Where do you think Sea Ray owners will go next?

Frtbroker said:
I see the older, well maintained 330's to 400 Sundancers holding there value.............. JMO
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100% agree! Well maintained 98 to 03 should increase in value as the new boats push past the glass ceiling most can afford!
 
After meeting and talking to Rob P at the FLIBS I was impressed with the Cravers. I'm sure there's two sides to every story (he did not bad mouth Brunswick at all), but in my opinion Brunswick screwed up parting ways with him. If I was going to move up right now and not go over budget it would be a 98' to early 2000 540 Sundancer. Can't help it I have to stay with a Ray. I have never owned a different brand. If I didn't have a budget I would look at new Prestige and Marquis.
 
I think you’ll see bridge guys interested in Maritimo/riviera/tiara with closed real glass bridges
And cruiser guys go for Formula/cruisers/
Me? Even if Sea Ray was doing fine financially, sign me up for one of the Aussie boats! I have no use for a Downeaster or a cruiser that I can see in the near future.
 
I think there is a robust market for the pre-L Class boats. Built with quality. We are on the site because of our affection that era of boats built by Sea Ray.

Other than Zeus powered boats - I think the market stays strong for the next few years on the 2000's and early teens boats.

As far as the future - there a lot of options out there - most named above, both domestic and imports.

Martimo is a quality boat - but limited inventory in the market so will remain expensive. Tiara, Cruisers both brands are doing incredible things.

If I was buying stock? It would be in Rob P.
 
FootballFan said:
Martimo is a quality boat - but limited inventory in the market so will remain expensive
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I wouldn't jump to that conclusion... Maritimo wants to sell boats in the US... They are a family business.... The son designs the boats. Most sea Ray dealers in our area have picked them up. Watch these guys.... And the price so far is below Sea Ray new... Exchange rate plays a part...but they are being aggressive right now...if you're buying a new boat make sure you talk to these guys
 
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hottoddie said:
I am very surprised not one mention of the downeast style boats. Sabre would be my choice or maybe Grand Bands East Bay and there are others.
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I love the salty lines of downeast style boats.

We’ve outgrown out 270 AJ and are moving to a Back Cove. It’s the sister company to Sabre. They are designed to be a lower-maintenance version of Sabre with less wood and running a big single diesel. They are still quick though, cruising at 26 knots.

It’s not for me, but the new Back Cove 34O with twin outboards is gathering a lot of interest and will be quite popular.

There is a pretty big cost delta between Sea Ray and Back Cove / Sabre / Grand Banks, so I’m not so sure how common that shift will be. Part of it is the much lower production rates for those brands.
 
I'm looking to the U.K.

While Cruisers and Carver have definitely come a long way (especially Carver; they're actually a consideration now instead of an emphatic NFW), their exterior look leaves much to be desired for me. Tiara's are nice, but even the Coupe models are very closed in, and when I'm on a boat, I kind of want to be outside.

Meanwhile, the Princess V40, V50, and V55 or the Sunseeker Predator 50 or Manhattan 52 or the Fairline 43 Open and 53 Open, at least to my eye, have nice lines as well as exceptional onboard layouts.

Sidenote: I do think the current Cruisers 390EC is perhaps the best boat layout ever, but I just cannot get over the "cut off roofline."

The Formula 40 PC and 45 Yacht are also great boats (I can attest to the Formula build quality; it's good stuff) which, while not 50'+, are offerings where SR once played but no longer does.
 
As we all age we like all flat and not too many stairs. But we like to see far ahead. Still need fast to get out of way of storms. A two cabin boat each with a complete head and shower are required for guests. What to build next is a problem and if you do not get it correct you will not sell it. What will SeaRay do that? They are owned by the Bayliner People and Bayliner when first produced had good interior designs. It will be different and we may not recognize it.
 
