That's a good rant, and very true!

What one can afford is a personal judgement. Problem is many are spending more than they have the ability to earn. The secret is simply an ability to increase ones net worth. If you can make payments and still increase your net worth and or save, then more more power to you.
Without credit, the consumer train would come to a halt. Just the economic slowdown we're in right now is an indication of what its like to have little or no credit. The problem is not credit itself, but "easy" credit. Folks getting credit that are not credit worthy. The best example is the housing bubble.
Credit worthy folks that are making payments on "stuff" and still have their priorities straight by growiong their net worth or savings, are what makes the "consumer" economy work.
As far a Boat pricing is concerned, the prices are correct, if they can get someone to pay them. If not, the market place will force the adjustment to a more saleable figure.
Finally, as some stated before, very few 50K boats are sold to first time boat owners. The impact of the price is lessened by trade-up. Perhaps numerous times till the person can actually afford the high end boat!

Just looking online, I see that Genmar is: Ranger, Stratos, Champion, Triumph, Seaswirl, Larson, Wellcraft, Fincraft, Windsor Craft, Carver, Glastron, and Four Winns.

Genmar bankrupt and going to leave a lot of folks holding the bag.

Don't take my word for it.

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/home/498209-genmar-deals-with-bankruptcy-filing

I rest my case.

It's a chapter 11 restructuring filing, it's not a liquidating of assets! Take it from someone who works for a company who has filed bankruptcy twice in the past 3 years. The creditors will take it up the behind and get pennies on the dollar, some programs such as boat giveaways, pro staff support, tournament sponsorship, etc., will go away, but after they emerge from bankruptcy it will be business as usual. This "sky is falling" scenario is hilarious!

I don't think the sky is falling was the alarm being sounded. The point is a collapse was eminent based on the market, financing, and prices being out of control. I do not think it will be business as usual any time soon trying to sell a $50,000 bass boat, but I could be wrong.

I sure feel better after dropping my $50K knowing it's only Chapter 11. If my boat brand just happens to be sold off, my hull warranty is safe and will be honored by the new owners--possibly.

At the Ranger plant, if you also think going from 800 to 400 employees and 40 boats a day to 10 a day is business as usual, then no big problem there either. All is well. Guess the industry must be doing better than my analysis.

Boat production will follow boat demand, you know, supply/demand economics! Boat production will dictate employee head count. This happens all the time in and out of chapter 11 filing. Will fewer boats be sold, yes. Will warranties be honored for current owners, yes. Will Ranger continue selling $50K+ boats, of course! The cost of the material hasn't gone down, why would the cost of the boat then go down unless manufacturing or material makeup of the boats changes? But as I stated before, if you expect the current $55K bass boats to start selling for $30K, guess what your 5 year old boat is now worth, less then 1/2 what it currently is. Be careful what you wish for!

The cost of materials actually has gone down, and the price of boats did not follow it.

Happens all the time? I never said anything about 55K bass boats selling for 30K so I don't know where this comes from. I will hold you to your quote about warranties being honored however. Mr. Jacobs can never walk away solvent by honoring those future claims. You can hold me to that.

Ever hear of a Ficht motor? Who honored those warranties on any Ficht motor purchased in 1999 as I forget? How about Cobra boats 10 year warranty when they tanked? Who was it that honored those warranties? When Quantum boats bit the dust, I also forgot who was doing their warranty work. Never mind, warranties are a pretty safe bet after all.

I bought a 2009 Bentley pontoon last year.

Bentley Industries filed bankruptcy, now my understanding is that they are reopening their doors under the name of Encore Bentley.

The write up that I read is that they WILL NOT honor any previous warranties. Now I understand that not a whole lot can go wrong with a pontoon other than the motor, and Mercury will warranty that, it leaves me no option in the event I need some work done.

Heck I can't even get spring clips for the canopy.


Dont count on those warranties being honored!!

The deals are happening on left over inventory, if a boat is on the lot for over a year, the finnacing company will require a bigger down payment. This was a recent change, thus making that boat harder to sell than a new 1. This has brought on some excellent prices on left over inventory.

They ad absolutely no value right??? How do you think the brands got recognized??? Magic?? Companies pay the pros to keep their brand names in front of the consumer because the average consumer is too stupid to realize that they are buying it just because it worked for the pro...

Then the semi-average consumer buys something because all his friend s bought it and guess what they bought it because they saw some pro using it and thought "wow the pro is using it so it must be better"

So I'd venture to say ALL the value comes from the pros...

So I'd venture to say ALL the value comes from the pros...

Hmmmm....

I looked through all the ads of the boats for sale on this board and a few others. I do not see where anyone mentions their boat being endorsed by "Pro X" but I could be wrong. That must be the reason why so few people are moving boats. They forgot to mention the pro backing the boat. That intrinsic value should be in the first line of the ad, one would think, if ALL the value comes from the pros.


All you folks selling boats should take note as the secret is now finally out. Edit your ads and let the sales begin.

Nice blog by the way Michial.

How many new boats are listed here?????

I read 8 or 9 pages of this thread, and while new bass boats are indeed expensive...it doesn't seem like the original poster wants one that bad. You could find a boat for the price you want online in probably 2 days or less. If you don't like a dealers price...just move on. It's a dealership....don't be shocked that they wouldn't drop their pants.