Should I buy a Birchwood Comando

This has to make you laugh

Picked up this thread and when tcm started expounding the virtues of Birchwood I had to see.

Off to do a quick search and one of the sites I found here had a Birchwood called

CIRRHOSIS OF THE RIVER

If you are not sure, look it up ASK OXFORD


From what has been said, a very apt name lol.....
 
hi again paul.

Dunno how much you are v boaty but at risk of giving egg-sucking lessons...

As boats are low-volume, and subject to more adverse circumstances they are different from cars in that they are less one like another. So it's much less easy to say that "they all do this" - not impossible, but what i mean is that ain't the whole story.

They make a hull, and plonk in some engines. The engines ARE more one like another and they'll be in loads of different boats. Usually, a reasonable bit of use is better than otherwise, so you want to see more than 200 engine hours on this boat (else it's been a bit unloved and abandoned probly) and praps less than 1200 engine hours this being about 200 a year. Anything in between is fine ,and a few services, please - you don't have to go mad if one year is missing, but, yerknow.

Almost the whole of the rest of the boat is bit boring bits of wood screewed together and outsourced machinery pumps and valves you can buy in most places. the stuff will either work, or not work. 1999 navuigation gear will be a bit saed these days so if it works, great, if it doesn't, well, what the heck.

If you buy a new boat, they actually deliver the boat together with all these tons of manuals which a right pain - they expect YOU to follow through the warranty on each thing. It's almost as though you've bought a pile of bits and they've kindly screwed them together, which is about what it is - it isn't "a BMW" where everything is down to BMW from the radio to the bumpers.

A good thing you plan to do is bring a uk boat to uk - cos all the elements must be available in the uk cos that's how birchwood gettem. Whereas more difficult to get bits (simple things like light fittings and so on) for italian boat, frinstance - sort-of better to be in italy where all the chanleries have just the same stuff as what's on an eyetie boat, whereas in uk chandleries have loads of ukboat bits. Not impossible just more difficult. The americans are said to be amongst the best at overcoming this, used to mailing stuff masive distances, hawaii etc and on the web and of course, with websites in English too.

Others have made the points about alternatives, and it is indeed the case that Birchwood have gone bust a bit. But this needn't mean that an individual boat is built badly and indeed could mean quite the reverse - they spend too much time and effort on each boat, thiou of course praps they simply don't sell enough.

I wouldn't worry that the company goes bust a bit of even if it didn't exist any more - it doesn't matter provuided that (as is much more likely) the suppliers of bits, engine parts and so on are all mostly still there, with alternatives, as they normally are.
 
Whilst I would agree that obtaining parts and service for a later model Birchwood should'nt be any more of a problem than any other manufacturer, it is well known in the industry that Birchwood's quality did slip as they ran into financial difficulties. I'm not actually sure what Birchwood's position was in 1999 when they built this particular boat but IMHO, any prospective buyer should look more carefully than normal at things like the soundness of the hull, deck fittings, seacocks, engine bearers etc. Then there is the issue of the credibility of the brand. If Paul buys this boat, finds out v quickly that its not for hime and then tries to unload it back onto the market, then he might have to wait a long time to sell it or lose money
Before I get flamed for these comments, I'm well aware that pre - early '90's Birchwoods are a different kettle of fish and well up to quality standards for the era
 
Paul,

Even though I have a Birchwood circa 1982, I would not be looking at any Birchwoods really later than 1992, for all the aforementioned reasons.
The semi displacement hull was their forte, cracking well laid up hull,great design and good performer on both river and sea...and in fact designed to do both well.
If you want a Birchwood then you could do far worse than look at the TS37 sport or supersport, which have the aft cockpit configuration,with the addition of a Flybridge.
These boats hold their value well and if you are not too bothered about skating around in a washing up bowl at 40 knots, I would be looking for a latish bigger engined version of one of these.
Ive decided it will be my next move when Ive finished tarting up this one Ive got at the moment.

Steve.
 
Just to challenge some of the advice here, I think there is always a market for less flashy or well known boats at the right price. You will get a lot more boat for your money than you would buying a Fairline or similar, and its not that ugly...? Birchwood have made good quality boats for a long time, so its unlikely that the quality slipped significantly, but you will get a survey before buying anyway. I have bought many businesses from the receiver, many with long and troubled pasts, and it always surprises me how many of the skilled people stayed with them through the various receiverships and sales.

Very little of the boat is specific to Birchwood, so no need to worry about spares, repairs etc. If you like it and it ticks all the boxes I would go for it, so long as the price is right
 
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