Sea Ray: The Acquisition that didn't Happen

I think that Marine Max and Sea Ray are to be blamed. Sea Ray allowed its largest dealer network to bring in many competitors to sell against Sea Ray, and then wonder why their sales are off. Not sure any relatively smart company would allow that to happen.
 
I’m not sure a manufacturer can restrict competition from an independent business partner. Now Brunswick could buy marinemax and then do whatever they choose.
 
At my local Marine Max SeaRays are now pushed to the back of the lot and it's all Grady Whites and Boston Whalers up front. At one time you would think the two companies (MM and SR) were one in the same. Times are changing....
 
bahamabreisus said:
I think that Marine Max and Sea Ray are to be blamed. Sea Ray allowed its largest dealer network to bring in many competitors to sell against Sea Ray, and then wonder why their sales are off. Not sure any relatively smart company would allow that to happen.
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I guess that depends on whether you view boat dealers in the same way as car dealers. Or, are they simply distributors/retail outlets, like a Sysco, Grainger or Walmart? I don’t think any of us knows the answer. That is a strategy that Sea Ray should have decided for itself. If their dealers are like car dealers, then some level of exclusivity would have been appropriate. But let’s be honest here. Who hasn’t seen a Bill’s Toyota right next-door to Bill’s Honda or a Bill’s Mercury/Lincoln? Not really exclusive, even when they say hey are. But if they are just a retail outlet for Sea Ray, then you can’t gripe that thy also push competing products. It all depends on what type of sales channel they desire.
 
scooper321 said:
I guess that depends on whether you view boat dealers in the same way as car dealers. Or, are they simply distributors/retail outlets, like a Sysco, Grainger or Walmart? I don’t think any of us knows the answer. That is a strategy that Sea Ray should have decided for itself. If their dealers are like car dealers, then some level of exclusivity would have been appropriate. But let’s be honest here. Who hasn’t seen a Bill’s Toyota right next-door to Bill’s Honda or a Bill’s Mercury/Lincoln? Not really exclusive, even when they say hey are. But if they are just a retail outlet for Sea Ray, then you can’t gripe that thy also push competing products. It all depends on what type of sales channel they desire.
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I see Marine Max very much like a car dealer. They have sales, parts, service and finance, just like a car dealer. I understand your "Bills" logic, but I believe each dealership in that case is responsible for its own profit and loss. Chevrolet is not going to let it's dealers sell Fords and visa versa. With Marine Max selling multiple competing lines, they just want to sell, they don't care what, just sell.
 
bahamabreisus said:
I see Marine Max very much like a car dealer. They have sales, parts, service and finance, just like a car dealer. I understand your "Bills" logic, but I believe each dealership in that case is responsible for its own profit and loss. Chevrolet is not going to let it's dealers sell Fords and visa versa. With Marine Max selling multiple competing lines, they just want to sell, they don't care what, just sell.
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You see them that way. But how did Sea Ray? If they wanted MM to be exclusive, they could have demanded that, just like Ford does. Or, they could have looked for another dealer network. I don’t think it’s fair to blame MM for selling multiple manufacturers’ boats. They are an independent business and if they think they can be more profitable with multiple brands, that’s their right to do. Sea Ray is also independent and can choose to partner with them, or not. They did. It wasn’t/isn’t secret that MM pushes other brands (some of which are also Brunswick brands, by the way). Obviously, the chiefs at SR/Brunswick were ok with it. I can’t fault MM for this any more than I could fault West Marine for a slowdown in Garmin sales.
 
I'm interested to see what brand my local dealer brings in to sale for those who want the bigger boat.

For the lucky few who can buy them ..... what manufacturers will folks turn to for quality boats over 40 feet?
 
scooper321 said:
You see them that way. But how did Sea Ray? If they wanted MM to be exclusive, they could have demanded that, just like Ford does. Or, they could have looked for another dealer network. I don’t think it’s fair to blame MM for selling multiple manufacturers’ boats. They are an independent business and if they think they can be more profitable with multiple brands, that’s their right to do. Sea Ray is also independent and can choose to partner with them, or not. They did. It wasn’t/isn’t secret that MM pushes other brands (some of which are also Brunswick brands, by the way). Obviously, the chiefs at SR/Brunswick were ok with it. I can’t fault MM for this any more than I could fault West Marine for a slowdown in Garmin sales.
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My guess is Marine Max got way to large for Sea Ray to try and demand much from them. I do think more buyers are going for day boats, so I see SR stopping production of the larger boats. My wife and I sat at a local waterfront bar the other day and all we saw were 30-40 ft boats with 3 or 4 outboards. So, I see times are changing. I have been a very loyal SR buyer, from 28ft to 50ft. I am going to have to look hard for what to buy next.
 
