How does the Orion sail?

[RickBowman]

Never mind the resale value between a Compaq and a Pacific Seacraft. When the day comes to sell that Compaq, prepare to bend over and get that satisfied look of, "I know this is gonna hurt".

[camaraderie]

Do you think that PSC's will continue to hold their value now that the company went bankrupt and the "new" company in NC simply bought the molds and the name? I don't think so as one of the BIG factors was their sterling reputation and support for owners. Time will tell.
Anyway...the Compac is a nice boat for the bay for someone who wants a traditional look and buying one a few years old can help with depreciation which is certainly no worse than most new boats.

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

Do you think that PSC's will continue to hold their value now that the company went bankrupt and the "new" company in NC simply bought the molds and the name?

Cam,

Your point is well taken, and it rarely helps resale when the builder goes belly-up. However, in this case the new owner got more than just the moulds and the name. He also got many key employees, among them several of the most experienced employees that were building the boats, including the respected plant manager/foreman. Their loyalty to the brand was such that they were willing to relocate across country to NC.

As for values, some brokers have indicated to me that certain boats have seen a modest spike in price due to their unavailability from the builder as new. I don't bank on this continuing, but the new owners are already turning out boats, so hopefully in the long-run the re-org will only be a blip on re-sale values.

None of which contradicts your suggestion that the Compac 27 might be a good alternative tot he Orion 27 for Chesapeake Bay sailing.

[camaraderie]

Good to know JRP. Do you know if any boats have yet been produced in the new facility? Will they supply OEM parts for boats like Orion...or just current models?
I hope for the best for the new folks as they really serve a niche in the market that has all but been abandoned...seaworthy under 40' cruising boats. It is understandable that California could no longer work and hopefully the much better cost/business environment here in NC will allow them to continue to build a quality product at a profit.

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

Good to know JRP. Do you know if any boats have yet been produced in the new facility? Will they supply OEM parts for boats like Orion...or just current models?

Cam,

I don't know whether the new owners will be supporting the older designs. The last Orions were made in the early 90s, and the last Flickas in the late 90s. So I would expect them to offer some support for these models. But the Mariah 31 and PSC25 have been out of production since the late 70s or early 80s, so I'm not sure there will be a lot of supplies/parts available for them. I'm just speculating here.

As you know, the Dana 24 was sold away to a new builder in the PacNW, so I suppose Dana owners will go there for support.

As for new boat deliveries, I just got a promotional flyer from the Annapolis dealer for PSC, which indicates they have a new Crealock 31, 34, and 37 available for spring delivery. I wish them well. This must be a tough time (from a macro-economic standpoint) to be re-starting a production line for somewhat higher end bluewater boats.

[Sapperwhite]

Mariah and the 25 didn't share much with the rest of the line. All the others share a lot of the same hardware, the portlights changed a few times throughout the years, but many of the fittings are shared. The interiors share many common features, so I would imagine they share the same dimensions for certain things (ex. cabinet door sizes).

I called the old PSC and asked about info on the Orion and they seemed indifferent. I think they were nicely trying to tell me piss off, we're looking to the bigger better future (see how that turned out?) They said alot of the drawings were missing, destroyed (?) or couldn't be found. I'm willing to bet they are in the bottom of a box in a warehouse somewhere in SC now. Who knows, maybe Henry Mohrschladt has some drawings and deeper info, he drew the boat.

Do they have the website back up yet?

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by ajl100

OK, I'm not going to buy an Orion. Anyone want to sell me a PS 31? Al

Al,

Which version of the PS31 interests you? There was the earlier Mariah 31, and the later Crealock 31. Aside from length on deck, very different boats.

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by ajl100

The Crealock 31.

Al,

Go post some nonsense to "The Song Chain" thread (see Off Topic Forum), so you can get your post-count up to 10. This will enable the Private Message (PM) feature of your SailNet account.

Then send me a PM (by clicking on my name and selecting "Send a PM"). I own a Crealock 31 and we should talk.

[LittleWingCA]

Hi Guys:

I live in San Diego, Ca. just down the street (so to speak) from the old Fullerton Pacific Seacraft factory. I have an 1980 Orion 27 that was in need of a new rack and cable stearing system. I got a hold of PSC's Service department (before the bankrupcy) and they looked in their archives and were able to at least tell me who supplied the original equipment used in that model year. That manufacturer was out of business and the company that bought them was more than willing to discuss options with me on creating a new system. They even offered to take my old system and try and refurbish it with a new Morse Cable replacement. The guys at PSC did what they could to help out but a lot of the vendors used in the past are no longer around. I also just sent a email to the new PSC in NC. and they responded to my email within a few hours with answers to who the vendor was that made the ice box hinges back in 1980. So the new owners are willing to help out as well, even though they said all they have is the molds and the production process documents, but very little production history documentation from the first to last sailboats made. They did forward me to a few resources that might have more historical information on the Orion, and I am trying that route for some other items. Looks to me that the new owners are very much willing to help when they can.