Building boats from Hourston Glascraft molds

[seabeyond]

LAST CALL – 17’ Hourston Mold Revival (Final Opportunity)

This is the final call before the original 17ft Hourston molds are permanently destroyed.

We’ve held onto these with the intention of bringing the hull back, but without serious interest, they will be crushed and gone for good.

There is no second chance once they’re gone.

If anyone has been thinking about:

Building a classic Hourston

Now is the time to step up.

These are the original molds not a copy and represent a piece of West Coast boating history.

Serious inquiries only, message me directly or contact the shipyard directly through the website.

Once they’re gone, they’re gone

Molds will be destroyed in the next month if no commitment is made for a summer build.

Home - West Bay Shipyards

Our design team collaborates closely with clients to tailor their interior remodel to their budget, tastes, and lifestyle. We use the most innovative and

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THIS IS NOT AN APRIL FOOLS

If you'd approached this differently, or built these as the 17.2 with a solid transom (not the well) and a pod (or an extension) I think you would have received better feedback.

 

[Boatboy96]

If no interest to this point, why not offer them up to others rather than crushing them? Half-joking, do you really want to be the one responsible for crushing the molds for one of the west coasts’ most iconic boats?

I understand the sentiment, it’s a great hull and part of West Coast history.

But responsibility cuts both ways. Holding onto tooling indefinitely without a viable path forward doesn’t preserve anything, it just delays the same outcome.

At a certain point, making a clear decision is more responsible than letting it sit in limbo.

Hence why we are putting the hammer down and offering a last call. If someone wants to carry it forward now is the time.

 

[Boatboy96]

If you'd approached this differently, or built these as the 17.2 with a solid transom (not the well) and a pod (or an extension) I think you would have received better feedback.

That’s fair feedback, and we’ve considered that direction as well.

But at that point you’re no longer “reviving a mold,” you’re into a full redesign, new tooling, and a completely different level of investment.

That’s a six-figure project before the first boat is even built, and it only works if there’s real, committed demand behind it.

So far, the interest has been mostly conceptual, not the kind that carries a large redesign project like that forward.

 

[kaelc]

LAST CALL – 17’ Hourston Mold Revival (Final Opportunity)

This is the final call before the original 17ft Hourston molds are permanently destroyed.

We’ve held onto these with the intention of bringing the hull back, but without serious interest, they will be crushed and gone for good.

There is no second chance once they’re gone.

If anyone has been thinking about:

Building a classic Hourston

Now is the time to step up.

These are the original molds not a copy and represent a piece of West Coast boating history.

Serious inquiries only, message me directly or contact the shipyard directly through the website.

Once they’re gone, they’re gone

Molds will be destroyed in the next month if no commitment is made for a summer build.

Home - West Bay Shipyards

Our design team collaborates closely with clients to tailor their interior remodel to their budget, tastes, and lifestyle. We use the most innovative and

west-bay.com

THIS IS NOT AN APRIL FOOLS

Have you guys posted on the BC fishing/boating facebook groups? If there is a 17' owner with a hourston in good shape we could make some videos, reels and get the word out. Most of us on here already have boats unfortunately.

I made these images in a couple of minutes. Someone with skills could do some really good marketing, but really a video would be the best.

 

[Boatboy96]

Have you guys posted on the BC fishing/boating facebook groups? If there is a 17' owner with a hourston in good shape we could make some videos, reels and get the word out. Most of us on here already have boats unfortunately.

I made these images in a couple of minutes. Someone with skills could do some really good marketing, but really a video would be the best.

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View attachment 125518

Thanks for the suggestion, we have shared it in a number of the BC boating Facebook groups as well.

We’ve had interest over the last year, but it hasn’t translated into anything concrete. At this stage, it really comes down to whether someone is prepared to move forward with a confirmed build

Appreciate you putting those images together, they present the hull very well. A video would certainly help showcase it even better.

 

[Rain City]

Thanks for the suggestion, we have shared it in a number of the BC boating Facebook groups as well.

We’ve had interest over the last year, but it hasn’t translated into anything concrete. At this stage, it really comes down to whether someone is prepared to move forward with a confirmed build

Appreciate you putting those images together, they present the hull very well. A video would certainly help showcase it even better.

Not a single person within the company is willing to run a demo boat for a season or two to drum up business? Selling it at cost would be a win win if nothing ever comes of it. I honestly don't think you're giving this much effort at all.

 

[BC Coast Pilot]

Not a single person within the company is willing to run a demo boat for a season or two to drum up business? Selling it at cost would be a win win if nothing ever comes of it. I honestly don't think you're giving this much effort at all.

