Boat Prices

[Kilrtoy]

Just got the new Hot Boat.
Are the prices of boats way out of control or is it just me.....
130,000 for a 27 V bottom with a 525.
34,500 for a lightning with a 250HP 350.....
:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

[LASERRAY]

Way out of control fo' shizzle. That's why I bought a Laser. More bang for the buck. I did very well for my consumer $$$

[honkey1]

Yea thats nuts I'm so poor I have to fix up old used boats...
Then again I still think 35000.00 is way to much for a new truck too.

[LASERRAY]

LakeLice

[91nordic29]

that's why we bought a 91:cool:

[HavasuDreamin']

Definately out of control. However, that 22' Cougar MTR for about $59K seemed very reasonable by todays standards. Nice Boat. :cool:

[cc322]

I agree way overpriced. But as long as their are those who are willing to pay the prices it will continue to get even higher. I wonder if boat sales got real slow and sales were way off if the builders would lower the prices? Most builders say it is merc that raises the price every year 2 to 3 percent. Myself I think thier is more to it than that ..........GREED. MY 02

[HighRoller]

Can you say "Home Equity loan"? Boat builders will continue to sell 150K boats as long as people will hock their houses to buy them! It used to be that you got a car-type loan for a boat but nowadays you get an RV loan or a second on your house. Pretty insane to use equity from an appreciating asset to purchase one that will depreciate 20% in the first year. Regardless, the boat companies will raise prices as long as demand is strong. Personally, looking at Ultra's new prices, I don't see how I could justify dropping 50K on a 21ft boat with a small block.

[cc322]

good point high roller. What cracks me up is how much bigger the boats are getting for use on the river the bigger the boat the bigger the price. I feel it will someday go back to the smaller boats at the river if not soon than someday. Look at the boat trader alot of good used boats for sale. what i mean by smaller is 21 to 25 range.

[JetBoatRich]

Hot Boat has a magazine:confused:
It is hard to believe the prices these days, :rolleyes: you want to play with the big boys you have to pay:yuk:

[rvrtoy]

Originally posted by HighRoller
Can you say "Home Equity loan"? Boat builders will continue to sell 150K boats as long as people will hock their houses to buy them! It used to be that you got a car-type loan for a boat but nowadays you get an RV loan or a second on your house. Pretty insane to use equity from an appreciating asset to purchase one that will depreciate 20% in the first year. Regardless, the boat companies will raise prices as long as demand is strong. Personally, looking at Ultra's new prices, I don't see how I could justify dropping 50K on a 21ft boat with a small block.
I believe Ultra is selling it's 21 Stealth for $42k with a Merc 350 and Bravo drive that is loaded very well with optional equiptment. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.:D

[mbrown2]

Yeah...they are probably out of line....guess I am out of line for paying it:D :D

[mbrown2]

The mag prices are inflated......you can get a much better deal than is listed...obviously folks want to sell boats...they are not giving them away, but you can get better deal...at least 10 to 15% off the total....some can get more and some will get less..

[roln 20s]

By today's standards, I am super impressed with the price on the Force 29 cat. 92K for an 85mph 29+ foot boat- loaded. Thats pretty damn good.
I was looking at an old ***boat article of the 26 Howard cat in 99- 64K with the HP500 Carb. In the most recent Howard 26 cat with the HP500- now its 95K. Cost haven't gone up that much- but demand sure has.
As its been stated- the more people are willing to spend, the more the costs will go up. The loan market with such low rates probably is helping to the high costs- low interest rates attract buyers.
Roln 20s

[rivercrazy]

I think a major contributing factor to the high cost of boats is a virtual monopoly on engine/drive suppliers. Merc has a lock on the market with very little outside competition on their outdrive / motor lines. Outboards are different story to some degree.
Just price what motor / drive combo's are for the 350's , 6.2's, 377's, 496's, 500hp's, 525hp's, etc.....
The high prices of the motor/drive packages doesn'g give the manufacturers much room to keep prices low.

