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BandB · 05-29-2014, 02:45 AM

Back to US made vs. others. Everyone is correct in saying there are good boats from many other countries. However, let's emphasize many great boats from the US, some often underrated. You mentioned Californian, someone else mentioned Mainship. The Bayliners were excellent boats, now succeeded by Meridian which doesn't have the same market share. Hatteras is unbeatable quality wise. While not a trawler specifically, there are many happy owners of Carvers or even Cruisers. American Tugs and Nordic Tugs. If you were stretching size, I'd toss in the 65' Pacific Mariner. I'm sure here in the middle of the night I've omitted some. And before everyone jumps up and down as this isn't a trawler, a lot of people do use Sea Rays very much like trawlers. And they are a US boat and the largest selling in their size range.

I think first you need to define what you want in a boat. Then see how those boats meet it versus others. Where are you going to use it? How frequently. How many people. How fast do you want to go? How critical is fuel economy. Sleep how many. All those questions. We recently ordered new and we decided if everything else was equal we'd go American. Now often everything isn't equal. As to our needs our favorite was American regardless. But our previous boat purchase, decidedly not a trawler, we went Italian. Simply no US boat, nor really any boat elsewhere that met our goals as well as that boat. Italian boats not known for great wiring and a few other things but speed and performance they are.

In a new build, a US boat had the great convenience to the factory. In older boats that often isn't a benefit because the factory isn't still alive or not really likely to be much help on issues. I would say it would absolutely be a benefit for a brand like Hatteras however. If I was looking for a lobster down-easter type it would almost certainly be US as the three leaders are US.

But let's say a Nordhavn was your ideal boat. Then there simply isn't a US equivalent. If you preferred steel then you'd likely have to go to someone elsewhere like Bering. Then there are brands like Fleming and Kadey Krogen and Defever that are known for quality. Companies like Grand Banks that do what they do better than anyone else. No one else offers exactly what they do.

05-29-2014, 02:45 AM	#23
BandB Guru City: Fort Lauderdale. Florida, USA Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 21,451	Back to US made vs. others. Everyone is correct in saying there are good boats from many other countries. However, let's emphasize many great boats from the US, some often underrated. You mentioned Californian, someone else mentioned Mainship. The Bayliners were excellent boats, now succeeded by Meridian which doesn't have the same market share. Hatteras is unbeatable quality wise. While not a trawler specifically, there are many happy owners of Carvers or even Cruisers. American Tugs and Nordic Tugs. If you were stretching size, I'd toss in the 65' Pacific Mariner. I'm sure here in the middle of the night I've omitted some. And before everyone jumps up and down as this isn't a trawler, a lot of people do use Sea Rays very much like trawlers. And they are a US boat and the largest selling in their size range. I think first you need to define what you want in a boat. Then see how those boats meet it versus others. Where are you going to use it? How frequently. How many people. How fast do you want to go? How critical is fuel economy. Sleep how many. All those questions. We recently ordered new and we decided if everything else was equal we'd go American. Now often everything isn't equal. As to our needs our favorite was American regardless. But our previous boat purchase, decidedly not a trawler, we went Italian. Simply no US boat, nor really any boat elsewhere that met our goals as well as that boat. Italian boats not known for great wiring and a few other things but speed and performance they are. In a new build, a US boat had the great convenience to the factory. In older boats that often isn't a benefit because the factory isn't still alive or not really likely to be much help on issues. I would say it would absolutely be a benefit for a brand like Hatteras however. If I was looking for a lobster down-easter type it would almost certainly be US as the three leaders are US. But let's say a Nordhavn was your ideal boat. Then there simply isn't a US equivalent. If you preferred steel then you'd likely have to go to someone elsewhere like Bering. Then there are brands like Fleming and Kadey Krogen and Defever that are known for quality. Companies like Grand Banks that do what they do better than anyone else. No one else offers exactly what they do.