British boat building....is it dying?

[BruceK]

Nothing wrong with American boats and quality at all. I was trying to say that you can get more Used bigger boats for your money which will be more ideal for the UK weather rather than getting something newer but smaller which you can't use as much or are limited to good days only.

BTW i own a Regal American sportsboat which i absolutely love so I'm all for American sports boats/cruisers and wish there was more of them in the UK.

Good on you

Getting bigger boats for your money? I got this for 25k. Just had a £46k engine rebuild 4 years previous. Small? At 37 foot it's big enough for a family of 5 to sleep over and to take an additional 4 guests easily. Needs new canvass and cockpit seat covers sure but otherwise well cared for and excellent survey results. Why would I want to pay two to three times the price just because it's brit built?



Cockpit big enough for 6 to dine comfortably without using dinette



and in my opinion still has styling relevant to today

[BruceK]

Although written tongue in cheek, I was being serious.

Take a look at this absolute beauty for £189k. Only got 300 hours in 10 years and now resorting to ebay to sell it. Sad really. It'll go eventually for £150k

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sunseeker-Pre ... Swo6lWO~G4

Actually you could get one for 120k

http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/2001/ ... jy-PbfhBUQ

One more millionaire kicking heels I imagine. I'd love to help him out but jeez, the mooring and maintenance costs would cripple me. So one more boat destined to die an ignominious death languishing in a boatyard with a for sale sign on.

[ChrisH]

Can Ed cut it in half and make 2 ?

[BruceK]

Maybe Ed can go halves with me and we keep it intact?

[Ianfs]

I got this for 25k. Just had a £46k engine rebuild 4 years previous.

Blimey, that's a lot of boat for £25k. Which engines has she got?

[BruceK]

She's powered by two KAMD42's on 290 DPD legs.

A service picture trying to sort out belts and blowers



As for price. No, the price was about right for these boats. Advertise for about £32-34k but after you've played hard to get with a kick to the nuts you can drive the price down. I knocked off 6 grand for the state of the canvas and vinyl plus 10% of ask. Pretty fair deal imo.

[Xboatboyx]

Getting bigger boats for your money? I got this for 25k. Just had a £46k engine rebuild 4 years previous. Small? At 37 foot it's big enough for a family of 5 to sleep over and to take an additional 4 guests easily. Needs new canvass and cockpit seat covers sure but otherwise well cared for and excellent survey results. Why would I want to pay two to three times the price just because it's brit built?

I never said anything about buying british boats. If you were buying a Brand New boat for 25k you would only get something like a bowrider or small open boat 18-20ft. In those size boats you would not leave the marina or go out in the weather you did in those videos with the Formula.

[BruceK]

I misunderstood you then. When you said: The trouble is American boats get very expensive once they come over here with small bowriders getting on for 30k new and cruisers 80k, and for that you can get decent used Sealine S34s which are much better suited for UK waters. I thought you'd want to spend 80k on a used Sealine (which I know are no longer Brit, but lets not split hairs). My response is why spend 80k on used Brit when you can spend 1/4 that on used American? Which ties in with why are Brit prestige boats in decline. They are because there is no secondhand market making them a very poor investment choice unless you can treat them as a disposable commodity.Hell, there isn't a lot of difference to look at between a S34 and a 34PC. Pretty damn similar AFAIK

[Bigplumbs]

I have had need to contact Fletcher in the past week. As most of us are aware they have been sold to the same outfit who have bought Fairline. Based on my experience last week I fear for the future of that great British institution called Fletcher