Re: Well it seems to be official...
I think I can speak for just about all the guys around here...
They weren't losing any business from us. At $45,000 (give or take) it's safe to say that we were never in the game.
Brand new rig vs. an old rotted out piece of scrap for $1000 = not even a choice.
I think the choice is really grab that piece of scrap or nothing at all, eh guys?
30 years from now that sweet 2009 22' Islander with the bracket will be laying in somebody's back woods ready for for a fella to snatch it up for next to nothing, and rebuild her! Super cool!
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_xR_9Kv6Hzy0/TOIZVqcuQ-I/AAAAAAAAAaM/k7XnmmCyT9c/s512/scan0007.jpg
Kind of relates to the thread I started on Why do you do it?
In better financial times, I have owned 2 new boats. Both glass, and better for skiing or runabouting. The first was a 20' with a Volvo I/O, pain in the butt, but paid under $7k in 1988, sold for $6500 in 1992. In 96, bot a 17' with a Merc I/O, ended up a great boat as I paid $7200 new, sold 4 years later for $6800. By the way, one week after picking her up, on a 10 day vacation in Ontario, it blew a rod. Fixed in Ontario 4 days later and salvaged some usage that trip. Boat, with young Family at the time hit 52mph.
Took a 9 year break of boat ownership, woke up and said, "they charge $40,000 for an aluminum boat? My old glass runabout now costs $18,000....???? That is what sent me to the used scrapyard and land of misfits!!
That said, the best boat I had was my 2000 Star 19' that I bought for $3000, dolled it up, fixed the leaks, used it, and in bad financial times, sold it.....at a profit, and now, I have my 1979 old goat SS18.
NO BANK, NO PAYMENT BOOKLET, etc.
As far as Islander, that design, in my opinion, is outdated when using aluminum. On Lake Erie, you either have a tinny like today's open bow designs, or you have a glass monster.
The walkaround is a nice design and serves a good function(GW-Trophy, etc.) so maybe Starcraft is looking into that design as an eventual replacement????
Then again, the hot item these days are glass boats for big water fishing like the Reata and 620 series from Ranger, Skeeter has one, other mfg's also are entering that market.