[jbtrailerjim]

Originally posted by RiverDave
2 years ago a friend of mine purchased a 21' Stealth loaded with every option, with a 350 / Bravo for 30K out the door.
4 years ago a certain 22.6 Nordic fully loaded with a 454 Mag was bought for 40K out the door..
RD
8 Years ago I bought my 22ft. Essex with 350/Alpha for $29.000 out the door. That included all the bell's and whistles, a spare stainless prop and a tow cover.
But I'm guilty of spendin over $50k on my new Ultra.:rolleyes: :D

[mbrown2]

RD, you are almost correct...
In regards to Force...Powerboat, September 2001...Has the 26 with a 509 all other features, 85mph - $64,000
The 29 with same engine and features...$69,500
Just had an old issue laying around the office

[BUSTI]

The price of a new boat is precisely why I elected to rebuild a 1975 Spectra from the ground up. My new/rebuilt Spectra will include all new gel coat with multi colored graphics, new upholstery, all new Legend jet drive, ride plate, shoe, hydraulic diverter, pump set back, stainless impellor, new stteering, al new wiring, gauges ect., ect., and ect.! Also this includes a totlaly refurbished triple axel trailer with chrome fenders and all the the goodies i can include and think of. I was lucky I already had a BBC ready to go!
Not including the motor but this does include my original cost of the used hull and trailer I will spend $25,000.00. I am sure this boat brand new with the equipment i will have in it would cost me $55k to $65k easy.
Buying new just doesn't make any since to me any more...not unless you just gots to have it!

[hd&boatrider]

I paid $35K in 99 for my Commander 2300LX with a 454 Mag. I can get that back in a trade up for a bigger boat. After being ready to place an order for a Magic Deck I decided to keep my boat as I have no problems with it. Looks good, drives well and is quicker than most. I decided to buy real estate instead. I was able to pay cash for a nice lot + buy another house instead of throwing money into a big never ending pit. The new boat would have been sweet but sanity won this time :). When is enough, enough? When people quit buying the products. It is all about demand. If the demand is there the price will continue to go up.

[Quality Time]

Keep in mind, the prices listed in magazines are sometimes MSRP. Typically nobody really pays MSRP. Also, those blue motors jack-up the price in a hurry.

[BADBLOWN572]

It actually can depend on the boat because freequently the boats tested in ***boat differ in the pricing than what was tested. I know several boats that were at the tests that were fully loaded with every option that could be installed and the article came out below what the customer paid. They would leave out options like halon system, custom seating, stereo, etc... That pissed the customer off because it would be negative on their re-sale. The manufacturer does not want to test a boat that will be out of the price range of 95% of the potential buyers so therefore they lower the price to make it sound like a much better deal than it it actually is. There is no way that a customer could walk in and say that they want the boat identical to the boat tested for the same price. If they got it for the same price, it would be stripped.
I think that it is different for every manufacturer who sends their boat to ***boat. They either price it high so they have some room to negotiate or they price them low to make them look more attractive and then start hammering the customer on the options.

[HighRoller]

MB2, I wasn't baggin on EVERYONE with an expensive rig. Obviously from what you told me you can actually AFFORD yours. I just hate to see someone buy a big boat for 120K with the equity from their house, then they get laid off and have to sell it for 80-90K a year later. And a lot of these people have never owned a boat before! From what I've seen on the river/lake, it's all about impressing other people these days rather than buying what you want. Somebody a couple years ago worded it perfectly. "These guys have a boat worth 100K being pulled by a lifted F-350 but they couldn't afford to buy me a beer or put gas in the boat." That's what happens I guess. If you can't afford to buy something, finance it.
As far as advertised prices, I guess the super high magazine prices are designed to train the uneducated guy who wants a boat today. He'll walk in and order without shopping or negotiating, and therefore pay 10K more than another informed buyer. I guess you could compare it to paying "full sticker" for a car, right?

[phebus]

Originally posted by hd&boatrider
I paid $35K in 99 for my Commander 2300LX with a 454 Mag. I can get that back in a trade up for a bigger boat. After being ready to place an order for a Magic Deck I decided to keep my boat as I have no problems with it. Looks good, drives well and is quicker than most. I decided to buy real estate instead. I was able to pay cash for a nice lot + buy another house instead of throwing money into a big never ending pit. The new boat would have been sweet but sanity won this time :). When is enough, enough? When people quit buying the products. It is all about demand. If the demand is there the price will continue to go up.
I'm with you on this. The best "mistake" I ever made was putting off the purchase of a new boat, and buying a house in Havasu instead. The equity I have made will pay for a new boat now when I choose to buy one, where, had I bought a new boat, my depreciation would have been more than my down payment on the house.
I guess even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometime!!

