Hi all, My name is Walter Ritchie and I am in the process of buying a Birchwood 25.  I am upgrading from a Norma 23 which I find too small for my ageing frame.  I hope to complete at the weekend and then will moving her from Nottingham to Bardney on the river Witham. hope to get to know all the ins and outs of Birchwood ownership.  Regards WR

As far as the 25 goes, very little in the way of problems!

The hull is well laid up, interior sturdy and practical, and access to the whirly bits excellent.

Only potential issues which require keeping an eye on are:

1/ Cockpit roof tends to blow a little water in via the sliding section. worth getting a cheap cover for Winter.

2/ Propshaft seal 'log' requires periodic replacement or you could sink (Common to all shaft drives, assuming yours is shaft, if not, read 'Outdrive bellows' instead!)

3/ Ensure engine and gearbox are serviced, in particular the water pump impellor and gearbox band adjustment mentioned in our tech section.

Otherwise a totally bulletproof little vessel, very popular on the Thames and other semi-tidal waterways!

Welcome....  

Just a small question, how often should you replace the prop "log" seal?

Could be three or four years, depends how it looks. if it's perfect, no cracking, or leaks, then just keep an eye on it...