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Rediculous pricing on used flats boats

25K views 145 replies 69 participants last post by  redchaser 
#1 ·
I can’t understand the pricing that people ask on this forum for flats boats that are 10 plus years old and motors as well.Boats and cars are usually the worst investments that is typically why you can pickup an older lexus with low miles at a reasonable price where your middle to higher end flats boats are rediculous.Is there anyone else who feels the same way.
 
#6 ·
Seems like a pretty generic comment... are you talking about specific ads?

I think it is well known, even to new guys like me, that HB and other "tier 1" manufacturers make skiffs that hold value. Also, 10 year old motors that have been maintained also hold significant value (again, pointed out to me recently)

This is no different than the market for Jeep Wranglers. They depreciate a certain amount, but generally hold value very well regardless of age and miles.
 
#12 ·
Just to add to tjtfishon's comment about there being more people on the water. Some of the newer folks fishing inshore comes from the screwed up snapper and reef fish seasons and limits. I I'm not the only one that sold their offshore boat due to it not being worth the expense for the limited number of days it can be used. I've always had some sort of skiff to fish inshore even when I mostly fished offshore.
 
#116 ·
Yup, that is why we can't have nice things. I would disagree with Gordon Gecko... greed isn't good nor efficient. :D For example look at todays superyacht builders. These things should be a pinnacle of engineering and design. In reality it can look like this. Use the cheapest workforce and material you have and try to sell it for highest price...
 
#22 · (Edited)
Oh yeah. Got a whisky in my hand hoping it’ll help my sticker shock. Jeez louise. Almost ready to bag it. Get a jon, and cast farther.

My very custom and very ratty MGB has been mistaken for an early Ferrari.
You know, the ones that go for 6 mill at auction.

Will trade for flats skiff.

Unscientific, but it seems to me the market is very soft.
Boats I was looking at two months ago, not dogs as far as I can tell,
still unsold. So what gives.

“Install a new motor and rewire”
Words to live by. Applies to the MG as well.
 
#31 ·
The most sophisticated boat manufacturer probably uses less than one percent of the technology, R&D, tooling that the least sophisticated car manufacturer uses to build anything. So your getting a lot more for your buck when you buy a car., even a used one. The truth is that boat building is not very sophisticated at all. Where does a boat go from being a 30k to being a 65k boat???
 
#34 ·
The original poster is right about the high prices some older premium skiffs can sell for... It might help to remember that we're not talking family boats or work boats here - we're talking about expensive toys for grown up boys... that actually do the task they're specifically designed for... Another item to remember is that new ones are even more money (with the well known caveat that anyone who buys and properly cares for one of these small used marvels will actually be able to get most of their money back when they finally re-sell it.... something that car sellers would really like to be able to count on...

I've been around long enough to remember when there were hardly any poling skiffs around - and the early ones were far from perfect. This from a guy who actually poles the same skiff he's had for almost 30 years -and it's not exactly a microskiff at all (1988 Maverick XL that I bought from Scott un-rigged all those years ago...) -but it does qualify as a work boat...

In short I have the perfect solution for those having a real problem with used micros being so expensive (at least a few of them...)... It's simply this - if sticker shock has you by the short hairs... quick - don't buy one.
 
#35 ·
When skiff manufacturers have a year long wait list, it's going to drive up the price of used models. No one is waiting months on end for a Lexus, and although the Lexus will run in spit, it has a hard time in those deep spots.
The idea that boats don't have a crap ton of R&D is misinformed. Car manufacturers also have the advantage of a lot more automation to meet demand than boat makers. The fit& finish (sophistication you're not seeing), reputation, and desirability are where boats are making that $30k leap Alex.
For those wondering, yes the prices of used boats are so diculous they're REdiculous!
 
#36 ·
When you spend 10-15k on a 20yr old skiff with a 20yr old motor that needs another few thousand worth of rigging to have “right” which could take as long as a new build, you really have to stop and ask yourself, is it worth spending a little more, waiting a little longer to have a new boat? There’s so many new options out there. But if the price is right on that mirage or super skiff, forget everything I just said.
 
#39 · (Edited)
Some(most) of the best skiffs out there came from guys that never took a class in naval engineering. Their R&D dept was a garage and most calculations were done with a grinder, a jigsaw, a tape measure and a black marker. A perfect example would be the Whipray and the Superskiff. ... Unless your hal chittum incorporating BS F16 technology into a skiff, you really dont have a lot of r&d when your building a 17' flat or v bottom fiberglass boat. .....The only part of a boat that is unique to a manufacturer, in almost all cases, is the shape of the hull, and probably not much different than the next guy. Once thats out of your "R&D" dept you can only lay it up a few different ways(vaccum, hand lay up etc. polyester or vinylester??). Every one uses the same components... steering systems, rigging, and hardware, it all probably comes from Lewis or Donavans not from the R&D dept. The motor comes in a crate, 4 bolts and its on. Their is a reason why your going to need a few billion if you want to start your own car company..you can start building your own skiffs with a few thousand. I don't believe you need to spend $70k on a 17' boat to get a good boat. A good boat builder doesnt charge you $35k extra for "fit and finish"
 
#40 · (Edited)
Please go research classic car and motorcycle pricing. While you are at it, go research prices on older Boston Whalers and Chris Craft boats.

Quality builds demand high price and resale value. Then there is the love of the sport and the hobby. Anyone that knows boat ownership knows it isn't the greatest investment around, but the return is priceless. I can tell by your question that you lack this experience. Lexus? Really?
 
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