spurofthemoment
New Member
My wife and I just got back from the Atlanta Boat Show. I'm tired, but will post some of the observations that we made after crawling through the 260, 290, 310, 330, 38, and 44 SunDancer's.
Background: My wife and I bought a 2004 240DA this summer (late July). We had our boat slipped at Lake Lanier north of Atlanta. We pulled our boat out in late September due to the drought and are on the hard now. Even though we aren't boating right now and don't know when we'll be able to launch again, we decided to go and keep up to date with the current styling on the new boats. I swear we collect more SeaRay brochures than anything else. We found our catalog of brochures invaluable when we went foraging through the used market. I must admit I have four foot itis already, but the pricing we saw cured me of that (what can I say, I'm part Scott and a tight wad by nature). Here's what we saw:
How were they selling?
Marine max has a pretty big setup in the Georgia World Congress Center. They have a bell that they ring every time that they sell a boat. That sucker didn't stop ringing last year. One of the salesmen told me that they averaged a sale every 10 minutes at the `07 show. We were there from 2 PM to 8 PM today. The bell rang maybe 12 times. Looks like it's a lot slower then sales had been in the past few years. I don't know if our five hours will be a bell weather for sales this year, but it may be further evidence of a down market.
The 260 - Two words - Sticker Shock. 110K boat show price for a single engine. A lot more than what Marine Max's value price was in the fall for an '07 (89K). It had heat/air/gen, but still, price wise, that's a very, very tall mountain for that boat to climb. Good news for those of you that have '07 260's.
The 290 - Replacement for the 280 DA. Let's just say that the new design is not our cup of tea. A big disappointment since we really, really liked the layout of the 280. We were not so keen on the cockpit layout (being kind here in deference to current 290 owners), especially the two seats that are slightly angled to face each other with an armrest in between. If I remember correctly, the boat show price was ~179K. Quite a bit steeper than the old 280 DA that typically had a value price at our local MM for 119K equipped with twin 4.6's with heat/air/gen.
The 310 - Replacement for the 300 DA. Boat show price of 219K. This is the one we went to the boat show for in the first place. We really like the raked windows on the new boats and the shift to a more contemporary interior. The helm had a nice, functional layout and there was plenty of seating topside. In the cockpit area, there is a filler cushion between the front and rear facing aft bench seats on the side, that is worse than useless. Can't sit on it, wouldn't want to step on it. The synthetic leather materials felt soft and real to the touch. My wife feels like the space in the cabin isn't efficiently used. It felt cramped with the two of us in the cabin. Love the flip out rear bench over the swim platform.
The 330 - Replacement for the 320 DA. Boat show price of 279K. Pretty much the same impression as the 310. The space between the galley on the port side and the sofa on the starboard side is narrow and cramped.
The 38 - My wife loved this boat. No space problem here. I can't remember the price on this one, sorry folks. Typical DA layout and SeaRay fit/finish. Three TV's below, one in the cockpit area. This boat looks like it would be a pure delight to take out and entertain guests. One surprise, it appears that SeaRay has stopped lining the hanging closets with cedar. Kind of a nit, but still, in this price range this should be an automatic inclusion.
The 44 - Wow, just wow. Wish I had the scratch for this one. ~589K if I remember correctly. For me it is a comfortable boat, which means it's big. A beautiful fiberglass canopy and all the amenities. Two heads inside and the first DA layout that could accommodate me comfortably in the stern sitting area inside the cabin. Wow.
Bottom line: I am confused over the pricing strategy that SeaRay has employed in its `08 line up. Seems to be a steep increase over last years pricing and this was at the boat show. The salesman we spoke with, who we like and trust very much, told us that MM is employing a new pricing strategy for '08. They will be carrying less inventory and not discounting like they had in prior years. The Value price advertised in 2008 will be no dicker at MM nationwide. Well, we'll see how that works for them come August. He also said that the 350 will be coming out mid-year and that SeaRay plans on building the 340 through the rest of the year. He admitted that he was nervous about SeaRay's plans for the 340/350 transition since it is their bread and butter boat. No new purchases for me, but at least I got my brochures.
Funny observance: The Dad that was yelling at his two boys who were on top of the 44 DA's fiberglass canopy. This is not a joke. Thought about asking if his name was Gary, but he only had two kids and didn't seem to mind misaligned VHF antennae.