[mikev]

1988 19' Donzi $7500.00
built 383 $5500.00
blowing the doors of a brand new $50,000 baja or searay PRICELESS :D :D :D :D

[mbrown2]

Highroller, I did not take as a negative...I was only making a joke...
I also agree with Badblown572...I have seen several boats where the Mag price was cheaper than the real price or at least the options were listed incorrectly...
For example, last year they tested XFactor's boat and listed the stereo as a phaseIII for 3500 or something....Yeah right....
Try and get his stereo system for that price....His system is the shit and it ain't no where close to that to reproduce...:D

[77charger]

I think that most new boat prices are ridiculous esp considering it sits most of the time as compared to a nice car or truck.Plus you lose your ass if you want to sell.
When i bought a used boat last year i saw a lot of boats that were in the trader for months(looked in oct saw the same boats in may for less$)I ended up seeing my boat go from 20k to17k and got it for 16k(saw in late aug bought in oct) still a little more than i wanted to pay but the boat was extremely clean(93 eliminator 21 open bow)Plus my wife liked it also and it was going to be a family boat so speed doesnt matter if i want to go fast i drive the boat below which will break 110 before any big blown motor cat barely gets on plane:D

[boatnam2]

i bought a brand new 1993 ultra for 22000.

[DogHouse]

Originally posted by 77charger
...if i want to go fast i drive the boat below which will break 110 before any big blown motor cat barely gets on plane:D
Like to see you try that in the middle of lake havasu on a busy summer afternoon! :D
Apples 'n oranges... :rolleyes:
I agree that boat prices are getting silly, but like others have said the manufacturers will keep charging as long as people keep buying. In retrospect I sometimes think I should have done a nice resto instead of buying new. Oh well, guess I'll have to settle for what I've got... :cool:

[Kilrtoy]

I know the Maufactures raise the price of the boats in the mag, But even if you drop 10 or 20K off the high end boats, My god they are still in the ridicules area.....
As far as the Home / cash out / new boat, I have heard that from manufactures and I think that is one reason......
2 years ago I was qouted 82K, which I knew the price would go down to about 78 or so and this year the same boat is 109K and may go down a little.
The Merc motor did not go up but 3k since then....
Thats still a 30K jump......

[rude235]

what i want to know is how can one boat builder charge one price for a motor/drive package and another will charge an entirely different price for the exact same motor/drive package??

[phebus]

What happened to the idea of competition lowering prices? Is the profit margin that small, or is the market so hot that the dealers can only build so many anyway,and don't have to compete for customers?
Runaway train!!

[mtndewdrops]

I would stick with a used boat. Stay away from that depreciation hit. In 1998 I bought a 2 year old boat and used it for 6 years, then sold it for what I paid.:cool: Last year I bought a 4 year old boat that looked brand new and saved $15K. As long as you take care of things, you do okay. :) Keep your eye on that Boat Trader and be ready to buy. Clean boats don't last. Just make sure you do a trail run at a local lake before you take delivery.

[77charger]

Originally posted by DogHouse
Like to see you try that in the middle of lake havasu on a busy summer afternoon! :D
sorry i dont go to havasu on busy summer weekends when i can go to blythe and not have to wait in line for a launch ramp plus i have smooth water:D :D .Now can you take your cat there in summer(blythe)?lots of shallow

[LAVEYSABRE575]

Its a sellers market in the high performance boat nich for sure. I think its great there getting the money for these boats call me greedy but i will never turn a good customer $ away thats allowing me to maximize my gross potential. The way i look at it if you got it great more power to you. 77 charger you and doghouse are talking about to totally different things havasu/ parker some people dont like flat water, like myself some people like it or need it...

[Sun burners]

I'm with you on this. The best "mistake" I ever made was putting off the purchase of a new boat, and buying a house in Havasu instead. The equity I have made will pay for a new boat now when I choose to buy one, where, had I bought a new boat, my depreciation would have been more than my down payment on the house.
Ditto with a used boat!

[HammerDown]

Originally posted by Kilrtoy
Just got the new Hot Boat.
Are the prices of boats way out of control or is it just me.....
130,000 for a 27 V bottom with a 525.
34,500 for a lightning with a 250HP 350.....
:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:
Yea...thats almost as FUNNY:D as 30-60 K for a friken V-Twin Motorcycle...isn't it !

[77charger]

Originally posted by LAVEYSABRE575
77 charger you and doghouse are talking about to totally different things havasu/ parker some people dont like flat water, like myself some people like it or need it... we are just messing around with each other .I do have a boat that can go to havasu but it is a slower one i just cruise like 30 mph the other is a race boat:)

[LAVEYSABRE575]

flat water ,choppy water sh*t the way lake and river look now we may being dealing with ground water soon....

