Waldringfield boat yard?

T/O circa £200k per annum..... figure a 20% margin at best...... thats a bit expensive!

But does sound like a bargain if you ignore that...
 
The boatyard with river frontage is leasehold. The land owned is at the back of The Maybush carpark. Leasehold business with low profits (considerable potential = currently not doing much) never going to be worth loads.

Nice opportunity for someone who knows what they are doing though - beats sitting behind a desk for 40 years :(
 
MoodySabre said:
The boatyard with river frontage is leasehold. The land owned is at the back of The Maybush carpark. Leasehold business with low profits (considerable potential = currently not doing much) never going to be worth loads.

Nice opportunity for someone who knows what they are doing though - beats sitting behind a desk for 40 years :(
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Asking price is twice the current turnover, and that earned on a very small piece of rented land. Growth potential? Virtually none I would say.

Subject to seeing the lease on the apron and water front, and a new lease agreed, I would say half the asking price would be nearer the mark as an ongoing business.

The potential difference is the freehold piece - largely unproductive as currently employed, so what chances a gain from sale and development? The villagers are well known for resisting any changes whatsoever so there would be costs.....oh yes!

The old Jahan should be run as a sub-licence to the Maybush - let them load the boat, the yard has no means to build this business.

So, what chances the vendors will be willing to split the offering? Let's wait and see.

PWG
 
fair points .. guess I was thinking of the potential for making more of what is currently a pretty low key business.

I have also heard that some kind of shared ownership scheme might be being considered? As mentioned there are some pretty influential villagers who wouldn't want much change but I'm sure it could be improved without upsetting the neighbours too much and as per moodysabres comments "beats sitting behind a desk for 40 years".
 
I've often thought that there was a bit more potential in that business. The last time I tried to buy some boat bits there, the chandlery door was opened a crack and someone demanded to know what I wanted. I'm not sure if he was trying to serve me or chasing me off his land!
Perhaps they could stock some basic groceries in summer months, now that the excellent village stores is no more. Very sadly missed.
I believe that there was not much co-operation between the business and the sailing club or other boaters?
 
DanTribe said:
I've often thought that there was a bit more potential in that business. The last time I tried to buy some boat bits there, the chandlery door was opened a crack and someone demanded to know what I wanted. I'm not sure if he was trying to serve me or chasing me off his land!
Perhaps they could stock some basic groceries in summer months, now that the excellent village stores is no more. Very sadly missed.
I believe that there was not much co-operation between the business and the sailing club or other boaters?
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Ah, you touch a raw nerve, Sir. There is a long history of shall we say, unsatisfactory experiences, with this yard under father and son. This could lead one to conclude there's untapped upside, and maybe there is. But my comments, above, were more property/business income based. However taking the creative view......

The team at Woodbridge tide mill have gradually made a pretty good job of their site and its limitations - perhaps their insights could be applied at Waldringfield; and they have the advantage of being "insiders" - so important when dealing with Nimbys /councillors.

It occurs to me that the prime takers could be the sailing club - between them and the villagers there is scope for a co-operative that gives the villagers influence directly over what changes are made, scope of building / traffic generation etc. The freehold is then developed of course, and the club gets a chance to gear up a notch or 3. Excellent for the young generation that all villages are trying to retain !! In Holland such a deal would be a shoe-in, lead by someone with a few pennies and the requisite charm - please step forward young Lochinvar!

Oh, and no MOBOs please.........it's a conservation area.

PWG
 
PeterGibbs said:
Ah, you touch a raw nerve, Sir. There is a long history of shall we say, unsatisfactory experiences, with this yard under father and son. This could lead one to conclude there's untapped upside, and maybe there is. But my comments, above, were more property/business income based. However taking the creative view......

The team at Woodbridge tide mill have gradually made a pretty good job of their site and its limitations - perhaps their insights could be applied at Waldringfield; and they have the advantage of being "insiders" - so important when dealing with Nimbys /councillors.

It occurs to me that the prime takers could be the sailing club - between them and the villagers there is scope for a co-operative that gives the villagers influence directly over what changes are made, scope of building / traffic generation etc. The freehold is then developed of course, and the club gets a chance to gear up a notch or 3. Excellent for the young generation that all villages are trying to retain !! In Holland such a deal would be a shoe-in, lead by someone with a few pennies and the requisite charm - please step forward young Lochinvar!