Background: My wife and I bought a 2004 240DA this summer (late July). We had our boat slipped at Lake Lanier north of Atlanta. We pulled our boat out in late September due to the drought and are on the hard now. Even though we aren't boating right now and don't know when we'll be able to launch again, we decided to go and keep up to date with the current styling on the new boats. I swear we collect more SeaRay brochures than anything else. We found our catalog of brochures invaluable when we went foraging through the used market. I must admit I have four foot itis already, but the pricing we saw cured me of that (what can I say, I'm part Scott and a tight wad by nature). Here's what we saw:
How were they selling?
Marine max has a pretty big setup in the Georgia World Congress Center. They have a bell that they ring every time that they sell a boat. That sucker didn't stop ringing last year. One of the salesmen told me that they averaged a sale every 10 minutes at the `07 show. We were there from 2 PM to 8 PM today. The bell rang maybe 12 times. Looks like it's a lot slower then sales had been in the past few years. I don't know if our five hours will be a bell weather for sales this year, but it may be further evidence of a down market.
The 260 - Two words - Sticker Shock. 110K boat show price for a single engine. A lot more than what Marine Max's value price was in the fall for an '07 (89K). It had heat/air/gen, but still, price wise, that's a very, very tall mountain for that boat to climb. Good news for those of you that have '07 260's.
The 290 - Replacement for the 280 DA. Let's just say that the new design is not our cup of tea. A big disappointment since we really, really liked the layout of the 280. We were not so keen on the cockpit layout (being kind here in deference to current 290 owners), especially the two seats that are slightly angled to face each other with an armrest in between. If I remember correctly, the boat show price was ~179K. Quite a bit steeper than the old 280 DA that typically had a value price at our local MM for 119K equipped with twin 4.6's with heat/air/gen.
The 310 - Replacement for the 300 DA. Boat show price of 219K. This is the one we went to the boat show for in the first place. We really like the raked windows on the new boats and the shift to a more contemporary interior. The helm had a nice, functional layout and there was plenty of seating topside. In the cockpit area, there is a filler cushion between the front and rear facing aft bench seats on the side, that is worse than useless. Can't sit on it, wouldn't want to step on it. The synthetic leather materials felt soft and real to the touch. My wife feels like the space in the cabin isn't efficiently used. It felt cramped with the two of us in the cabin. Love the flip out rear bench over the swim platform.
The 330 - Replacement for the 320 DA. Boat show price of 279K. Pretty much the same impression as the 310. The space between the galley on the port side and the sofa on the starboard side is narrow and cramped.
The 38 - My wife loved this boat. No space problem here. I can't remember the price on this one, sorry folks. Typical DA layout and SeaRay fit/finish. Three TV's below, one in the cockpit area. This boat looks like it would be a pure delight to take out and entertain guests. One surprise, it appears that SeaRay has stopped lining the hanging closets with cedar. Kind of a nit, but still, in this price range this should be an automatic inclusion.
The 44 - Wow, just wow. Wish I had the scratch for this one. ~589K if I remember correctly. For me it is a comfortable boat, which means it's big. A beautiful fiberglass canopy and all the amenities. Two heads inside and the first DA layout that could accommodate me comfortably in the stern sitting area inside the cabin. Wow.
Bottom line: I am confused over the pricing strategy that SeaRay has employed in its `08 line up. Seems to be a steep increase over last years pricing and this was at the boat show. The salesman we spoke with, who we like and trust very much, told us that MM is employing a new pricing strategy for '08. They will be carrying less inventory and not discounting like they had in prior years. The Value price advertised in 2008 will be no dicker at MM nationwide. Well, we'll see how that works for them come August. He also said that the 350 will be coming out mid-year and that SeaRay plans on building the 340 through the rest of the year. He admitted that he was nervous about SeaRay's plans for the 340/350 transition since it is their bread and butter boat. No new purchases for me, but at least I got my brochures.
Funny observance: The Dad that was yelling at his two boys who were on top of the 44 DA's fiberglass canopy. This is not a joke. Thought about asking if his name was Gary, but he only had two kids and didn't seem to mind misaligned VHF antennae.
