Reply With QuoteI don't know about you guys but this is what I see in there. 26 foot cat. Base prise 70 grand. Price as tested 170 grand. Who has this kind of money? Every page is like that. I guess finacing is the American Way.
How many of you guys out there would like to see more jets inside hot boat magazine? Don't get me wrong I like ***boat but it seems like every issue is the same. How many 24 footer and up Ultras, Elimintators, Hallets and on and on can they test. It would be nice if maybe they threw in some stuff about 18 and 19 footers every once in a while. Like maybe an articale about CP's or whoever else is still out there making them. What about those guys give them some credit to. Or put some more readers rides in that are clean with the before and after shots with a layout of what was done. This is the kind of stuff I thought I was signing up for when I subscribed. I got into some of my dads old hot boat mags and I think I am just going to start reading those. They are more intresting. Plus what is the biggest fourm of the hot boat fourms? That says something alone. What can we do. We all support hot boat and I think if you feel like me you should write a letter to them and let them know whats up. Just my 2 cents.
I don't know about you guys but this is what I see in there. 26 foot cat. Base prise 70 grand. Price as tested 170 grand. Who has this kind of money? Every page is like that. I guess finacing is the American Way.
I agree Bense! That's why I don't subscribe anymore. You would think HB would look at the forum and see that the majority of boaters own a boat under 24' and a good number of them are jets. Hell all these guys make jet boats 22' or less: Carrera, Eliminator, Liberator, Tom Papp, J&M Marine, and Ultra. Hot Boat, lets see more of them!
Last March we invited all the mfgs. participate in a jet boat test, guess what? we had 3 mfgs show up.The problem is that the customer not the mfg is pushing the market away from the jet. When you leave southern Calif. you basically leave the new jet boat market behind. I will admit that in the past few years I sold more boats to customers on the east coast and mid west.The IO has become a very popular form of boating. You've got a boating customer base that has already owned 18, 19, 20, foot boats and they want more comfort and the same speed they got use to with the smaller boats. The most important factor is that they have the money to support their boating habit. Hot boat has to pay it's bills and right now the mfgs. say big boats and thats what they have to cater to sad but true. Greg Shoemaker
I believe Greg is right on with his statements. But I still think that Hot Boat should try to cover more jets.
Well SeaDoo sells a lot of jets. I'm not saying I'm running out to buy one. The point is that there is large market for cheap 19' jets. Apparently the west coast custom builders are abandoning that market rather than compete. Just out of curiousity, was Seadoo invited to the test?
I believe you can buy 4-5 late 70s, Custom, Hand Laminated, 18'-19' jet boats with big block automotive power on custom trailers for the cost of one of those "cheap" SeaDoo jets.
I from my own website I know that there is desire to see the classic jet boat. It's where it all started. It's where most custom boaters still start today. But first time boaters don't usually just go out and drop $25-30,000 on a new boat. That's what a new 19' custom jet would cost today, to start! There is a guy on these boards right now spending a lot more than that. But again, he's not a first time boat owner either. For a first boat, the 18-19 foot used jet boat is great start. I choose this boat because it'll go anywhere and it can be purchased cheap. When I upgrade, it'll be to a 21' Custom, probably new. Big Block, I/O. Will I still have an interest in 18-19' jets? You bet. I may even keep mine, in addition to the new boat. But when it comes to these small jets, the used market is where it's at. I like that people are preserving them. It's the driving reason I built rivertoys. I've said before, There is room in the market for a monthly, or even quarterly mag devoted to the restored classic ski, river and race boats of the 60s, 70s & early 80s. Something like Rod&Custom for boats. I like hot boat, I became interesed in new boats because of Hot Boat. Ultimately, that's what Hot Boat does, sells new custom boats - nothing wrong with that! I suggest a page or two called Classic Corner or something like that where a "classic" restored custom is profiled each month. They do this from time to time, I'd like to see it every month. There are certainly enough classic custom boat around to support this.
Just my .02....
RTJas http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif
I feel the same way, When i got my first boat before the fall (CVX 20, 460bbf, Berk jet) i couldn't wate to find a mag with simuler intrest. Hot Boat looked like it would lessin the hunger but after a couple of issue i felt like Bense468. Looking a boat that i couldn't afford or had no intrest in right now. I agree with RiverToysJas "There is room in the market for a monthly, or even quarterly mag devoted to the restored classic ski, river and race boats of the 60s, 70s & early 80s." Someone need to start a simple little mag for this purpose...... AntRant
I agree with you to Rivertoyjas. I was trying to say that a section or two maybe a 2 page section for jets and a 2 page section for flatties and what do you have 4 pages more in the mag. I don't think that would be so hard. But then again I am not the one that decides this. It also seems to me like they would actually have to "work" at hot boat. Instead of calling up eliminator and seeing what they got and having them give them the whole spill on this boat so then can write it up then go test it. They would have to find the jets and flatties but I am sure if they had somewhere to turn in your photos and info that they would get enough clean rides. I just want to see more reality and not the Havasu "finace" market.
But that is the reality in todays world. It may not be your reality or my reality, but that is where the West Coast custom builder market is at. Hot Boat is driven to produce a magazine geared towards where the market is at and where it is going.
Do I agree with you about the $100K+ 25 footer and above, you bet. Sure, it's nice to look at and read about, but I can't afford one and probably wouldn't buy one anyway. I like my 21 ft. custom and pay more attention to the articles about boats that are similiar.
HD
Originally posted by Bense468:
I just want to see more reality and not the Havasu "finace" market.
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