Wholly Crap!

GypsmJim

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2018
1,161
Western New York
Boat Info
'19 SPX 190 OB, 150 & 5 Mercs
'17 Whaler 150 Montauk
'15 Yamaha FXHO
'60 Mulray Dinghy
'52 Lyman 15'
Engines
Mercury 150 4-stroke
72 Outboards representing 12 manufacturers
I thought SeaRay built boats in Florida, among other USA plants.

We just took delivery of our 2019 SPX 190. On the transom next to the HIN was a sticker that said "Assembled in Mexico".

What's up, with that?
 
WOW I had no idea SeaRay built boats across the boarder. When I worked for Georgia Pacific many years ago I used to sell Seaframe plywood the the Bayliner Plant in Oakland, MD. It has been closed for years now.
 
Yes sir. I had my suspicion when I saw that my HIN number had an "X" As in...SERX. Never saw that manufacture designation on a SR before. Also when I saw "Bayliner" on my mooring cover. It's my understanding that the small SR's like the 19 and 21 SPX are assembled in Reynosa Mexico, right along with all Bayliner sport boats sold here in the U.S. Maybe the brands share similiar parts?
Brunswick, who owns SR and Bayliner, has been sending American jobs to Mexico for many years. Not surprising it was only a matter of time. I think Mercury Marine does the same.
 
Sadly CEO of publicly traded company are under heavy pressure to maximize profits and be competitive. Sometime they have to decide whether to go under or relocate to a more competitive state/country. Private companies can be more flexible. Then again there are tariffs but that's another issue altogether.
 
When I toured the Tennessee plant in February, I was under the impression all SR sport boats were built there. For sure there were some 24-25 ish boats there. Then, up to 40’ were built there, cruisers included. It was a spectacular facility.
Maybe the small boats are all assembled in Mexico so they share the facility across brands.
 
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When I toured the Tennessee plant in February, I was under the impression all SR sport boats were built there. For sure there were some 24-25 ish boats there. Then, up to 40’ were built there, cruisers included. It was a spectacular facility.
Maybe the small boats are all assembled in Mexico so they share the facility across brands.
Paul. What are the first letters of your HIN? See this list from an old thread. Note: Some of these plants have closed since then.
 
Specifically just the 19 and 21 SPX....for now. I'm sure more will follow.
I happen to love my boat regardless of where the final assembly was made. It's fast, fun, attractive and still a good value for an entry level SR.
 
I think Mercury Marine does the same.
We had a 1984 Mercruiser 3.0 and the side of the block was stamped "Made in Mexico". Note, MADE not ASSEMBLED. Looks like they have been doing it a long time.
 
Thanks for the pictures. Really nice. Just wondering what the tank test is for? surely not just to test thru hulls for leaks of run the motors.
They ran the mains and genny to make sure there were no leaks in the exhaust systems, all the guages worked, oil pressure came up to spec and the bilge stayed dry.
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Sadly CEO of publicly traded company are under heavy pressure to maximize profits and be competitive. Sometime they have to decide whether to go under or relocate to a more competitive state/country. Private companies can be more flexible. Then again there are tariffs but that's another issue altogether.
You are exactly right.
I worked at a Fortune 200 company. The board and the CEO are under a legal obligation to deliver the maximum profit to shareholders, which are often in the form of your 401K.
If you don't, you face fines and imprisonment. It doesn't happen often. Some call it corporate greed, when it is actually just your legal requirement.
 
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Here are more. Prepping the mold to make sure there are no blimishes, the deck and hull prior to attachment and the rigging shed at Walstroms in Harbor Springs, MI. Tiara pays attention to the hull deck connection, adding an aluminum spacer between hull and deck. They use an industrial strength adhesive to hold the joint together, and then it is through bolted for added strength. This is literally the first boat we've owned that does not leak, even after some big seas over the 14 years we have owned it. You can see the boot stripe line in the mold. I really like that this boat has no tapes of any kind that require maintenance. They are all gel coat and detail nicely with no nicks from touching flotsam that is unseen in the water. I was forever touching up dings in the decorative tape on my SRs.
 
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I'm not a bit surprised. For years Bayliner made a 19' I/O in Mexico. They were able to sell the package (boat and trailer) at a price that made the payment just a tad below $100. They were trying to get new people in to the boating lifestyle and at the same time get them into a Bayliner.

For years we have thought that "Made in America" made a product so much better than one produced overseas. In some cases it probably was. In many areas, other countries are far advanced from where we are in our production capabilities.
 

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