- Jim for identifying the correct Gingerboats web site

- David for confirming the that they will be building the new Rooster Solo using the Boon moulds that Ovington bought when Boon pulled out of building boats.

I think it is a step up for Gingerboats, but Phil is a talented boat builder and has worked for Ovis and they are getting assistance from Kevin as part of the set up.

I also don't think the RS team are mugs at this game and will have considered their options carefully, before selecting Phil & Alex.

I think RS do a great job but they have made the odd cock up with boat builders not in anyway saying Ginger will be another Brazil.

 

I think this is just what new boats cost to make really - if you look across a range of classes I think this kind of cost is now pretty typical. Was chatting to a friend who builds boats for a living and he suggested that even at these prices there is not really huge money to be made and the he expects prices to have to keep rising.

I guess that Kevin wasn't seeing much of that £ 13,500 and I hope for Ginger Boats that they can weather any storms that RS may encounter.

As an observer of the marine industry, it tends to be the marketeers that survive the ups and downs, not the boatbuilders.

Boatbuilding is a pretty hands on process and even plastic boats require a certain skill level. Modern FRP boats are a far cry from CSM 'bucket and chuck it' construction of old. The guys with the necessary skills, quite reasonably, want to earn a living wage

A new National 12 is less and in my experience, more of an enjoyable sail. The boats are much more individual too.

Merlins north of £25k is is significant investment though.

Boatyard @Beer is definitely no more . But Kevin is still in the boat repair business, I saw a post on the Streaker fb page of his new workshop . 

IIRC back in 2011 RS proposed changing from their mylar material stuff they used on the 400 sails to a laminate because the material was becoming harder to get hold of. By moving to a laminate it meant they could keep the prices down (pretty sure this were their words in a newsletter I received). The mylars were £650 and went to £600 once they changed over to the laminate. The current prices of the laminate is £949

Part of this may be due to brexit as I'm unsure what the costs were pre-brexit. But even then, more than a 50% price increase over 10 years is ridiculous. For comparison the last jib I bought in 2016 was £420 and they are now £600, near 50% increase in just 4 and a half years. Kite in 2011 £520, 2021 £669

Topper sails are also made by Hyde (I think? looking at their website.) and a 4.2m sail which is comparable size to a 400 Jib is £215 

Where can I get a brand new Merlin for £15k now?

However I think classes like RS200 and RS400 may be where the 12s and Merlin’s were in the 70’s and early 80’s.

The real issue for classes based on production runs is that as the numbers slow a lot of the fixed costs have to be amortised across fewer boats, which squeezes the builder if the marketeer is not prepared to give up any margin, particularly when the sales evaporate as a result of a pandemic 

He is building the Streaker as well I believe, based on the Rooster moulds.

I hope that he doesn’t give up on the Solos, his offering is beautifully engineered and is a good shape.  Just came into the market late, by which time most sailors had established relationships with the other builders.  

Yes, is this a “partnership” because Gingerboats actually have a commercial share in the RS200 now, or is this hyperbole to justify a change of builder?  Makes me wonder how well RS treated by@b because it is hard to see why someone would give up building one of the most popular boats whilst staying in the boat repair business. 

It's popularity may be the reason, the volume of boats may be too much for a one man operation?

Let marketing anywhere near independent boat builders and very rapidly the only boat builders in the country will be RS, Hartley, Topper and Ovington. 

Interesting to see the price is along way ahead of inflation. 

Must be increased profits. 

What about material price increases? 

£11,550 for the boat but I think we will all agree that you need a launching trolley and top cover even if nothing else, so £12,328 to sail at one club or £13,417 if you want to do any opens (added road base and under cover).

Still a monumental amount of money for a 200, which has no technology and has hardly moved on in development.

Which ever way you want to look at it, but when you leave the show room you'll have coughed up £13500~ or just under if you want to source your own trailer. Those bits you've decided are "irrelevant" will still need to be bought from somewhere. You can't just write the cost of it off because its convenient for your argument

Nobody goes to buy a car and gets a price for it without any tyres

How do you put shoe's on your feet ? 

If you are not happy with the price don't buy it. If you think any one is getting rich off making or selling dinghy's your sadly mistaken. I here people complain about boat devaluement but are more than happy to buy a new car and lose a lot more money on it than there boat even cost. We have lost a good few boat builders through covid, because the reality is that boats are too cheap for a custom hand built product.

I am hoping you intended quoting someone else!  I never said I wasn't happy with the price, not that I am buying.