest but sadly, perhaps because of the previous problems coupled with an ongoing lack of certainty in the economy, too few orders. The decision to stop now and refund several deposits may prove to be premature if SIBS is a good one this year, however it may be best done now to avoid a bigger mess in the future who knows.........
I hope a buyer emerges, the people (and products) deserve it, the site I am sure will remain marine based for all the reasons stated by others so hopefully will still employ local skills and craftsmen. I wish them all well for the future.
My own boat is a great testament to the build quality from the team of guys who built her and Stephen Jones design skills. The combination of 10ft draught, twin rudders and huge form stability gives an extremely reassuring motion, at sea she is a very comfortable and stable platform.
I invited Lester and his design / comisioning team on board for the RTIR earlier this year, all of them are very keen sailors so despite the light winds we got a creditable result for a heavy cruiser with a full inventory on board, so I am very happy with the light airs performance too. That 10ft draught with a nice lead tip means she points very well, but it doesn't get in the way when we want to get into places with little depth. A convenient way to have a real deep draught was more appealing to me than the potential to dry out on the beach, but I may also do that one day.
These newer Southerly designs including the Dubois 535 (First two completed) are great boats with IMHO fabulous and practical interiors. They generated lots of interest but sadly, perhaps because of the previous problems coupled with an ongoing lack of certainty in the economy, too few orders. The decision to stop now and refund several deposits may prove to be premature if SIBS is a good one this year, however it may be best done now to avoid a bigger mess in the future who knows.........
I hope a buyer emerges, the people (and products) deserve it, the site I am sure will remain marine based for all the reasons stated by others so hopefully will still employ local skills and craftsmen. I wish them all well for the future.
Sybarite
Well-Known Member
Except HR whose recent publicity emphasizes their financial strength. They also add that a performance bond can be had for a small cost.
Another quality builder, Amel, always has an order book stretching some years ahead. They have resisted the temptation to expand and to enlarge the range which is now 2: 55' and 64'. Their rep at the show, however, said to expect a smaller one soon.
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Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
Amongst the Swedes, except, also, for Arcona!
E39mad
Well-Known Member
+1 !
Frersfanatic,
I'd be interested in the ' engineering ' of twin splayed ( tiny ) rudders to take the weight of the boat...anyone who thinks a Southerly more seaworthy or in any way superior to an Ovni ought to be sectioned !
And your actual experience of sailing each of these boats is what exactly? Rather than basing your prejudice on heresay come back and discuss properly once you have sailed each.
The Fisher and Vancouver were more expensive than the Southerly, foot for foot, especially the Fisher which had no internal mouldings and the fit out was labour and material expensive. Also the moulds for most of these boats were tired 20 years ago which wasn't ideal for a relatively expensive semi-bespoke yacht.
By the mid 1990's there were over 500 swing keel Southerlies around - wouldn't call that low volume back then. There were exactly 105 Southerly 105's built which became the 115 and sold 150 or more itself.
All great products and such a shame about their demise.
Seajet
...
Lift keels become a major engineering project on boats above around 26', not least regarding winter maintainance like raising the boat and lowering the keel to work on it and the mechanism; I get the impression this is all too easily ignored and becomes the next owners' problem.
However I don't believe the cost of a lift keel is all that much in building a boat.
Due to the engineering snags, larger lift keelers tend to have a ballast stub below the hull and a lighter centreplate working through it.
Contrary to popular belief, lift keels are not generally used for ditch crawling up little creeks; there's not much difference between running into something nasty at 4'6" or 2'...though with really big boats it might make the difference between getting into harbours or not.
As I've never seen a modern expensive Southerly on a drying mooring, the effort of fitting the lift keel seems largely wasted.
edit; If I could afford a Hallberg Rassey I'd presumably be able to put her in a marina; I wouldn't feel any need for a lift keel.
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Sybarite
Well-Known Member
Ovni's were essentially downwind trade wind boats intended for ocean crossing. They have recently though significantly improved their sailing performance.
It should be remembered that OVNI's are not the onbly aluminium boats in France. Top of the list for me for perceived quality would be Garcia but you also have Allures, Meta, Boréal etc.
Both Michel Joubert and J-P Brouns, two leading architects, have as their own boats Strongall heavy duty aluminium built boats by Meta. Both have bilge keels.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Isn't that just what they tried to do last time? Dump the debts, keep the stuff, profit ... or maybe not.
Last time I looked, Blaxton were offering Anderson 22s.
The Victoria 34 moulds still exist, so they could start turning them out again too. Alas the Frances 26 an derivative moulds were destroyed.
Seajet
...
Jumbleduck,
you - and probably the Blaxton Boats website - are maybe 15 years out of date; I went with the ex-MD of Andersons to recover the Anderson 22 moulds, as they had not been paid for.
Incidentally Blaxton at Doncaster was like a museum of boats I'd heard of as a boy, really interesting to walk around ! No real chance of making them again there, the owner Maurice is a nice guy, if something of a dreamer.
