Our boats should be worth Much more then they are !!

[Helmar]

Well now.
Its been quite some time since I had been at a boat show but down here, there was a Sportsman show that had all the local aluminum boat dealers at it along with the fiberglass ski and sport boats. They pull skiers and play loud music from what I remember.

So, looked at both of them with Honda power under 100hp engine, 18 and 20 foot boats, all shiny and well, New.
That Bell Boy that Marty put in the Tacoma Boat Show was written up in a magazine ad and the surveyor guys looked it over and stated it was Safer than most new boats, Better built, And would not Depreciate once it left the shop like the new ones would once it came off the show room floor.

I guess its just me as I have not looked to see what the market was on the new boats but WOW.
Boat Show so called pricing too...
Ski 200 (stripped down model $85,721.00 Show special, $68.585.00
GS 20ft, $107.491.00, special $87,336.00 and they only go up to the 25ft at $173.844.00 and On Special, $141.248.00
I sure hope these were priced With the motors that they had on them !!!. Not even sure on that part. I would sure as hell hope so.

So even on our trailer boats that have been restored, NO way should they sell for much less with new power.

I am not sure but I don't think Chuck ever gave any of his boats away. I think the Farallon he got more than his investment out of it.
Just saying people.

[TheBronze]

We had some friends that went to the boat show to look at fishing boats this last week. Suffice it to say, the sticker shock was quite amusing. A good setup without electronics in the 20 foot range can easily surpass $100k.

We know how expensive new engines are - around $1k per 10 HP, not including controls.
We know how expensive resin and glass and wood and fasteners and all the sundries that go into boat restoration/manufacture are.
No dollar value on our time on them, but I always consider that entertainment value anyway.

I insure my boat valued at $20k. Basically enough to cover a complete engine and controls loss along with the cost of my materials over the years. (more or less). Could I sell it for that? Probably not, classic boats are a pretty small market and don't have the annoying flash that new boats have.

What is amazing to me is now horribly new boats depreciate. Look in Craigslist and there are all kinds of good boats for under $20k. Why anyone would drop $60 or more on one is beyond me... And don't get me started on those overpriced tub toy Ranger Tugs....

[Kelly]

What really amazes me is the big surf/wakeboard boats that are on CL and are still asking $75K for a USED boat. I see those ads and picture some jerkwad that overspent on an ugly boat and is suddenly in financial trouble and is scrambling before bankruptcy.

I'm kind of glad our boats don't fetch a lot of coin. I'm not interested in big dollars, I'm interested in local PNW history and 50's cool.

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

I went to the boat show last year and thought everything was super expensive and in a lot of cases over the top fancy.
Was interesting, but would have preferred to be aboard mine, even in cold weather.

Thanks to Kelly today for checking on the Saratogan after the snow. I'm a long ways away, so it great to have a trusted friend who can check on the old girl.

Wow, February already. I know it's going to warm up one of these days.

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

What really amazes me is the big surf/wakeboard boats that are on CL and are still asking $75K for a USED boat. I see those ads and picture some jerkwad that overspent on an ugly boat and is suddenly in financial trouble and is scrambling before bankruptcy.

"and picture some jerkwad that overspent on an ugly boat" Jerkwad, that's a new term for me. Had to look that one up in the slang dictionary. I have a few such words for those big-ass powerboat drivers who feel the need to wake me while anchored in an anchorage. Unfortunately I can't mention any of those names on this PG-13 web page.

[bruceb]

Totally love the conversation about value of boats.We populate an incredible boating region when you consider everything north of Cali and up the inside passage, east into Montana. Every type of boat design made all over the world is around here. We're a pretty specific group in that there is a focus on locally made classics. Why we haven't been "discovered" by a more mainstream boating population is a blessing and a curse.
It's pretty laughable that people are plunking down lots-o-bucks on the new products only to find that on a sunny weekend day they have to wait an hour or more to launch then the same to retrieve that precious wakeboard boat. Like a co-worker just said today, his classic runabout, one tenth the value of the fancy $70,000 21 foot Cobalt floating next to him, gives that owner as much pleasure as he has, floating and enjoying a beer. ( not promoting the drinking and boating- his words !!!)
I suspect that when my father bought a 20' cruiser for the family to enjoy summers in 1958, he was looked upon in a similar ilk, spending $3,500 for boat and motor....... the issue is, most of today's buyers will only own the expensive toy a few years before trading it in or having it repo'd, and hard to believe the nostalgia of owning a tupperware turd (what I call the modern white boats) will be tugging at those families emotions, in coming decades.
Oh, and I love the reference to loud, rude boaters who rip past while a boat as beautiful as yours is anchored, Tim. I remember our cruise in May with 4 boats and as we navigated around the north tip of Hartstene, we were all on the same page and slowed to no wake speed when 2 paddle boarders came into view. Respect for smaller craft and folks who may be anchored or navigating near a dock/boat launch.

[Kelly]

Love it!
In retrospect, I wonder if this is the conversation the wood boat guys had in the 50s. Makes me chuckle picturing that conversation.

[bruceb]

ha, Kelly, thinking IMG_1320.jpgthe wood boat guys are still having that conversation !!!

[Kelly]

Haha, too funny.

[Bflaherty]

Yeah, the wood boat folks are still having the same conversation these days!! However, in the PNW region they are mostly having this conversation in jest as many of them have developed some level of respect for the older fiberglassics.

WoodyBoater.com is using the new boat prices to help revive the classic boating community as a whole (Wood and glass). They even created a poster for ACBS chapters to display at their boat show booths to try and get potential new boat owners to consider buying a classic instead a new turd!

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

I'm learning some new vords here. "Tupperware Turd" ! One facet of owning a classic is that you are often the center of attention where ever you go. You have to like answering that question: "What year is it? I'm about to start lying...

[John Nelson]

The boat show catered to the mass. There is no shortage of companies building adequate and interesting boats Velocity liberator Viking Progerssion around here Delta Kvichak and many more. It would be pointless to bring my 59 Uniflite to the Jasper drag boat races, even if the Tyee was restored it would not fit in at lake Havasu for Labor day weekend. I Love my relics and can see the appeal of glitter.

[Kelly]

My beef mostly sits with the inland surf boats, primarily because I live at a lake where they're in abundance. The boats generate massive waves that thrash the shorelines which expedites shoreline erosion. Not just that, more times than not I see those boats overloaded and usually the guy at the helm has a beer in his hands. Oh forgot to mention the extreme loud music too...I sound like the cranky old guy on the dock yelling at everyone. Ha!

[Helmar]

ha, Kelly, thinking [ATTACH=CONFIG]14726[/ATTACH]the wood boat guys are still having that conversation !!!

I sure hope this is not the thinking of the majority still.

Can't extend my hand out any farther than we did with the changes we made to the forum..
Maybe one of these days ;-)

[Helmar]

Yeah, the wood boat folks are still having the same conversation these days!! However, in the PNW region they are mostly having this conversation in jest as many of them have developed some level of respect for the older fiberglassics.

WoodyBoater.com is using the new boat prices to help revive the classic boating community as a whole (Wood and glass). They even created a poster for ACBS chapters to display at their boat show booths to try and get potential new boat owners to consider buying a classic instead a new turd!

Well, we can only hope.

If we ever do put on a fresh water event, we can sure invite our ACBS friends. Hope we can pull one off on Mayfield some day...
Good central location I would think to draw from both states maybe.