Pacific Seacraft Bought, Moving to NC

[jkenan]

Apparently, Pacific Seacraft has been bought and is moving to Washington North Carolina, and will continue production.

Personally, I am thrilled as I have always loved WB Crealock's designs and been impressed with the quality of their yachts. Stephen Brodie is the new owner, and I hope that under new ownership the level of customer service and attention will live up the expecations of their customers (including those of the Ericson legacy). I chartered GREENHOUSE, hull no.1 and the only Pilothouse 40 they produced. I have to say, she was the finest boat I've ever sailed, but I could have been influenced by the San Juan and Gulf Islands, the foggy mornings and rocky, tree lined shores, sigh.... She was a solid, responsive, easily handled, and comfortable ship to sail, and that was an absolute fact.

Anyway, my wife and I have talked about sailing around the NC waterways, and Washington is a definite destination now. I will try to contact the new company and arrange a visit. I will certainly ask about the Ericson assets that came with the purchase. Will keep you posted if I learn anything more.

Thought all you folks would be interested.

Cheers,

[sleather]

Very interesting, Palmer Marine, current builder of the "Shamrock" line of "classic" small inboard, offshore fishing boats is in the process of relocating to NC from FLA.
Seems that NC is "loaded" w/ business incentives, and is more centrally located for distribution of product.

[Sean Engle]

This just in - the introduction letter of the purchaser of the Pacific Seacraft molds and tooling:

//sse

[Emerald]

This sounds like the best news we could have hoped for and a complete surprise from what little I had heard regarding the bankruptcy proceedings. Perfect timing for celebration in conjunction with the Annapolis Sailboat Show.

[Loren Beach]

Idle curiosity... so far no mention of the other PSC tooling for the E-32/200 and the late-model E-34 (both with redesignated identities when built by PSC in the 90's. I note that the PSC-E-38/200 tooling was held back and not auctioned.
Presumably the Saga tooling was only rented out and has been repoed by the original owners.
Jus' wonderin' --- will those later Ericson models "re surface" anywhere??


They were such nice yachts, too. Perhaps permanently displaced in a post-sailing world of "floating RV marketing." <sigh>


Loren

[vbenn]

Last year, during one of several phone calls to FUllerton, I inquired about the status of the PSC Ericson boat files in an attempt to gather more information about my boat, an E-380, #22. Initially I was told by customer service that I should call back when they have more time to locate my boat's file. When I didi this several weeks later, they told me that all PSC-Ercson files were discarded during the last move.

This past weekend at the Annapolis Boat Show, I was happy to see PSC in attendance (compliments of Crusader Yacht Sales) and learned that the asets were purchased by Steve Brody. The Ericson intellectual property was not included, but apparently there is a rumor that the boat files exist and are looking for a home.

It would be a great service to our membership and especially those of us who own PSC-Ericsons if EY.c would acquire these files. I would be happy to assist with this, but don't know where to begin.

Any suggestions ? . . .

Vince Benn
Wild Blue

[saltayre]

I was at the Annapolis Boat Show on Saturday and was also pleased to see 3 Pacific Seacraft there. When I asked, was introduced to Steve Brody's, he was also there, and was told also that the Ericson files were all still in Fullerton, CA and in need of a home. They hoped someone from the Ericson group would contact them to take them before they disappeared. There was also an unfinished E38 in the PS yard, and they did not believe it belonged to anyone. Brody is having all the molds, equipment etc from PS moved to NC this week, but apparently that does not include any of the ericson materials. What I understood, was that they did have control over the Ericson materials, but had no plans to use them. I am very near Washington, NC... if there is someone near Fullerton, post a note and I will try to go by there or call to see if we can make some arrangement to get the materials.

John Lark
E-34
Vandemere Creek, NC

[Rob Hessenius]

I am a little confused about Ericsons past/future. If someone can fill me in, it will clear up some thoughts.

1. Are there any molds still around?
2. Is there belief that they could resurrect the Ericson line?
3. What "real" property was auctioned off that was Ericson related?

I guess what I find intriging is the thought that the molds have not been chopped. Maybe if there is some stuff out there NC/Brodie will let it be viewed. It really doesnt matter to me if production starts up. I guess Im just used to educating people on all the good reasons why Ericsons went out of business. In failure, Ericson really proved to be a success. I think that there is a high regard when you talk Ericson to sailors. I sure hope that a possible "new era" doesnt tarnish that.

Rob Hessenius

[SAILSHIGH]

All,

I wrote to Bob Bitchin at Latts and Atts Magazine about Ericson and PSC.
I wanted to see if he knew anything about the boats or where molds ended up. Here is his responce.

"Since the bankruptcy everything that was in Fullerton has been removed. I talked to some of the owners who had boats in construction, and I believe they were taken to the Dennis Choat Yard in Long Beach. I heard a company in North Carolina bought the Pacific Seacraft name, and probably the molds as well. That's all I know."