The Anderson 22 moulds have been back with Patrick, the ex-MD of Andersons, for 15 years; we tentatively planned to make the boats again, but Patrick - who has the funds - is already well beyond retirement age, having looked after father in law Bob Anderson in his illness to over 100 so Patrick & his wife deserve a bit of retirement themselves.
you - and probably the Blaxton Boats website - are maybe 15 years out of date; I went with the ex-MD of Andersons to recover the Anderson 22 moulds, as they had not been paid for.
Incidentally Blaxton at Doncaster was like a museum of boats I'd heard of as a boy, really interesting to walk around ! No real chance of making them again there, the owner Maurice is a nice guy, if something of a dreamer.
The Anderson 22 moulds have been back with Patrick, the ex-MD of Andersons, for 15 years; we tentatively planned to make the boats again, but Patrick - who has the funds - is already well beyond retirement age, having looked after father in law Bob Anderson in his illness to over 100 so Patrick & his wife deserve a bit of retirement themselves.
E39mad
Well-Known Member
Jumbleduck
Northshore only moulded Victoria 34's under contract for Victoria Yachts as well as their other boats: the 26, 30 + Frances 26.
Vancouver was Northshore's own brand.....picked up when Pheon Yachts went pop in the 1980's
Northshore only moulded Victoria 34's under contract for Victoria Yachts as well as their other boats: the 26, 30 + Frances 26.
Vancouver was Northshore's own brand.....picked up when Pheon Yachts went pop in the 1980's
Kwik Decision
Well-Known Member
A new 42 ft Southerly has recently arrived at Universal Marina, on one of their drying berths, and joins 3 other (smaller) Southerlys who are on Hamble marina berths at a lot less than most pay. Mind, there are also a similar number of other Southerlys on deep water berths here as well.......
Seajet
...
Andy,
fair enough but I think they are the exception, what percentage of modern Southerlys have drying berths / moorings ?!
fair enough but I think they are the exception, what percentage of modern Southerlys have drying berths / moorings ?!
MrB
Well-Known Member
Does anyone know how many 57's were built, i know of 3??
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
I know: the Part I registration document of my own Victoria says "Builder: Northshore Mouldings".
But if the moulds are still around, and someone wanted one, perhaps it would make sense, or have made sense, to have the same company do it again.
Bathdave
Well-Known Member
For the last month I have been the very happy owner of 2002 southerly 115 mark 3 and we love her ..great boat for the Channel Islands and the Brittany harbours.
great build quality and SO much more boat for my money compared with an (admittedly newer) AWB in the same price range.
Solid, cat A rated, a pleasure to be on.
though still getting used to her, seems to sail better than I was fearing after some of the comments from the slagger-offers on this forum.
Saw a new southerly 47 on the beach at lowtide in Herm a couple of weeks ago, so someone definitely making use of their exceptional capabilities.
Although I am a new member of the 'club' , I am very sad about demise of southerly.
great build quality and SO much more boat for my money compared with an (admittedly newer) AWB in the same price range.
Solid, cat A rated, a pleasure to be on.
though still getting used to her, seems to sail better than I was fearing after some of the comments from the slagger-offers on this forum.
Saw a new southerly 47 on the beach at lowtide in Herm a couple of weeks ago, so someone definitely making use of their exceptional capabilities.
Although I am a new member of the 'club' , I am very sad about demise of southerly.
grumpy_o_g
Well-Known Member
I suspect part of it is that, if you can pay a few hundred grand for a boat, you can afford an all tide mooring. Obviously a lot more moorings become all tide if you have a 2 or 3 foot draft rather than a 6 or 7 foot.
Bajansailor
Well-Known Member
I know of one Southerly owner who used his shallow draft advantage all the time. His Southerly 135 (45' long) used to live at the bottom of his garden in Wootton Creek on the Isle of Wight, as described in the link below.
http://www.humphreysdesign.com/673/nigel-gee-talks-about-his-southerly-135/
I sailed with a friend on her Snapdragon 747 from Pompey over to Wootton Creek to visit Nigel & Sue just before Christmas 2009 - we moored on the other side of the pontoon from Bodic, and it was quite amazing to find that a 747 with stubby bilge keels needed more water to float than a 45' Southerly..... Nigel and Sue used Bodic to the max re her drying out capabilities and did subsequently take her to the Med via Biscay (and I think they returned via the canals).
She has recently been sold, by her designer's brokerage arm :
http://www.humphreysdesign.com/2038/southerly-135-bodic/
http://www.humphreysdesign.com/673/nigel-gee-talks-about-his-southerly-135/
I sailed with a friend on her Snapdragon 747 from Pompey over to Wootton Creek to visit Nigel & Sue just before Christmas 2009 - we moored on the other side of the pontoon from Bodic, and it was quite amazing to find that a 747 with stubby bilge keels needed more water to float than a 45' Southerly..... Nigel and Sue used Bodic to the max re her drying out capabilities and did subsequently take her to the Med via Biscay (and I think they returned via the canals).
She has recently been sold, by her designer's brokerage arm :
http://www.humphreysdesign.com/2038/southerly-135-bodic/
Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
Surprised to see the Southerly website is still up, as if it's business as normal. If the company is bust, isn't that tantamount to trading whilst insolvent, which is an offence?