Post Boat Show Blues

One other thought, if you look at the comp boat section of Ski It Again, there is thriving aftermarket. If you are a manufacturer and make a product that survives 20 years (a 97 SN is still a sought after slalom hull and many can be found in good to excellent condition, so much so people are starting to spend $10K to re-power with zero off), then the new boats are harder to sell...

Jonny Quest wrote: 63 Skier wrote: The manufacturers make what sells, the dealers stock what sells, so I don't see there being any blame to place anywhere. Gotta accept the times are changing, and just enjoy what you like to do and let others make their own decisions. I agree that the manufacturers are making what sells. Free Market society at work here. Hopefully my post acknowledges that. Also, I don't recall placing any blame anywhere, as blame is not the issue

I didn't mean to imply you were placing blame Rob, I was just making my own comment. I agree, really hope I can always come up with someone to ski with, not just a couple of people to drive me or a couple of boarders who give me a pull.

Slalom is hard, so is boarding, so is barefoot, etc. If you learn this summer, it will likely be a few seasons before you are really feeling solid and confident. "Back in my day" (hate sounding like that, but oh well!) we dragged ourselves up out of deep water behind 40 and 50 HP outboards, argued over which one of us put up a higher wall of spray, kept challenging ourselves. Not to say nobody wants to do that today, just seems like there is an "easy way is better" mentality a lot of the time.

And one other thing - like I said above, none of us had fancy or high powered boats, so as we learned part of the struggle was doing the best with what we had. Now my family, kids, nieces and nephews get to use "uncle David's" boat, a 310 HP machine. I wonder if that takes some of the novelty out of it, not sure.

So Brian M. and I went to the Boston Boat show yesterday and MacCallums had a Ski Nautique 200 OB on display. I have to say it is a sharp looking boat. They also have a Sport 200 in medium/dark blue metal flake that is really sharp as well. Malibu had a Response up in the air again and an open bow that you can get in. Mastercraft had a Prostar that we spent some time poking around. The fiberglass cover for the open bow was cool. But, for me, the interior fit and finish looked sloppy and somewhat cheap. Mastercraft also has a price point 20ft V-drive (MT20?)for under 60k. Unfortunately the dash looked like it was lifted out of a early 70s Bradley GT kit car or 1975 Bricklin. I much rather entertain a Tige R20 over that boat.

I think I'm starting to get immune to the sticker shock. I talked to the guys from Long Lake Marine and ask how many of the models did they sell last year. The G23 was tied with the 210. Unfortunately there weren't nearly as many sport 200s sold. Just trying to get a grasp on the future used boat market.      

Looking at the sign on the transom . . . does this mean if I am a Yankees fan I can't climb aboard?

Bakchose wrote: Just trying to get a grasp on the future used boat market.

One would think the used direct drive inboard will be a hot commodity if the supply of new DD boats has dropped off as much as it appears to have.

True however is cost a driving factor in fewer new orders? Demand may still be there just not enough supply of people wanting to drop 70+k for a small ski boat.

The sales of these giant G monsters tell me cost is not a factor.

Isn't wake boarding's main demographic 20-35 year olds? Where are they getting $150k for a toy!? I was 23 when I bought my first house with a mortgage not much more than a new G25 sticker. I was so poor come the 30th of the month I couldn't have bought a canoe.

I wonder what the used market will be on these behemoths? Part of the reason they're flying off the lot may be due to the fact APR is less for a new boat assuming they're getting a note on it.

I was thinking along the lines of 2019 on a 2015 model. Guessing a loan is 9% on new and 12% on used? That extra 3% on that big of a number may make the new boat cheaper. The financing may increase more than the boat will depreciate.

Can you imagine 40 years from now, 2055 at a CC reunion and and everyone with a v-drive gathers around a direct drive boat seeing how easy one is to work on and maintain?

With the 150k boats, I guess people are buying with home equity loans at about 2.5%

ralph