There are a tremendous number of Bayliner, Mainship, California, Tollycraf and other owners here. In the size range of most boats here, the leading selling boat is Sea Ray. I've heard laments here regarding where the next generation of good used boats is coming from. So, I thought I'd comment on a couple of relevant developments.
I'd not paid much recent attention to Meridian as I'm still upset with Brunswick over dropping the Bayliner cruisers, renaming them, and raising the prices. I only got curious after taking a ride in a new Sea Ray. So where does Meridian stand today. Updated styling. Decent utility although not as good a use of space as the old Bayliners. No pilothouses though and that's where Bayliner shined. Instead the only helm station is on a bridge, often an open bridge. I guess it appeals to a different group, to mostly day cruisers. Or maybe many are happy working only from the bridge. Hatteras sure builds a lot of boats without lower helms. Personally, I liked the styling and a lot of things about it but left my analysis disappointed. Give me an old Pilothouse model anytime over today's design.
So, yes, I'm even angrier than Brunswick killed the Bayliner models and the spirit of the line.
What about their old competitor, Carver, I asked myself. Well, Carver only has two models with bridges left in it's line, a 34' and a 40'. I do like that they have lower helms. I don't like hearing all the problems new buyers encounter.
What started me on this entire tangent then. Well, we went on a nice day on a new Sea Ray L Series boat. Now I have tremendous respect for Sea Ray boats. For those wanting express cruisers, the Sundancer models are tried and true, proven, quality boats. I understand they aren't the boat most here look for but they do far outsell the models we normally discuss here. Still they're not long term cruising types to most people.
Well, the L Series is their "yacht" line now. They have the L590 which has triple zeus drives and the L650 with conventional straight drives. Sea Rays efforts into yachts in the past have just seemed to me to be Sundancers with bridges added. Frankly, that's what Meridians seem like to me today, just a Sundancer with another level. However, the L650 shocked me. It was an incredibly well thought out boat. It performed. It rode well. No, it was not economical. There is nothing I've seen better at what it does than it and the early sales confirm that.
So, what I wish but don't expect. I wish they'd put the same effort into Meridian or a Sea Ray Sedan or Pilothouse. They could. I think the demand is there. I do believe if there was today's equivalent of an old Bayliner, there would be a strong market for it. A production builder like Brunswick can built a quality boat for less. That's what Bayliner was.
So we're back to the question of where does a new buyer who wants a boat with trawler like utility but a bit more speed perhaps turn. Well, Grand Banks is sure letting us down. They're selling a few Eastbays and some Palm Beaches but they've reduced the Heritage line and selling very very few Heritage and Aleutian models, the models that are more like what they once stood for. Nice boat still, but expensive and not going to be a lot of used ones down the road based on how few they're selling.
If you want a nice simple reasonably priced flybridge boat in the new market today, in the 35-50' size range, there's not much to choose from. Where would I turn?
Well, there is one brand that I've never seen mentioned here. They build an aluminum boat in Canada. That is Coastal Craft. They use IPS drives for efficiency. Gas Guzzlers not. Their 40' model at 30 knots gets 1 nmpg. At 7.5 knots it gets 3 nmpg.
Neptunus comes close with a very nice 56' but nothing smaller.
Marlow's smallest is 49'.
Not a pretty picture. I wish I could paint a better one. Now we do still have some nice tugs and more conventional trawlers being built.
I'd not paid much recent attention to Meridian as I'm still upset with Brunswick over dropping the Bayliner cruisers, renaming them, and raising the prices. I only got curious after taking a ride in a new Sea Ray. So where does Meridian stand today. Updated styling. Decent utility although not as good a use of space as the old Bayliners. No pilothouses though and that's where Bayliner shined. Instead the only helm station is on a bridge, often an open bridge. I guess it appeals to a different group, to mostly day cruisers. Or maybe many are happy working only from the bridge. Hatteras sure builds a lot of boats without lower helms. Personally, I liked the styling and a lot of things about it but left my analysis disappointed. Give me an old Pilothouse model anytime over today's design.
So, yes, I'm even angrier than Brunswick killed the Bayliner models and the spirit of the line.
What about their old competitor, Carver, I asked myself. Well, Carver only has two models with bridges left in it's line, a 34' and a 40'. I do like that they have lower helms. I don't like hearing all the problems new buyers encounter.
What started me on this entire tangent then. Well, we went on a nice day on a new Sea Ray L Series boat. Now I have tremendous respect for Sea Ray boats. For those wanting express cruisers, the Sundancer models are tried and true, proven, quality boats. I understand they aren't the boat most here look for but they do far outsell the models we normally discuss here. Still they're not long term cruising types to most people.
Well, the L Series is their "yacht" line now. They have the L590 which has triple zeus drives and the L650 with conventional straight drives. Sea Rays efforts into yachts in the past have just seemed to me to be Sundancers with bridges added. Frankly, that's what Meridians seem like to me today, just a Sundancer with another level. However, the L650 shocked me. It was an incredibly well thought out boat. It performed. It rode well. No, it was not economical. There is nothing I've seen better at what it does than it and the early sales confirm that.
So, what I wish but don't expect. I wish they'd put the same effort into Meridian or a Sea Ray Sedan or Pilothouse. They could. I think the demand is there. I do believe if there was today's equivalent of an old Bayliner, there would be a strong market for it. A production builder like Brunswick can built a quality boat for less. That's what Bayliner was.
So we're back to the question of where does a new buyer who wants a boat with trawler like utility but a bit more speed perhaps turn. Well, Grand Banks is sure letting us down. They're selling a few Eastbays and some Palm Beaches but they've reduced the Heritage line and selling very very few Heritage and Aleutian models, the models that are more like what they once stood for. Nice boat still, but expensive and not going to be a lot of used ones down the road based on how few they're selling.
If you want a nice simple reasonably priced flybridge boat in the new market today, in the 35-50' size range, there's not much to choose from. Where would I turn?
Well, there is one brand that I've never seen mentioned here. They build an aluminum boat in Canada. That is Coastal Craft. They use IPS drives for efficiency. Gas Guzzlers not. Their 40' model at 30 knots gets 1 nmpg. At 7.5 knots it gets 3 nmpg.
Neptunus comes close with a very nice 56' but nothing smaller.
Marlow's smallest is 49'.
Not a pretty picture. I wish I could paint a better one. Now we do still have some nice tugs and more conventional trawlers being built.
