Will Pacific Seacraft survive in North Carolina?

[Oldrig]

Hi there, Flicka owners and wannabes (like me). I came across this news today:

Bankrupt California boat line to move to North Carolina
By IBI Magazine

A North Carolina businessman has bought the assets of the bankrupt Pacific Seacraft Corp, which was based in Fullerton, California. Stephen Brodie told The Log the assets include tooling, moulds and six unfinished hulls. Brodie intends to move them thousands of miles east to North Carolina.

"I hope to be in a position in the next few months to start completion of the in-process hulls, and I am hoping to start new-from-scratch boats sometime after the first of the year," Brodie told The Log. "I have been looking for a number of years for a boatbuilding venture, so when this opportunity came along, I took it."

Brodie said he would set up new production facilities for Pacific Seacraft boats. Six boats were in the process of being built when the company had been bankrupt. "We have just finalised a deal this morning on a temporary facility in part of a vacant textile mill in North Carolina, where we will be able to finish some of the partially completed hulls I bought at the auction," Brodie said. "We are talking to former Pacific Seacraft dealers and hope to maintain the same network the former owners had in the past."


First Samuel Morse, now Pacific Seacraft! What does this mean for the lovers of small, exquisite (and over-priced) sailboats?

--Joe

[Frank]

The vast majority of their sales...80+% by memory, were from the east coast.   PSC's 34 would be my 'ultimate boat'. Relatively narrow,traditional interior, shoal draft,cutter rig and one fine sailng boat with great motion.Way way over $200,000 last time I looked.....I guy has to dream doesn't he. I wish the new owner well.It is a fine line of boats with a history of crossing oceans.

[s/v Faith]

Wow,

I was in St. Petersburg less then a week ago, and got to talk with Bruce Bingham for about a hour and a half. He told me PSC was bankrupt.... would sure love it if the new owners started the Flicka production again... what a great boat.

  OBTW, Bruce now has a CD 28 that he is living aboard.  He has done quite a bit of work to it, and it sounds like quite the boat. The fact that he lives aboard probably does not suprise too many of the fans of his designs. He also told me about some plans for a 24'er that he has been working on.

  Wouldn't it be great if there could be some kind of collaboration between him and the new owners of the company?

[Lynx]

Not really supprising on the move from Ca. A lot of companies have done that and if there sales are mostly from the East Coast then it is a good move. There was some talk about the MacGregor factory moving as well a few years ago. I sure hope that the Flicka starts production before my Mac 26M wears out.

[CapnK]

A few years ago, PSC had a page on their site stating that (due to popular demand) they would start Flicka production again, but only if they could get just 5 people to put up the earnest money to purchase them ahead of time.

The base price was, IIRC, somewhere around $80-85,000 for a new Flicka.

Zoiks.

The 5 orders never materialized, obviously. :) I guess folks that are willing to pay 4K/foot for a boat want something longer than 20'. :)

Sabrina, BB's personal Flicka, continues to languish here in Georgetown. Her bowsprit is missing now, along with the forestay. She'll be sitting there front and center at the boat show this weekend, looking sad and decrepit. :(

Good luck to the new owner of PSC! Let's hope that he revitalizes the Orion - I always loved the lines on that model. :)

[oded kishony]

Hi Capt K

I've also admired the Orion. What do you think about the interior layout? On the one hand it's one of the only boats of it's size to have a real nav station and a good size galley. But I wonder how well the whole arrangement works. Any opinions or experience with this boat?

Oded Kishony

[CapnK]

Howdy Oded -

I've been onboard an Orion, just to check it out, haven't sailed on one (yet ;) ). They seem very roomy. I've had a layout much like that on Katie for the past several months, and it is very workable.

Using the stove under sail would probably be a no-no (except if you were on a solid port tack, where spills would go away from you - and a SeaSwing-type stove makes that a non-concern).

Other than that, it is a comparatively large galley area, and having the large seating area and table to port is nice. I think the design is usable underway, and great for when at anchor.

[maxiSwede]

The 5 orders never materialized, obviously. :) I guess folks that are willing to pay 4K/foot for a boat want something longer than 20'. :)

Such a brilliant way to explain it...  ;D