Does anyone live near there?

Seems a shame if all the Ericson things are gone.

[Spirit Moon]

Getting our hands on all the records possible may be a huge benefit in sustaining our fleets. It would be an interesting conversation and bit of marketing reseach if PSC took a look at putting out some new Ericsons. I say this because I sense the boat owner market is ripe again for a boat with modest freeboard and sweet lines yet has an accomodation plan matching most new production boats. I have a completely refurbished (rigging, mast, leisure furl, all wiring, electrics, interior upgrads and awl gripped top to bottom)1980 E38 that looks like it just came out of the factory. I can't count the number of fellow boaters and dock walkers that have come over to oggle the boat and ask where I got a new Ericson or what type of boat is it? Then remark about the beautiful lines includes the owner of a pretty skookum looking Swan. So, why isn't PSC entertaining some market research to see how some new E models are received?
There has to be a demand for well built designs at a moderate price and a good number of sailers that may like a PSC but can't afford one and would see the E line as a great option. My two cents anyway.
Frank
Victoria BC

[sailingdeacon]

http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/738425.html

Bargain hunter buys boat business
Pacific Seacraft moves to Beaufort
Tim Simmons, Staff Writer
When Steve Brodie flew to a bankruptcy auction last month in California, he hoped to buy enough equipment to start a small business that would build sailboats in Beaufort County.

He returned instead with an entire sailboat company, Pacific Seacraft.

"We loaded it onto 21 tractor-trailers and all but two have arrived at this point," Brodie said. "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

Brodie spent $85,000 at the auction to buy the company name, boat molds, tools and five sailboat hulls.

The sailboats, which measure 31 feet to 44 feet, cost $250,000 to $1 million each. The company also makes a 38-foot trawler.

"He got a darn good deal," said Mike Bradley, who leads the state's effort to recruit boat makers. "It's a darn good situation."

Brodie said he was surprised to win the rights to the company and suspects that it had something to do with the terms of the deal: The winning bidder had eight days to clear everything from the premises.

"I guess that thinned the crowd a little bit," he said.

It cost more to move Pacific Seacraft than it did to buy it, but Brodie used a Beaufort County company -- Deep Water Transport of Washington -- and got started right away. He didn't make the eight-day deadline, but a few negotiations took care of that issue.

At its peak, Brodie said, the sailboat company had about 140 employees producing 120 boats a year. He would like to reach that point again but will start much smaller, with about 12 people.

"I think we'll grow back up pretty rapidly," he said.

Some of the early jobs could be filled by people transferring from the Fullerton, Calif., plant.

Brodie is talking with local economic development officials about building a permanent location in Beaufort County. For now, the company will operate out of a former textile mill in Washington, N.C.

Pacific Seacraft will be North Carolina's 108th boat-building company. If it reaches 140 employees, it would be a mid-size player in the market, said Bradley, who is director of the state's division for Boating Industry Services, part of the Small Business and Technology Development Center in Beaufort.

Despite its name, Pacific Seacraft sells most of its boats to owners along the East Coast. That makes a location near the Pamlico Sound a logical home.

But Brodie, 36, had other reasons for moving the company more than 2,500 miles: He, his wife and three children live in Washington.

"But I am very much aware that this is a friendly place to build boats, for a number of reasons," he said.

North Carolina has worked hard to increase the boat-building industry, tapping deeply into its coastal history and desire to replace manufacturing jobs lost in the past decade. Officials promised Brunswick Corp., for example, as much as $4.6 million over 10 years in exchange for opening a plant near Wilmington that will employ 858 people.

Brodie said he loves to sail and at one point worked with the International Institute for Maritime Research on historic vessel restorations. He is a marine archaeologist who spends most of his time on the water, working aboard research vessels that search and document shipwrecks.

Some of that work includes recovery efforts on Queen Anne's Revenge -- better known as the pirate Blackbeard's ship -- and the Confederate ship CSS Alabama off the coast of France.

He expects to spend a lot more time around sailboats in the future -- but probably less time on the water.

"I think I pretty much just filled up what used to be my free time," he said.

[CaptnNero]

According to Sapperwhite in Sailnet, the E38 mold was auctioned when the other PSC's were.

[Loren Beach]

A friend that has been a loyal PSC "Orion" owner for several decades just shared this info from their owners' newletter.
It appears that not quite all of the assets went to the East coast.
Loren

[Loren Beach]

http://www.pacificseacraft.com/html/home.html

New web site design.
Emphasis now is all on the Crealock designs.
It looks like they are ready to build boats again...

FYI.

The (former PSC) Dana 24 appears to be in limited production in the Seattle WA area.
http://www.seacraft.com/Dana24.htm


LB

[sailingdeacon]

I talked with a present employee of Pacific Seacraft in NC and asked were there any remaining Ericson molds. He said no they were all "taken to the dump" and that they were for giveaway. No takers. The hope had been that at least on of the molds made it to NC.