Doesn't anyone build spec houses anymore either? Seems the market has changed. I dunno what the answer is. They were great boats/hulls I had 2 which got me into fishing and boating. I don't regret owning one and endorse their magnificent seakeeping abilities.

 

[Boatboy96]

Not a single person within the company is willing to run a demo boat for a season or two to drum up business? Selling it at cost would be a win win if nothing ever comes of it. I honestly don't think you're giving this much effort at all.

I understand the idea behind a demo boat, but we don’t really operate in that size range.

Our family vessels are larger yachts and dedicated fishing boats 25-30ft, a 17’ would really only serve as a yacht tender for us, and that role is already covered. So running one as a demo doesn’t really align with how we use boats day to day.

This project was more of a labour of love than anything, something I’ve personally been pushing to see brought back, but it’s not a core part of our operation.

At the end of the day, it comes down to scale. Tying up time and resources on something like that purely as a demo doesn’t make much sense for us operationally, especially when the value is really on the buyer’s side.
It’s a rare opportunity to get into a West-Bay built boat at this price point, and not something we’d likely repeat.

 

[Rain City]

I understand the idea behind a demo boat, but we don’t really operate in that size range.

Our family vessels are larger yachts and dedicated fishing boats 25-30ft, a 17’ would really only serve as a yacht tender for us, and that role is already covered. So running one as a demo doesn’t really align with how we use boats day to day.

This project was more of a labour of love than anything, something I’ve personally been pushing to see brought back, but it’s not a core part of our operation.

At the end of the day, it comes down to scale. Tying up time and resources on something like that purely as a demo doesn’t make much sense for us operationally, especially when the value is really on the buyer’s side.
It’s a rare opportunity to get into a West-Bay built boat at this price point, and not something we’d likely repeat.

Fair enough.

 

[kaelc]

Thanks for the suggestion, we have shared it in a number of the BC boating Facebook groups as well.

We’ve had interest over the last year, but it hasn’t translated into anything concrete. At this stage, it really comes down to whether someone is prepared to move forward with a confirmed build

Appreciate you putting those images together, they present the hull very well. A video would certainly help showcase it even better.

How many molds are there?

I could reach out to the hourston Facebook group and find a clean 17 to do some videos on. Seeing the way the niche aluminum builders are building a following, but I’d really want to figure out a price point at which they will sell and how many eyeballs we need on them to sell one.

Who is the double eagle dealer in van and how many small boats have they sold in the last 24 months?

I haven’t financed any boats except for a line of credit but it might also be worth marketing the boat on a monthly cost basis.

I think there is a market for a boat that can perform in all conditions and fit in a garage, or have cheap moorage and cheap on gas. Keeping in mind there are less and less garages, boat parking, as most single family homes get replaced by condos.

So yes a video is doable but like all things money makes the world go round and we need to know the true market at the right price point. Feel free to dm me.

 

[Boatboy96]

How many molds are there?

I could reach out to the hourston Facebook group and find a clean 17 to do some videos on. Seeing the way the niche aluminum builders are building a following, but I’d really want to figure out a price point at which they will sell and how many eyeballs we need on them to sell one.

Who is the double eagle dealer in van and how many small boats have they sold in the last 24 months?

I haven’t financed any boats except for a line of credit but it might also be worth marketing the boat on a monthly cost basis.

I think there is a market for a boat that can perform in all conditions and fit in a garage, or have cheap moorage and cheap on gas. Keeping in mind there are less and less garages, boat parking, as most single family homes get replaced by condos.

So yes a video is doable but like all things money makes the world go round and we need to know the true market at the right price point. Feel free to dm me.

I spoke with the guys at Jenkins Marine in Sooke and it was pretty eye-opening. They currently have multiple 17ft tyee boats built on spec that are still sitting, including a brand new bare hull at $22,500 their cost.. That’s a substantially lower entry point than what we’d realistically be able to offer, and even at that price they haven’t moved.

To me that suggests the challenge isn’t just awareness or exposure, it’s validating real demand at the price point. The “build it and they will come” approach doesn’t seem to be playing out in this segment right now, especially with interest rates and overall market conditions. Even though rates have been similar in the past, people have gotten used to cheap money.

I still think there’s value in the design and the niche, particularly for a garageable, efficient, all conditions type boat, but it probably needs to be proven out a bit differently. Generating interest and measuring actual buyer intent before committing to builds might make more sense than going straight into spec production.

We’ll likely look at sourcing a clean used hull and using it for a short marketing push to gauge real demand before taking the next step.