Vancouver yachts

[Fr J Hackett]

I used to attend the Northshore owners day which showed the fit out stations for yachts currently in build and also had a full tour of the laminating yard and saw the plug for the last of the Southerlies in build. They were technically as good if not better than others what killed them was as has been said ambition. Trying to break into the 50 foot plus yachts the costs were beyond their financing and at the same time the Vancouver 32 and 34 very much niche yacht had simply become too expensive to build in a declining market sector.
There is no reason other than financing and building to a "higher" specification that yachts like the Southerly, Discovery and Oyster shouldn't be able to compete with European builders if the market was there for them which UK builders have always been handicapped by a small home market.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

I used to attend the Northshore owners day which showed the fit out stations for yachts currently in build and also had a full tour of the laminating yard and saw the plug for the last of the Southerlies in build. They were technically as good if not better than others what killed them was as has been said ambition. Trying to break into the 50 foot plus yachts the costs were beyond their financing and at the same time the Vancouver 32 and 34 very much niche yacht had simply become too expensive to build in a declining market sector.
There is no reason other than financing and building to a "higher" specification that yachts like the Southerly, Discovery and Oyster shouldn't be able to compete with European builders if the market was there for them which UK builders have always been handicapped by a small home market.

I don't think it is just the U.K. market. The Scandinavians have seen the same decline in their "quality" boat manufacturers.

Whether we like it or not, the volume is in sailing in the sun, not sailing in tidal waters with unpredictable weather ... and in order to be competitive on price, you need volume and economy of scale.
The final nail in the coffin is that with a cockpit tent and a heater, those yachts built for sunshine sailing can also happily sail around the U.K. and Scandinavia.

Built for charter, usable anywhere .... leaving just the "quality" to justify the price difference on an already expensive base product resulting in customers voting with their wallets.

VW suffered a relatable experience with the new VW beetle - looked great, retro styling, but sold in the same showroom as a Golf for a higher price .... prospective customers loved the beetle, but bought the golf as it made more sense both practically and financially. VW never got anywhere near their expected volume.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

This bit made me smile .....

Fibreglass in itself really only became a product used for serious production in the early 70s. So everything fibreglass was still being learnt about. The method of laying up and the resins that were available then were quite agricultural. They weren't like they are now, where everything is scientifically analysed and used to best effect. In those days it was "put as much gelcoat and resin on the mould as you can, to make it thick and strong". But of course nowadays they don't do that.

19:42 minutes in.

 

[mjcoon]

This bit made me smile .....



19:42 minutes in.

A decade or two ago I was talking to my late Mother in her bungalow about her spider phobia so we were looking at her ceiling in case there were any. What there was, was a damp patch. Above in the loft was a little fibreglass header tank which had gone porous and had been leaking, as mould attested, for a long time! Fortunately that was easily cured with a new plastic tank...