Searay screwed themselves. They lost their direction years ago. They are building boats nobody wants. The 2006 era sundancers and sedan bridges were the best designed boats around. Then they went euro, focused on day boaters and "F" ED the cruising crowd. They did this to themselves. Not a boater in their design group. Hell they even stopped customer service from going to assembly floor to get answers for customers!!!!!! They made their bed. If I remember the CAR CHIC is the one that started the avalanche of shit ...
 
bahamabreisus said:
My guess is Marine Max got way to large for Sea Ray to try and demand much from them. I do think more buyers are going for day boats, so I see SR stopping production of the larger boats. My wife and I sat at a local waterfront bar the other day and all we saw were 30-40 ft boats with 3 or 4 outboards. So, I see times are changing. I have been a very loyal SR buyer, from 28ft to 50ft. I am going to have to look hard for what to buy next.
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We had a similar experience in Kenniwick WA. A lot of young families with ski/wake boats. The local yacht club has seen a big change. Most of the older folks have SRs, while the younger crowed are choosing the smaller ski boats. BTW I have never seen so many SRs in one place.
 
bahamabreisus said:
My guess is Marine Max got way to large for Sea Ray to try and demand much from them. I do think more buyers are going for day boats, so I see SR stopping production of the larger boats. My wife and I sat at a local waterfront bar the other day and all we saw were 30-40 ft boats with 3 or 4 outboards. So, I see times are changing. I have been a very loyal SR buyer, from 28ft to 50ft. I am going to have to look hard for what to buy next.
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When the tail wags the dog...

MM
 
I saw the LAST 52 sundancer last weekend. Dealer thinks SR will be back to big boats at some point.
Mike
 
I don't know. The big "yachts" theses days aren't really boats. They are literally floating condos. Hulls are square like shoe boxes - giving more room but have to be a bitch in anything but flat water. Everything is under roof -- it's like driving your living room around.

Back in the day, sea ray developed the sundancer design -- single level, open cockpit, decent accommodations, reasonably sea worthy. It was a more family friendly boat from the convertible sport fish, and not so much a boxy yacht. I suppose that doesn't play anymore?
 
Golfman25 said:
I don't know. The big "yachts" theses days aren't really boats. They are literally floating condos. Hulls are square like shoe boxes - giving more room but have to be a bitch in anything but flat water. Everything is under roof -- it's like driving your living room around.

Back in the day, sea ray developed the sundancer design -- single level, open cockpit, decent accommodations, reasonably sea worthy. It was a more family friendly boat from the convertible sport fish, and not so much a boxy yacht. I suppose that doesn't play anymore?
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Yeah, I have a Sundancer and love it. While I like the hard tops, I don't like the entire cockpit closed in. Living room is an accurate description. Who wants to boat from their living room? Some people do, I know. Not me. At recent boat shows I have stood at a lot of helms of these types of boats. And it's not an "outdoor" experience at all. Maybe that's what people want? Not me. Oh, and at these shows, the roofs were always open. I'm only 6' tall and I was poking through the roof. How do you drive one of these things when the roof is closed? I guess you sit? This isn't limited to Sea Rays, by any means. The living room concept is a mistake, I think.
 
I like my 400 Sedan Bridge... I have a “living room” but my helm on the bridge is open.
 
Steve S said:
I like my 400 Sedan Bridge... I have a “living room” but my helm on the bridge is open.
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Exactly. I'm looking to go bigger and we had a long discussion/analysis of whether we wanted to stick with the Sundancer or go to a sedan bridge. *Having* a living room is a plus. *Driving* from it is not desirable to us (me). This ruled out some really cool European-built sedan bridges (Azimut, Sealine, Fairline, et al) that have that second, inside helm. I'd NEVER use it and it just wastes space.
 
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