Oh, and no MOBOs please.........it's a conservation area.

PWG
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you obviously have some knowledge of the history and ups and downs of the place PWG! My experience over the last few months has been that the current owner is very keen to move on and has little interest in making more of things, he feels more familial obligation than actually enjoyment of his lot. Personally I think there's real potential for the place but the complications are potentially enormous - villagers, sailing club, expansion of BT site housing, council, ....... etc. I'll have to try and find out more about the potential co-op scheme I've heard, might even be interested in taking part :eek:!
 
Waldringfield Boatyard - Community Interest Company

I've received the following through local connections (sailing club and fairways list), which I'll pass on for the benefit of anyone who may be interested in the proposed Community Interest Company:
---------------------------
WALDRINGFIELD BOATYARD
The Waldringfield Boat Yard Ltd (WBY), the property of Mr & Mrs Andrew Brown, is now offered for sale as a going business via Strutt & Parker.
As the boatyard is a major feature of Waldringfield and this stretch of the River Deben, it has been suggested that river users and local residents may want to consider some action to protect their interests and possibly to enhance the value of the boatyard to the Community. One possibility may be through the formation of a Community Interest Company (CIC) to bid for the business. The community in this context comprises:
- Waldringfield residents
- Beach hut owners
- Visitors from all over eastern Suffolk and further afield, who enjoy walking, bird watching, swimming, crabbing, fishing, picnicking and simply standing or sitting to enjoy the view and ambience
- Waldringfield Sailing Club and its members
- Groups like the sea scouts who learn seamanship
- Yacht and boat owners, particularly those who rent moorings via the Waldringfield Fairway Committee
- Commercial and other river users.

The aim of such a CIC would be to continue to run the WBY in the balanced interests of that wider community while earning sufficient income to be financially sustainable for an indefinite period and to pay its shareholders reasonable dividends. This could include providing the main services that WSC is seeking with its proposed pontoon.

As it will take time to form such a CIC with the potential to even table a realistic bid, everyone who might be interested or to explore other ideas regarding the future of the boatyard is invited to an open meeting in Waldringfield Village Hall at 7.30 pm Friday 9 September 2011. If you are interested but cannot attend, please e-mail me (Neil Winship) neil@alpheco.co.uk for the probable briefing papers.
 
Neil_M said:
I've received the following through local connections (sailing club and fairways list), which I'll pass on for the benefit of anyone who may be interested in the proposed Community Interest Company:
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That's great information Neil, thanks for posting it.
 
all seems to have gone very quiet on this.

As far as I know there have been a couple of meetings about the possible formation of a community interest company to run the yard, but judging by the date of the ad in the Lowestoft journal and the e-mail address being Mr Brown at the boatyard, I can only assume things aren't moving as quickly as the vendor would like.:confused:
 
nicenicey said:
all seems to have gone very quiet on this.

As far as I know there have been a couple of meetings about the possible formation of a community interest company to run the yard, but judging by the date of the ad in the Lowestoft journal and the e-mail address being Mr Brown at the boatyard, I can only assume things aren't moving as quickly as the vendor would like.:confused:
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how can it possibly make money to finance the purchace price
 
sailorman said:
we looked into it after Ernie finished ;)
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Ernie's before my time I think, I've been a "customer" for the last 6 months - I only know Andrew (Brown), Paul and David at the yard. Always seemed deathly quiet in the yard during the summer, things only livened up when he had a boat trip to run.

Hope it turns out well as I'd hate to see it bought up by a developer and developed too much.
 
nicenicey said:
Ernie's before my time I think, I've been a "customer" for the last 6 months - I only know Andrew (Brown), Paul and David at the yard. Always seemed deathly quiet in the yard during the summer, things only livened up when he had a boat trip to run.

Hope it turns out well as I'd hate to see it bought up by a developer and developed too much.
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unlikely to be developed, there are some very wealthy folk in the village & the Stollery Family own the yard freehold (also the large hut to the left of the club ;))
 
:):):):)

Ahoy there and thank you Petite Fleur for the lead to the River Deben Association. I, having been brought up (boating wise) on the River some many years ago, (1940s, 50s 60s) now feel quite nostalgic about the river, and reading on line of the demise of some of the Woodbridge Boatyards feel that I would like to be aware of current and future developments.

So Association app form downloaded, and in post to-day.

Thanks again. :)
 
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