Are boats in your state made in the state?

[edwardh1]

I live in south carolina and we have some national brands here- bayliner, sea ray, whaler etc etc, but also a few local companies started by one or two guys
key west
scout
sea hunt
now tidewater
and I think Pioneer

some of these small company boats are really pricey, maybe due to slow/low production, or perhaps due to local reputations or perhaps better quality - I cant tell.
18 ft bayliner $20,000 18ft Scout $33000 someone is off base maybe both of them??

is it like that where you are?

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

18 ft bayliner $20,000 18ft Scout $33000 someone is off base maybe both of them??

is it like that where you are?

Bayliner = High volume, mainstream, budget minded boat.

Scout = High Quality, specialty boat.

Bayliner's are fine boats, however, they are no where near the quality level of Scout. Scouts are some of the nicest boats on the market. It is also worth noting that Bayliner and Scout don't compete in the same market at all. Scouts are saltwater fishing boats. Bayliners are mainstream family boats...typically designed to be used primarily in fresh water.

I don't think that the fact boats are made in one state or another has much to do with the cost.

Four Winns are made in Michigan. I see a lot of them around here.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

Well, Penn Yan boats were made in New York. Does that count

 

[mbgaski]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

High Tide boats are made in Georgetown, SC and I see a TON of those when I go up that way. Don't know if they sell them at a deal locally or not, but they loves them some High Tides over in Georgetown .

The Sea Fox boat company is about 5 miles from where I work at over in Moncks Corner, SC. Never saw one of those "out in the wild", but I might just have not been looking hard enough. I'd like to have one though just to have a "locally made" boat.

I do see a lot of the Key Wests like you mentioned though, and have seen a few Scouts.

 

[seabob4]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

I live in Florida...Yellowfin, Deep Impact, Everglades, Pursuit...and the list goes on and on. I used to build Wellcrafts, Aquasports, Scarabs...

I don't think what you are saying has a relative meaning...

 

[edwardh1]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

what I guess I am wondering is : do all small production boats cost more?

 

[thedukeryan]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

what I guess I am wondering is : do all small production boats cost more?

I can't say for a fact that this applies to boats but I would assume that boats with small production runs will cost more. I know from previous experience with non boat related items the fewer you make the more the individual cost is. For example the cost of 100k trucks will be greatly less than if one wanted to make 100 trucks. With that said small production companies often find a niche market or can beat the competitor in quality instead of price. Seems like it would be a hard gig to get into.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

I'm in northern Indiana and we have had a ton of boats made here, currently there is Bennington, Godfrey, Southbay, Smoker Craft, Starcraft,Rinker, and JC pontoons and we used to have Blue Finn, Chris-Craft, Sea-Nymph, Suncruiser pontoons and I know I am forgetting some but we also make 80% of all the travel trailers and class A motor homes you see all within a 40 mile radious.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

Well, Penn Yan boats were made in New York. Does that count

Ayuh,... NYS has taxed alota businesses right Outa the state, or outa business...
Now the people are followin'...

 

[Thad]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

My Conquest was made in Illinois, and if I remember correctly, just down the road from the Crownline factory.

Crownline was a high volume boat, Conquest was not so much. The two rival each other in almost every detail. They both even sit on a Heritage trailer. I went with the Conquest because you do not see many of them in the U.S. and it had the Volvo drive.

Cost wise, the Conquest was a bit less expensive. Had something to do with overhead.

The reason I am told for the cost is that Conquest would not "carry" the dealer on credit. You ordered a boat, you paid for a boat, and the boat was built. Another reason for the little unique features not often seen on other boats we looked at.

On the other hand...it could have all been a line of #*^!

 

[edwardh1]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

what is even stranger is that boats with vast price differences say $20,000 vs $33000, sometimes have

-the same powerplant (if sterndrive a 4 cyl merc or if outboard, a 90 Yamaha) and

- they even weigh about the same

 

[25thmustang]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

Ayuh,... NYS has taxed alota businesses right Outa the state, or outa business...
Now the people are followin'...

This holds true for the area around NYS also. My houses taxes would make most people cringe.

 

[Philster]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

Viking Yachts
Silverton Marine
Wahoo
Egg Harbor Yachts
Conquest Yachts
Ocean Yachts
Predator Yachts
Post Yachts
Out Island Sport Yachts
Henriques Yachts
Duke Sportfishing
Bender Speed Skiffs

Edit: Expensive stuff. All of them! I did not list a few notables, such as small companies that build lifeguard boats and very specialized rowing and/or fishing boats.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

Costwise I woud say bigger should be cheaper just because you can buy in more volume and get a better deal, it is normally cheaper to make 500 of something than too make 10.

 

[shrew]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

Bayliner may have a plant in your state, but they're based out of Washington. I believe Sea Fox is also built in your state. In all honesty, you're comparing a Miata to a BMW Z3/z4 which isn't really fair.

I think it has more to do with the quality of the boat.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

Looks like Bayliner stopped making some of their boats in MN in 2008

We've got
Glastron, Larson, Lund, Gekko, Crestliner, Alumacraft, Polaris, etc

Big list here,
http://www.boatbuilders.us/minnesota.htm

 

[QC]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

We have a bunch of Custom boat builders between here and Arizona. Very common local boats with very few deliveries outside of our little niche on the Colorado River.

Hallett
Magic/Sleek (bought by Cougar)
Eliminator
Howard
Dana
Domn8er
DCB (Dave's Custom Boats)
Cobra
Commander
Conquest (different one)
Campbell
HTM

All are Pseudo go fasts/look goods, V's and Tunnels.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

Sea Hunt is one of the boats you name that is made in South Carolina. Although a good quality boat IMO and a "small boat" builder, it is priced mid-line, and remains mid-line when on the used market.* So not all small-boat companies' product is high priced.
Sea Hunt just seems to know its market and how to produce the right number of boats to be profitable and not flood the market and get stuck with unsold units. PLus I understand they manage their finances (i.e. debt level) better than many companies.


*How the used market prices a brand is telling. Look at Whalers, which hold value, and bayliners, which don't.

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

We've got
Glastron

Not anymore.

Since the Genmar split up and Glastron now being owned by Platinum Equity they have moved Glastron to Michigan.

Four Winns, Glastron and Wellcraft are now all based in Cadillac, MI.

 

[KermieB]

Re: Are boats in your state made in the state?

I live in south carolina and we have some national brands here- bayliner, sea ray, whaler etc etc, but also a few local companies started by one or two guys
key west
scout
sea hunt
now tidewater
and I think Pioneer

some of these small company boats are really pricey, maybe due to slow/low production, or perhaps due to local reputations or perhaps better quality - I cant tell.
18 ft bayliner $20,000 18ft Scout $33000 someone is off base maybe both of them??

is it like that where you are?

How can you live in South Carolina and NOT mention Stingray Boats. Started by Al Fink in Hartsville, SC and has grown to be a world wide seller of quality boats....!!!