lawndoctor said:
We were leaning toward Tiara until we went for a ride in the 44 Coupe. The navigation light pole was vibrating back and forth at idle, the starboard galley cabinet was visibly bouncing around under way, and at cruising speed heading into a 1-2’ chop she was pounding hard. Felt not unlike my 330DA in those conditions. The boat just did not feel solid. We were really surprised given Tiara’s reputation, but that was our experience. We’re going to take a closer look at Galeon now. I’m not a fan of some of their styling, as I don’t think a boat should look like an appliance, but they do seem to be well designed and well made, and I’m reading reports that they handle well in a sea. The Polish shipwrights are actually well known in Europe. The research continues.
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I'm surprised that your Tiara 44 Coupe ride didn't impress. My buddy has one and we cruise a lot with him. That is a well built quality boat. I found all of these IPS boats feel light on their feet, sport like. Until you look down and your doing 28 knots at cruise as opposed to our 23 knot cruise. Could it have been the speed? The Tiara quality is significantly better than the Galeon.
 
Blueone said:
I wouldn't jump to that conclusion... Maritimo wants to sell boats in the US... They are a family business.... The son designs the boats. Most sea Ray dealers in our area have picked them up. Watch these guys.... And the price so far is below Sea Ray new... Exchange rate plays a part...but they are being aggressive right now...if you're buying a new boat make sure you talk to these guys
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After talking with Maritimo this fall I would agree, they want more traction in this market and are willing to deal still way over my price range but they seem to be aggressive.

I have been watching the used market for 48/52 Maritimo's and 2008+ Sea Ray 52DB's, all but one of the Maritimo's that were for sale over the winter are now gone (4 boats sold), only one of the 52DB's sold, another now listed as sale pending.
 
At my age I'm certain there will be decent used Sea Rays around until long after I cross over the bar.
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
After spending time on some Formulas....that's on our horizon. Incredible quality and engineering.
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Absolutely well said! When the time comes to upgrade to a a new to us express the wife and I want a PC class Formula. Friends have a 34PC and its an a amazing well thought out boat. The virtual tours of the newer PCs get my heartrate up!
 
Rocket said:
I'm surprised that your Tiara 44 Coupe ride didn't impress. My buddy has one and we cruise a lot with him. That is a well built quality boat. I found all of these IPS boats feel light on their feet, sport like. Until you look down and your doing 28 knots at cruise as opposed to our 23 knot cruise. Could it have been the speed? The Tiara quality is significantly better than the Galeon.
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I’m as surprised to say it as you are to hear it from me. Everything I’ve heard about Tiara indicates it’s a top quality boat. But the boat we sea trialed really was shaking, and at cruising speed (diesel, so a couple of hundred RPMs below WOT) the boat could not handle the relatively modest chop without pounding. It was very noticeable. I’ve spent time on a lot of boats over the years spanning a wide range of reputed quality (Hatteras, Bertram, Ocean, Viking, Egg Harbor, Pacemaker, Trojan, Cruisers, Formula, Sea Ray, Silverton, among others), and the way this boat rode was definitely at the lower end of the spectrum.

What makes you say the Tiara quality is significantly better than the Galeon? Honest question, we’re really trying to do our homework this time, as we have been disappointed in the quality of our 330DA. My read is the Galeon is an all-solid (no coring) glass hull, and a number of captain’s reports comment on the high quality fit and finish and especially the ride in rough water. I’m certainly not taking anyone at their word on that, we’re going to do some riding on them for sure, but it is interesting to hear those same comments somewhat consistently. We’ve had Tiara, Princess, and Riviera at the top of our list, but it is a work in progress.
 
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Have not been in a Tiara Coupe so really have no opinions and on the boat. The product line has changed a lot with many new offerings which I don't really care for from a styling perspective. The company is responding to the changing tastes of a younger generation. However, you can still have an open built and those boats are rock solid in each of their respective sizes. We have owned our 32 Open since it was new and it still performs as it did in 2004. While we have updated the entertainment system and all of the electronics, the rest of the boat still looks new to the eye, and does not leak. If you have not looked at a brand new open, check one out. They handle the big seas better than most boats, do not pound, and provide a comfortable, quiet, dry ride. My neighbor sold his new Sea Ray last year and bought a new 44 Coupe that he prefers over the SR. So, some people are liking the quality.
 
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