Le Boat / Herbert Woods

[Dan]

Noticed a bit back that the hype/spin/press releases of not long ago about Herbert Woods buying the Le Boat Craft and how delighted (etc etc) each company was to be working with each other with Le Boat as a booking agent for them didn't seem to last long!

 

Latest brochure has no Norfolk presence, nor has the website for some time!

 

Strange companies at times, but at least Le Boat are still on the Thames (roll on my next holiday!)

 

Dan

 

 

 

[LondonRascal]

Their website says:

 

"Important notes

 

After several years operating boating holidays in the Norfolk Broads, we have decided to focus on other great destinations.

 

We are then no longer operating boating holidays in the Norfolk Broads at the end of the 2014 season...."

 

What's more is Herbert Woods had said at the time they would be selling off many of their other boats to make way for the Le Boat boats.

 

 They even set up a separate website for this 'Reflections Hire Boat Sales' - www.hireboatsforsale.co.uk and while they have indeed had various boats for sale through this (and watersidemarinesales.co.uk) they have not sold many - perhaps it is the prices they are after?

 

I notice they have Crown of Light 3 for sale http://hireboatsforsale.co.uk/norfolk-broads/cruiser/crown-of-light-3/ - perhaps after all the hype/hope these are not letting as well as they had hoped.

[Matt]

And according to that page it won't even pass under Beccles bridge!

[BroadScot]

Hi Matt,

 

Yes very confuzzling indeed. 6ft8" with windscreen and canopy down. Also, Dave(ExPilot) has said in the past you have more chance of that type of craft getting through PH Bridge. Whoever is doing their promotional material, aint very good IMHO.

 

Iain.

[Broads01]

Le Boat have gone for the ultra premium market in recent years. You only have to look at their Vision' class to see what I mean. They like building boats that are miles too wide for the Broads and as Dan said the weird Herbert Woods agency arrangement thing has evidently bitten the dust. Can Herbert Woods please offer the ex Connoisseurs at half decent rates instead of pretending that 20 year old boats are in the luxury class?

[andyandsallyb]

HI Robin,

 

With regard to reflections hire boat sales and waterside marine not selling many boats...... I moor in this yard and this season so far at least 10 boats from the woods fleet have been sold to buyers who already had a mooring in the private part of the marina and I know of at least 4 others who have purchased ex woods fleet boats this year who moor else where. Personally I didn't think that was to bad a sales rate.

[LondonRascal]

Sorry, I was not aware of the numbers, I had been referring to the sold boats section of their website which seems not to record ex-hire boat sales.

 

However thinking about it now I know there are several boats I have seen out and about being ex-Herbert Woods hire boats that are not shown in the sold section so without being ‘on the ground’ so to speak one is not able to go back and see the numbers that have sold.

[webntweb]

I also noticed the bit about not being able to pass under PH bridge so I was wondering how the one we met last year about half way down Catfield Dyke got there. 

[riyadhcrew]

The last time I was under PHB was in a C40, albeit a long time ago.

[BroadScot]

Hi Eric,

 

Yup, that type of craft has more chance than most getting through that little hole. Who says so??? None other than a past PH Pilot....Swift.<<(Members Name)

 

 

Iain.