Silver Dee, mark 2, Aquastar 74.

MapisM

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There are other things that I don't have pics of.....
Blimey, that's an impressive list indeed, and in such a short time - congrats! :encouragement:

One question on the pic below, do you have any idea of what the rationale is behind that stepped shape on the hull sides?
transom%20profile.jpg
 

Piers

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Just returned to Guernsey after 3 months away in South Africa, and heard a rumour that that not only has Aquastar stopped making boats but that they've destroyed the moulds for all their models except the 43. Is this really so? And that their warehouse is being rented out for recycling. And then from another Guernsey source, that they may continue to build even larger boats in the UK where labour is less costly and more abundant.

Anyone know?
 
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D

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Just returned to Guernsey after 3 months away in South Africa, and heard that not only has Aquastar stopped making boats but that they've destroyed the moulds for all their models except the 43. Their warehouse is being rented out for recycling. The only unknown fact is a conversation that they may continue to build even larger boats in the UK where labour is less costly and more abundant.

Yup was covered in another thread that for some reason has been deleted by the moderators but this confirms what was in that thread. Can anyone explain why boatbuilders destroy moulds? Surely the moulds may one day be used again or can be sold on?
 

Piers

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Yup was covered in another thread that for some reason has been deleted by the moderators but this confirms what was in that thread. Can anyone explain why boatbuilders destroy moulds? Surely the moulds may one day be used again or can be sold on?

Again, I'd been told 3rd hand that it was always believed that Aquastar would never sell their assets. They didn't want anyone else to build Aquastar's in their name. If this is true, a very sad end to an era.
 
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Hugo Andreae

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I think there are a lot of Chinese whispers circulating at the moment, many of which were inaccurate or misleading (the reason why the original post was pulled).

I spoke to Geoff Wilson at Aqua-Star last week and can confirm that although he has had to make 8 people redundant recently to safeguard the long term future of the company they are not stopping production, nor are they moving out of their factory, nor are they only going to build bigger boats in future.

In fact Geoff says they are going to focus on building new boats under 50ft and put more resources into the brokerage side of the business. There is one 43 already in build and another on order. They will only build boats to order (rather than on spec) and where possible will build them in batches of two or more so that they can build them more efficiently, bringing in specialist outside contractors as and when needed.

Meanwhile development work carries on as normal for the sub-50ft range with plans for an aft cockpit 43, an updated 49/50 and at some point a new 38.

I hope this helps clarify things.

Hugo
 

Blue Sunray

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I think there are a lot of Chinese whispers circulating at the moment, many of which were inaccurate or misleading (the reason why the original post was pulled).

I spoke to Geoff Wilson at Aqua-Star last week and can confirm that although he has had to make 8 people redundant recently to safeguard the long term future of the company they are not stopping production, nor are they moving out of their factory, nor are they only going to build bigger boats in future.

In fact Geoff says they are going to focus on building new boats under 50ft and put more resources into the brokerage side of the business. There is one 43 already in build and another on order. They will only build boats to order (rather than on spec) and where possible will build them in batches of two or more so that they can build them more efficiently, bringing in specialist outside contractors as and when needed.

Meanwhile development work carries on as normal for the sub-50ft range with plans for an aft cockpit 43, an updated 49/50 and at some point a new 38.

I hope this helps clarify things.

Hugo

Perhaps if Geoff sorted out that poor joke of a website he has he could clarify the position himself? http://www.aquastar.gg/ Most 5th form project work is better than that.

His inefficiency really doesn't seem to be good reason for deleting the other thread.
 

rafiki_

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I think there are a lot of Chinese whispers circulating at the moment, many of which were inaccurate or misleading (the reason why the original post was pulled).

I spoke to Geoff Wilson at Aqua-Star last week and can confirm that although he has had to make 8 people redundant recently to safeguard the long term future of the company they are not stopping production, nor are they moving out of their factory, nor are they only going to build bigger boats in future.

In fact Geoff says they are going to focus on building new boats under 50ft and put more resources into the brokerage side of the business. There is one 43 already in build and another on order. They will only build boats to order (rather than on spec) and where possible will build them in batches of two or more so that they can build them more efficiently, bringing in specialist outside contractors as and when needed.

