Oyster on the up

[Scolly]

Simples, no market. Given the fact we are leaving the EU at the end of the year an even smaller market.

No market ? who is buying their products then ????

 

[Scolly]

due to 25% VAT up from 8% killed off British boat building, the French protected their industry.
I would assume most Oyster`s are sold free of VAT

They are, but effectively very little vat is paid on many boats sold within EU

 

[Kukri]

I’ve never bought a new boat, but I have an idea that the cruising yacht market has changed quite a bit with the growth of the flotilla charter business and that many new models of what one might call boats for the middle classes are aimed at volume sales to the flotilla charter operators which give enough of a production run to write down the tooling.

These boats are sold on by the charter operators at quite a young age, meaning a lot of boat for the money, and people are often inclined to buy these boats rather than to buy new, so sales of new boats to individuals are less common than they were.

There isn’t really an equivalent in the power boat / motor yacht market.

The British builders seem to have missed this, but the French and German builders have been very good at it.

 

[Kukri]

Thinking further, if a builder sells ten boats to a charter fleet, they can all be identical, but ten boats sold to private buyers will all have different details and “packages”, which is not as cost effective.

Also, I think the much remarked on increase in average size of boat has been driven by the sale of ex charter boats.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Expected to see this picture much earlier in the thread. of course no other yacht has ever lost a keel has it. Can never understand the need to knock Oyster.

Who's knocking them? However, celebrating them as a resurgence of the British boat building industry is like celebrating Morgan as a resurgence of the British car industry.

 

[JumbleDuck]

It is interesting that the building of production sailing yachts in the UK withered on the vine in the face of continental competition, yet the British stinkpot builders such as Sunseeker and Princess thrived.

But - I think - only by pulling out of the markets in which British sailing yacht builders all failed and concentrating on large, inefficiently hand-built floating airport lounges for the rich and tasteless.

 

[capnsensible]

Who's knocking them? However, celebrating them as a resurgence of the British boat building industry is like celebrating Morgan as a resurgence of the British car industry.

Hiya JD. As you like little digs at things, how about this.

Around three years ago I got stuck behind of a flotilla of them waiting to transit the Panama Canal as part of an owners round the world rally. A friend coined the phrase ' an ostentation of oysters'.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Hiya JD. As you like little digs at things, how about this.

Little digs? Moi?

Around three years ago I got stuck behind of a flotilla of them waiting to transit the Panama Canal as part of an owners round the world rally. A friend coined the phrase ' an ostentation of oysters'.

Well dug.

 

[HissyFit]

Around three years ago I got stuck behind of a flotilla of them waiting to transit the Panama Canal as part of an owners round the world rally. A friend coined the phrase ' an ostentation of oysters'.

You could have given up and taken the old route via Magellan Strait or Drake Passage.

 

[AndrewfromFal]

Owning a boatbuilder can be a way to make a small fortune - if you start with a larger one.

Unless you’re Richard Matthews

 

[Pete7]

It's not as though the continental yacht builders have been without their problems - Jeanneau, Dufour, Wauquiez, CNB, Lagoon have all been bust and bought out by Beneteau, who have been an extraordinary success story.

Beneteau has just closed their US manufactoring plant after 33 years:

'I don't want Beneteau to go away'. A Marion plant will close after 3 decades

 

[Frogmogman]

Beneteau has just closed their US manufactoring plant after 33 years:

'I don't want Beneteau to go away'. A Marion plant will close after 3 decades

I gather that is part of the rationalization in the face of the economic downturn and Covid 19. Beneteau has bought a number of american motorboat brands over the last few years, including Glastron, Four Winns, Scarab and Wellcraft, so has other production facilities over there.

 

[Kukri]

So, you can have any boat you like as long as it’s a Beneteau?

 

[Old Harry]

Unless you’re Richard Matthews

Back on the Oyster Board i have been told

 

[Old Harry]

Eddie Jordan as well
OYSTER YACHTS HOLDINGS LIMITED - Officers (free information from Companies House)

 

[HissyFit]

Eddie Jordan as well
OYSTER YACHTS HOLDINGS LIMITED - Officers (free information from Companies House)

Richard Hadida bought his yacht off Eddie Jordan. I don't know what Eddie has now.

 

[Old Harry]

Chartered ????

 

[HissyFit]

Chartered ????

I wouldn't think so. I'd expect the super rich to keep the crew on so that they can drop in at a moment's notice without having to worry about charter guests.

 

[Frogmogman]

They are, but effectively very little vat is paid on many boats sold within EU

Sadly this is now at an end, as of 30th March 2020, following a European court ruling.

The justification for the 50% discount on VAT was that an ocean going yacht could spend half of it’s life outside EU waters. The court decided that this was clearly not the case for most of the boats in question.

Now, if you were to buy such a boat, you could apply for relief on TVA on the lease payments for those periods that the boat is actually outside out of EU waters, but the general half-price deal is finished.

 

[AndrewfromFal]

Richard Hadida bought his yacht off Eddie Jordan. I don't know what Eddie has now.

Eddie joined the board after Richard Hadida bought Oyster, so you can't really say he made his money out of boat building in the same way Richard Matthews did.
Eddie has a 45 Metre Perini Navi Sloop these days; - interestingly I read an interview that he said he was done with Motor boats for good now.