Personally I used to think that #1 most big name boats were over priced, but it takes a lot to make a boat, and fiberglass resins and plastics are all oil based and did rise sharply with the price of gas.
Not to mention the cost to design and engineer boats and motors, back in the 80s boats were thrown together and looking back now yes they prob made more money per boat, but the quality suffered.. now most boat makers have gotten the resin used down to the bare min needed to make the same boat, cutting the cost and impact on the environment. and found new ways to improve the weight and quality of the boats made in the last 5-10 years.
But as new technologies have emerged .. the costs have increased to begin using these new products.. raising the price.
But again.. the technology and materials are beginning to change again... now SOY based resins are starting to take hold in the fiberglass world.. getting away from the oil based resins.. but this takes time to test and implement into the market.
Boats will never be dirt cheap even if they can find away to have the boats made out of materials that are cheap and can be made in a mold that can be injected or pressed by machines instead of hand laid or chop gun made boats. But even then they still have to be carpeted , trimmed, motors installed tested etc etc .. and the cost of the motor is a large chunk of the cost.. and then freight, and the dealers profit
The average car price in the US is 28400 , and a Glass Bass Boat prob averages around 45000 , but then again most of us dont have to have a boat to get to work or the store .. volume makes cars cheaper than boats .. and it takes a whole lot less time to build a car than a boat, and much of the labor is done by robots to assemble, and paint.
On a boat all is done by hand, Im really surprised that a bass boat 21 foot dosent cost 100,000 for all the time involved to make one .. and the low numbers sold compared to autos.
Genmar and Brunswick bought up boat companies during times that were better .. and gas was cheap.. things changed .. and fast but by being big these companies have the buying power as a whole to keep the costs lower than one independent boat company could ever do .. but these guys too are struggling with the economy too .. and with Chevy filling chapter 11 .. I guess others will decide that's what they need to do to try to survive until the economy improves.
So even with Genmar filling they could emerge from this a stronger leaner company that is more competitive ..
Genmar needs to look at thier cost on boats.....EXTREMELY HIGH! Great products but a touch over rated. IMO