[Kilrtoy]

Yea...thats almost as FUNNY as 30-60 K for a friken V-Twin Motorcycle...isn't it !
There is a dumbass born every minute, Oh wait that is me......
I just walked down stairs and looked in the garage, I have 3 of those in there.
I guess im 3 times as stupid......

[LASERRAY]

Boat prices are out of control for sure. Alot of this is due to frivolous lawsuits against the boat makers. This fact coupled with the cost of doing business in California, and other reasons all factor into the skyrocketing cost of boating period. Did I fail to mention boat insurance? That's thru the roof too as I'm sure you all know. I try and assimilate the cost of boating, with the cost of everthing else in this sorry state. Everything is expensive here! Everything! I try not to dwell on it too much. If I did I'd probably do something extreme, like move!:cool:

[Forkin' Crazy]

I think you are hitting really close to home. Same way with aircraft. I looked at a Piper J 3 Cub in the late 80's. At $10,000 it was a deal. Find one now....$30,000K for a good one. Still kicking myself in the ass over that one.
I bought my boat new for a little over $10,000 for a bare hull and trailer. I guess it is too small for some your needs, but it works well on my small river and I can out run 99% of the other boats...:)

[Havasu_Dreamin]

Does anyone else find it rather odd/strange that on a $93k boat with a cuddy cabin that the wiring for the helm is not even hidden from view of the passengers that will be using the cuddy? If your not sure what I'm talking about take a look at page 60 in the current Hot Boat.
If I paid $93k for that boat that wiring better somehow be hidden from view. If it was not a cuddy option, I would not even care, but since it is I think for that coin the builder can figure out some way out to hide the wiring, IMHO. Just my $.04.

[sandblasted]

The thing about these boat tests that always shocks me is the price difference on engine packages....Look at the test on the Nordic Rush in this issue...An upgrade from the 496HO to the 500EFI is a $27,000 price difference!!
The reality is the boat builders would not be making bigger and more expensive boats if they didn't sell...Obviously there is a large segment of people with the income to shell out $100,000 for a toy!

[Dribble]

I'm a cheap ass.
First boat was a very clean 12 year old Southwind. Paid $5,600.00 sold it ten years later for $5000.00
Second boat purchased new in 99 from a little known builder. (Eagle Pacific). Paid substantilaly less then I would have for a Carrera, Essex etc.. It was and still is a great boat. No real name recognition though.
Present boat (03 Caliber) bought from the same little known builder. He bought the bare hull from them and rigged it to my specs himself. Again paid thousands less then if I ordered it directly from Caliber. Why? Only one employee to pay workmans comp on. Cheap rent and low overhead. It was 24 days from order to delivery.
I don't know if it's true or not, but I'm told that most high end builders are not really making any money.
I believe that prices will rise substantially this year due to increased demand. Look what you have to pay for a cookie cutter wakeboard boat and then say the price of a decent custom is way to high.

[Dr. Eagle]

I paid over 130 large for my former boat, and then I had to sell it after owning it for 3 years. I sold it for just over half what I bought it for. Yet the boat was in pristine condition, with many upgrades (thousands of dollars worth) I had made to it. I think way too much of the price of new boats is fluff... marketing and profit.
Tooling costs are huge and most boats have been revamped in the last half decade, but I don't think this combined with the escalating engine/drive cost is completely the cause. Regardless prices have more than doubled in the last 10 years, and depreciation has accelerated, so my next boat will most likely be used...:(

[CEO]

I agree with the prices also out of control. My friend has a 2k 23' Eliminator with a 454 and he bought it for 38k and now he has people offering more than he paid for it. Now if you can have a boat for 4 yrs and get more than you actually paid for it, that's out of control. I know I paid top dollar for my new rig, but what I have learned over the years in anything I buy, buy the best quality product regardless of the price difference and you will never 2nd guess yourself later. Quality always out last quanity, my .02

[LASERRAY]

Originally posted by CEOinSoCal
I agree with the prices also out of control. My friend has a 2k 23' Eliminator with a 454 and he bought it for 38k and now he has people offering more than he paid for it. Now if you can have a boat for 4 yrs and get more than you actually paid for it, that's out of control. I know I paid top dollar for my new rig, but what I have learned over the years in anything I buy, buy the best quality product regardless of the price difference and you will never 2nd guess yourself later. Quality always out last quanity, my .02 Boat Equity Rules! Hey, if that's the case then good for him. Sounds rare, but hey, what do I know.:wink:

[superdave013]

Just think, that high $$$$ boat that ya buy today in 5 years will be worth less then my old schiada. But then again schiada's were prolly the first to be out of control price wise.