Aluminum boat builders - why have they become so greedy???
- Thread starter AndrewH
- Start date
Corey_lax
Crew Member
Great outlook on this! I’ve been trying to explain this way of thinking to one of the younger guys at work but he doesn’t understand that starting off small is a great way to save money while not pissing it away as rent. He’s at a point where he’s going to move to Alberta because there’s one cheap house for sale on realtor.ca lol. I don’t think he’s even checked into getting a job out there yet lol.
kaelc
Crew Member
Agreed! I rented to a roommate when I owned one of the smallest homes in Victoria for almost 10 years. I only purchased one new vehicle in my life because I needed it for sales work when I started my business and it was a 4cyl hatchback w 0 percent financing, sold my truck for over 10k so I cut my fuel cost by 2/3rds and had no maintenance for 3 years, I’ve seen carpenters service clients with similar cars and a roof rack and slegg delivery. My brother who moved north since he couldn’t afford to live on the island didn’t stop drinking and his wife didn’t stop smoking to save up for a home down here, they eventually did up north and may be better off up north but, did they really try to stay south? My other brother in Vic has a new f150 and was convinced to trade it in on another new f150 and his second wife/ex wife, I can’t keep up, has a new van and no they can’t afford to buy with 4 kids but for more reasons than just having kids. People can get into a used 16 foot riveted aluminum boat with a 4 stroke for under 10k, and catch almost as many fish as those on a big boat. Yes there are people starting off dirt poor who need help but if you grew up in BC and your parents had a car they would lend you to get to work, or you could walk to find a job and your parents put nice clothes on your back you could make it in BC. Rant over.
“Reasonably” priced wolf 2001 Wolf Manufacturing Inc 190wt $69k https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1347305742711711/?mibextid=6ojiHh
“Reasonably” priced wolf 2001 Wolf Manufacturing Inc 190wt $69k https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1347305742711711/?mibextid=6ojiHh
spring fever
Well-Known Member
Yeah but in those days you didn't have to go to the west coast to get big fish and the limit was the same all over!! Different world today!!
Aquaholic
Crew Member
Epic family rant..!
An 18' can be an effective boat. I'd say there isn't an activity you can't participate in or place you can't go on this coast in a decent 18' boat. For sure bigger is more comfortable, run in worse conditions, lots of good stuff with bigger boats, but a small boat doesn't prohibit much.
Brando
Well-Known Member
Ah men! Ran from hardy to rivers and van to desolation last year in 18’. Limitation is fuel capacity but proper planning helps your just stopping more often.
Aquaholic
Crew Member
My Dad in his youth drove a13' wood boat he built with a 10 horse outboard from Ocean Falls to Vancouver...twice. First time the boat fell apart, but the next one was built for the job!
A-a-Ron
Well-Known Member
Didn’t there used to be a race across the straight with guys in their 9.9hp boats?! Crazy if you ask me but hey, you be you right?
ship happens
Crew Member
That's awsome.
Didn’t there used to be a race across the straight with guys in their 9.9hp boats?! Crazy if you ask me but hey, you be you right?
Yes Nanaimo Bathtub Race
Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society :: The First Race
www.bathtubbing.com
Saxe Point
Well-Known Member
So true. I get out lots in my 18 foot Hourston and catch lots of fish. Was reasonable to buy and is less expensive in terms of fuel and maintenance.
Clint r
Well-Known Member
I quit where I was welding because my new job has no deadlines, low stress and no dealing with the public and for the same money. I wouldn’t go back for a $5 an hour increase. Plus, I work on or around the water every day with the new gig
AndrewH
Well-Known Member
Well I got another quote back from a local builder…
23’ cope yellow point, pretty straight forward build in my eyes. $138k, but the best part is that is unfinished.
Hull welded and electrical wires run to various locations - THAT’S IT!!!
- no batteries
- no helms
- no seats
- no power
Etc etc. you get the idea… bare boat for me to finish.
Best part is CJM will supply and cut all aluminum to the plans for 20k so the builder is wanting 115k to weld it together and run some wires.
No way to justify that cost no matter how many points I have read throughout this thread.
GREED!
23’ cope yellow point, pretty straight forward build in my eyes. $138k, but the best part is that is unfinished.
Hull welded and electrical wires run to various locations - THAT’S IT!!!
- no batteries
- no helms
- no seats
- no power
Etc etc. you get the idea… bare boat for me to finish.
Best part is CJM will supply and cut all aluminum to the plans for 20k so the builder is wanting 115k to weld it together and run some wires.
No way to justify that cost no matter how many points I have read throughout this thread.
GREED!
Corey_lax
Crew Member
It’s not all greed. Shop space is expensive. Competent welders are expensive. And it take a while to weld a boat together. Go buy a boat off aliexpress if you want a cheap aluminum boat.
Guy might be making 30% profit by the time it’s all said and done but the welding of the boat took up the entire shop for 6-8 weeks probably
AndrewH
Well-Known Member
yes its about 6-8 weeks weld time for the boat without finishing work... call it 8 weeks or 40 days of labour.
$115,000 / 40 = $2875 per day
I don't mind paying a reasonable amount but I also think that close to $3000 a day for labour is a little out of touch.
Corey_lax
Crew Member
Lease on a small shop might be $7000 a month. 2 guys welding making $40/hour actually cost a company closer to $70 per hour with benefits/WCB/holiday pay/sick pay/insurance/accounting/etc etc. plus consumable materials.
It’s for sure expensive but I don’t think many boat builders are making a huge profit even with the high prices unless they already owned their shop for 20+ years and don’t have a lease payment. But even my shops have property tax around 80,000 per year. So who knows for them. I’m just saying that it’s very costly to run a boat building business if you can only build a boat or two at a time.
kaelc
Crew Member
285k for a 22 stabicraft so you get an extra foot and have 147k to rig it out and buy a trailer. The dealer markup adds to it and it turns into a luxury tax, debacle. Agreed it is f….ing expensive. A friend was the labourer with the builder to save money on his build. Used boats are sitting right now, my buddy had 4 guides reach out on his Grady but they want a 28 foot boat in excellent shape with 2x new 250 engines for less than 130k. Aluminums seem to be sitting as well. Throw out some offers?
We are hesitant to take any job orders to find skilled people for under $40 an hour and rule of thumb is charge 3x the wage in order to make any money and that was before the 2% increase in cost for 5 sick days and the employer health tax 1.95%. I don’t know boat building but chatting with owners you need a skilled fabricator not just a good welder. It’s starting to move into shutdown season in the spring where guys make $1000 a day with living out allowances, overtime, so wages are likely well over $40 to keep good people.
Rain City
Crew Member
3x the wage?! I wish. I've worked out cost to be 30% including the occasional non-billlable time. I was lucky to be getting 40%-50% at best on top of the base hourly rate.
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