colhel
Well-known member
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SIBS: the Good, the Bad & the Ugly
- Thread starter Koeketiene
- Start date
Vara
Active member
Penguin, Dometic both very good on cooling. Re charging problems lots of conflicting advice from stands various, didn't get the sense of being fogged though, just different approaches to the same problem. But did get better understanding of my system.
Marine mattresses, we looked at those as well...good stuff but eyewateringly expensive, will stick with butchered memory foam.
Plastic glasses have improved dramatically.
Very impressed by the Hanse and Bavaria offerings, lot of boat for the money.
Malo 37 stunning in all depts but a tad pricey. (Bit of bias here).
Gunfleet 53, interesting exterior, wonderful interior and exemplar of good engineering, a snip at the price.
Oh and of course the IPC stand very nice welcome and hospitality, thanks to Richard and his team.
Marine mattresses, we looked at those as well...good stuff but eyewateringly expensive, will stick with butchered memory foam.
Plastic glasses have improved dramatically.
Very impressed by the Hanse and Bavaria offerings, lot of boat for the money.
Malo 37 stunning in all depts but a tad pricey. (Bit of bias here).
Gunfleet 53, interesting exterior, wonderful interior and exemplar of good engineering, a snip at the price.
Oh and of course the IPC stand very nice welcome and hospitality, thanks to Richard and his team.
DanTribe
Well-known member
SIBS today (21/09) with a list of people & stands to see and speak to.
Other half in tow to curb my enthusiasm or my sarcasm as required.
Good boat show weather: dry and not too hot or too cold.
The Good
1. Darglow: could not have been more helpful or generous. Greasing nipple for our feathering prop FOC. Were very grateful for our feedback on their product (Darglow Featherstream: best thing since sliced bread).
2. Webasto: helpful, informative and to the point. Eber: eat your heart out.
3. Penguin: as above - the man knew his onions. Did not waste his time on glib sales talk. Price was a pleasant surprise too.
4. the IPC stand: if Richard Shead comes on here later to say that he was busy, I can confirm that he was. Impromptu forum get-together and IPC supplied beer & plonk flowed liberally. Nice to meet up with old friends and put faces to names of the new ones.
I had a very similar experience on Friday.
I've been dithering about heating but after a chat with the guy on Webasto stand, placed an order there and then. He advised me against some shortcuts I was contemplating, but the final selling point was " you should be fine fitting it yourself but if you hit a problem call me and I'll come and sort it out"
I then went to Darglow stand out just out of curiosity. A young lady asked if I needed help, " just looking I have an old JF prop getting a bit wobbly"
" OK, that must be near the end of it's life but we can offer 25% discount for exchange on a Featherstream" She then gave me technical details proving she knew her engineering stuff.
Almost tempted to upgrade. Very helpful outfit.
Walked past IPC stand a few times but it was generally chock a block with punters. Probably freeloaders following the rumour of free beer!
uxb
New member
Didn't go to the SBS this year, went last year and spent the winter nailing my purchases from that visit into place on the boat.
The new AWBs are getting more and more hideous though, all designer sharp angles, large open spaces and cheap looking finish. I'd hate to try to sail on- if anyone actually does.
As for twin wheels and wide transoms.... Fugly, stupid and wrong looking.
The new AWBs are getting more and more hideous though, all designer sharp angles, large open spaces and cheap looking finish. I'd hate to try to sail on- if anyone actually does.
As for twin wheels and wide transoms.... Fugly, stupid and wrong looking.
sailorman
Well-known member
But they do have very nice bathrooms & kitchens
flaming
Well-known member
I have a bet with myself. I've given myself good odds.
It says "This poster has never sailed a boat with twin wheels"
I've given myself odds of 3:1. And I've bet beer. It's good beer too, proper Suffolk Ale.
So... Do I win?
FullCircle
Well-known member
If the beer is Carlsberg.....Probably.
JumbleDuck
Well-known member
The only thing that looks fuglier to me than twin wheels is the single enormous wheel. Basically, though, it's the square arse which makes the boats fugly, and not even a nice laminated tiller could redeem them.
Elessar
Well-known member
Talulah
Well-known member
For twin wheels to work the engine throttle needs to be sorted as well. Not low down in the cockpit on the opposite side you want to come alongside.
This is also true of single wheel but gets exagerated on twin wheel.
Twister_Ken
Well-known member
Put it on the inboard side of one of the pedestals, then it's never very far away.
Simondjuk
Active member
I had a quick peek on the modern equivalents to our AWB. The French boats in particular were disappointing to say the least. Iron on edgings to the furniture meeting in sharp corners even in high wear areas, locker doors formed in the same way which already had crushed and dog eared corners, a forepeak door which bound badly in its frame and was so thin and flexible that the handle came up against the bulkhead before the hold back clip at the bottom of the door engaged.
I can only imagine these boats are going to look very tired very quickly. Bavaria seemed to be doing marginally better than the French in these areas, but still not a patch on the solid timber mouldings and thick, hardwood veneered ply panels of the past. I had to go up at least two quality/price brackets before I found anything like the quality of finish I'm used to on my boat.
I guess they just don't build 'em like they used to.
I can only imagine these boats are going to look very tired very quickly. Bavaria seemed to be doing marginally better than the French in these areas, but still not a patch on the solid timber mouldings and thick, hardwood veneered ply panels of the past. I had to go up at least two quality/price brackets before I found anything like the quality of finish I'm used to on my boat.
I guess they just don't build 'em like they used to.
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Sandy
Well-known member
My wife is a Chartered Accountant, Southerly did it in a particularly unpleasant way.
Twister_Ken
Well-known member
Yep, moved out all the assets into different companies (which remain in business), leaving nothing of value in the boatbuilder, so when it went pop it had no realisable worth, and could be bought back from administration for a pittance. Makes you wonder if it won't do the same thing again if times get testing.
Ex-SolentBoy
New member
The business continues and one would assume is still using many of the same suppliers.
I wonder what sort of deals these suppliers have had to cut in an attempt to recover some of the money owed to them by the original company.
sailorman
Well-known member
If i were the keel manufacturer i would be looking for 100% of unpaid invoices.
No keel No boat to sell
jac
Well-known member
Or southerly then say that's fine - someone else can make them.
Tempus
Member
And no Southerly, a much smaller business for the keel manufacturer.
Would you all really have preferred the assets to be in one company, which would then have been bought by a property developer?- realising a pittance for the suppliers - administration processes NEVER realise any value for unsecured suppliers. We'd now be looking at a plans for new Waterside Properties in Itchenor, no jobs at all and a smaller British boat building business. t's happened before. As I've said elsewhere, if the suppliers can move on, then so should the rest of us. As I understand it, Lester Abbot invested significant amounts in the business, and has not taken money out. If he had, then I'd be throwing rocks with the rest. However orders have halved in boat building over the last 5 years. It's very difficult to manage that with honour. Oyster burned one of their long-standing suppliers, Hallberg Rassy have laid off a lot of people, Najad went bust...The list goes on. Southerly clearly had a plan, and the suppliers have got over it and worked out new arrangements with the company. If they don't want to deal then they don't need to, but it now doesn't help them or the company to keep carping on about it!
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Kurrawong_Kid
Well-known member
But I have to pay my tax. If a company can't, then they should have to; and dodges to allow the company to restart should be made impossible until the tax is paid! One law for the rogue type of capitalists and another for the poor loyal workers.
Tempus
Member
I think the government would prefer a bit of unpaid tax every now and again and lots of jobs, works out much cheaper in the long-run. After all they make the rules!
