Aluminum boat builders - why have they become so greedy???

I think the new regs are the reason people are stepping up a class. Cruising adds a whole other reason for owning a boat. I sure wouldn't want to spend a week at Hornby in a 17 foot boat. We do 20 to 30 nights a year sleeping in our boat. Another 20 to 30 just going down there to entertain and have dinner at the dock. What's that worth? For us, living in a tiny laneway home (the East Van dream), having the boat moored as a getaway is essential.

I am not saying you. I am saying in general just what I have found.
 
Not sure boat builders have gotten greedy. Most aluminum builder it seems have been purchased or gone bankrupt and the big ones don’t seem to be ran a ton better than the small ones. I would guess it’s a tough business building custom boats with supply chains and labour issues. I’ve chatted with owners, dealing with employee turnover, buying more land, fighting w zoning, no budget for x, dealer issues, unions. Even when I think, this builder has it dialled, you look behind the curtain and are like wow close the curtain! This not a business like building tens of thousands of model 3’s and even then 100’s of car companies go bankrupt.

Tons of respect for them, running a custom consumer manufacturing business is not easy. One way to think of it, as my business owning buddy said, he is already in the boat market so if he sells one boat and trades up it’s not like getting in the first time. Here’s to hoping your next upgrade doesn’t cost you a 100k but gets you an extra engine and more than 2footitus.
 

Here's a great deal on a silver streak.
There are always some good deals to be found on aluminum boats.... you just have to lower your expectations a bit. :D
I'll bet that one even has grey silicon in between the little 2 inch stitch welds 🤣
 
I'll bet that one even has grey silicon in between the little 2 inch stitch welds 🤣
Funny you should say that. I saw a boat building video, and they used silicone between the floor stringers and the aluminum deck. Then welded the plug welds. Just to stop floor flex/oil can effect I guess......I really should have done that to my deck.🙄
 
Funny you should say that. I saw a boat building video, and they used silicone between the floor stringers and the aluminum deck. Then welded the plug welds. Just to stop floor flex/oil can effect I guess......I really should have done that to my deck.🙄
Yeah none of you understand the pain until you have to fix one, because they all cracked at the welds because of the little tiny stitch welds they do. Under the hatches they use grey silocone to make the seems look pretty, however it just attracts salt and when they all crack.. buy a million extra sanding dics and wear a mask with a vacuum. What a nightmare. Good times
 
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Yeah none of you understand the pain until you have to fix one, because they all cracked at the welds because of the little tiny stitch welds they do. Under the hatelches they use grey silocone to make the seems look pretty, however it just attracts salt and when they Crack.. buy a million extra guiding dics and wear a mask with a vacuum. What a nightmare. Good times
Ahhhh! Sounds bad. This vid was not to keep water out. Was on flat surfaces, that touch not on seams. The plug welds were as normal.
 
They keep raising taxes in this country and its only going to get worse. People seem to forget that every tax on business is just added to the cost of production which in turn is passed on to the consumer. It all sounds so perfect, tax the corporations, tax the corporations yah ok fine but then what, they don’t pay for it we do.

But hey, “You’ll own nothing and you’ll be happy“ right ?
 
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Looks like podding an old glass boat is the way to roll these days. Half the cost of a new aluminum and still have brand new power.
It is literally half the cost. I'll be in mine for just over $100k total (tax-in) with brand new 250 main, kicker, pod, hardtop, radar/electronics, and new trailer. Sure it's an '06 hull but still great condition and most important mechanical stuff is new. Went to the boat show looking for anything close to comparable, with a cuddy & similar functionality (knowing what I'd find)
-Grady White adventure 218, no electronics & no kicker (not even a place to mount the damn kicker!) $180k plus tax
-Silver streak Phantom 21' pretty cool boat actually with a cuddy, rare for thsat size aluminum. $225k plus tax, also no kicker
you get the idea...
-And the selection of aluminums as mentioned with sloppy welds and sub-par fit-and-finish that are $140+ with no area to sleep.

Makes the 24' Cutwater at $235k look like a deal. Man that is a beautiful boat in and out, if I was a 55+ cashing in on equity that's what I would be retiring on.
 
It is literally half the cost. I'll be in mine for just over $100k total (tax-in) with brand new 250 main, kicker, pod, hardtop, radar/electronics, and new trailer. Sure it's an '06 hull but still great condition and most important mechanical stuff is new. Went to the boat show looking for anything close to comparable, with a cuddy & similar functionality (knowing what I'd find)
-Grady White adventure 218, no electronics & no kicker (not even a place to mount the damn kicker!) $180k plus tax
-Silver streak Phantom 21' pretty cool boat actually with a cuddy, rare for thsat size aluminum. $225k plus tax, also no kicker
you get the idea...
-And the selection of aluminums as mentioned with sloppy welds and sub-par fit-and-finish that are $140+ with no area to sleep.

Makes the 24' Cutwater at $235k look like a deal. Man that is a beautiful boat in and out, if I was a 55+ cashing in on equity that's what I would be retiring on.
Yup, those 23 hourstons with those no hour D4s seem like a pretty good deal at 90 grand eh? 100 grand can build yourself a nice boat for sure
 
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