Meanwhile development work carries on as normal for the sub-50ft range with plans for an aft cockpit 43, an updated 49/50 and at some point a new 38.

I hope this helps clarify things.

Hugo
Good to hear Hugo. Interesting that the “big 3” are ramping up production, Broom appears to be doing ok, Pearl continues to introduce new models, all moving up market, but Aquastar is going the other way. Maybe worth an article on the health of the UK industry heading into the New Year?
 

longjohnsilver

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I think there are a lot of Chinese whispers circulating at the moment, many of which were inaccurate or misleading (the reason why the original post was pulled).

I spoke to Geoff Wilson at Aqua-Star last week and can confirm that although he has had to make 8 people redundant recently to safeguard the long term future of the company they are not stopping production, nor are they moving out of their factory, nor are they only going to build bigger boats in future.

In fact Geoff says they are going to focus on building new boats under 50ft and put more resources into the brokerage side of the business. There is one 43 already in build and another on order. They will only build boats to order (rather than on spec) and where possible will build them in batches of two or more so that they can build them more efficiently, bringing in specialist outside contractors as and when needed.

Meanwhile development work carries on as normal for the sub-50ft range with plans for an aft cockpit 43, an updated 49/50 and at some point a new 38.

I hope this helps clarify things.

Hugo

Thanks Hugo.

As an AquaStar owner I have an interest in what's happening. If the original thread was pulled because of inaccuracies, why weren't we told that at the time? And then why has it taken until now for you to put the picture straight when you say that you spoke to Mr Wilson last week? Surely having pulled the thread (maybe not you personally) it would have been seen as the right thing to do to report that conversation sooner without the prompt of further posts on this thread.

A little more digging produced this article which says that AquaStar issued a statement saying they would not be building any more boats for the next 6 months, contrary to what was said to Hugo. Which one is correct?

//https://guernseypress.com/news/20...dozen-staff-and-puts-production-on-hold/[/URL
 
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Blue Sunray

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Good to hear Hugo. Interesting that the “big 3” are ramping up production, Broom appears to be doing ok, Pearl continues to introduce new models, all moving up market, but Aquastar is going the other way. Maybe worth an article on the health of the UK industry heading into the New Year?

Point of order, the Channel Islands are not part of the UK.
 

Blue Sunray

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Thanks Hugo.

As an AquaStar owner I have an interest in what's happening. If the original thread was pulled because of inaccuracies, why weren't we told that at the time? And then why has it taken until now for you to put the picture straight when you say that you spoke to Mr Wilson last week? Surely having pulled the thread (maybe not you personally) it would have been seen as the right thing to do to report that conversation sooner without the prompt of further posts on this thread.

+1. Frankly less than impressed at the moment about YBW's (Hugo's?) behaviour and reporting on this one and they don't even have the excuse that Aquastar are a particularly big advertising stream.
 

Boat2016

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+1. Frankly less than impressed at the moment about YBW's (Hugo's?) behaviour and reporting on this one and they don't even have the excuse that Aquastar are a particularly big advertising stream.

How would you feel if that was your business being discussed ? A lot of damage is done to businesses by people gossiping without knowing the full facts
 

sarabande

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C'est la vie, Boat2016. What are you going to do about IRL gossip or discussion ? Ban it ? Sometimes there is fire behind the smoke (though not, obviously, in this case).

The concerns expressed here are about the way the business decisions affecting the buying public were handled. Unsophisticated is a word that comes to mind. Reputation management is a key board function and needs careful, elegant, and sometimes speedy delivery.
 

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Gently please. Robust debate is fine; please don't let it go beyond that and become personal and uncivil.

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MrB

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It's a shame the last two pages of "discussion" even exist on Silver Dee's refit thread. :rolleyes:
 

MrB

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Agreed, but the thread it should be on was pulled!

Indeed, so a new thread should have been started. This has nothing to do with Silver Dee's thread other than the same make of boat! Mods, delete the last two pages bar 1 reply to clean things back up please. (from post #102 onward)
 
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longjohnsilver

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Indeed, so a new thread should have been started. This has nothing to do with Silver Dee's thread other than the same make of boat! Mods, delete the last two pages bar 1 reply to clean things back up please. (from post #102 onward)

Who are you to tell the mods to delete 2 pages of threads?!! Move them, I'd agree, but delete, no.
 
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