What happened to Sea Ray

C

chambers1517

New Member
Feb 19, 2014
2
Lenoir Citty
Boat Info
2008 Caravelle Interceptor
Engines
350 Mercruiser MPI
I live in East Tn close to the Sea Ray plant. There are always lots of Sea Rays at the local lake. In 2005 I bought a 2000 Sea Ray 185 with a 4.3mpi engine. It was a great boat and my wife really loved it. We used it for 4 years and sold it for more than we paid for it. It was really well built. I bought a couple of other boats since the 185. We decided we were ready to buy a brand new boat and knew it had to be a Sea Ray. We went to the local dealer and was really surprised about how much they are cheapened down. We were looking for something around 21-23'. We looked at a new 210 and there is no comparison between a 2014 and a 2000. Has cost cutting taken over at Sea Ray. We will have to look elsewhere. Really sad.
 
I think most Boat Manufacturers have been trying to maximize profit as much as possible and sometimes quality takes a hit
 
That's why I always say "Old Boats are the Best Boats". Mine is 26 years old, and still looks and runs great!
 
I love the look of the newer SeaRay but hate the price. Back a few months ago a had the great fortune to talk with Capt Rusty about my old 88. He said some great things about my old girl, some I knew others I didn't. Words like "thick hull" and "time spent building" those statements go a long way and equil a great quality boat. SeaRay isn't doing anything different than every other boat builder, reducing cost and increasing profit. Fine an older SeaRay you will still be in love with the boat
 
I think you should start your search by looking at new Bayliners. The news ones are made with glass bottoms so you can see last years models. :smt043
 
One has to assume that most builders have been in pretty tough shape since oh, about 2008 or so, and have been doing what they can just to survive. Boats have not exactly been flying off the shelves the last 5 or 6 years.
 
I think "cheap" might be a matter of perspective. Of course all builders are looking at minimizing the cost while maintaining quality and maximizing profit. I look at the new Sea Rays and I wouldn't say they are cheap quality at all.... the styles and amenities have changed with the demands of today's boater. Thick, heavy, curvy and plush was in a few years back... today the style is light, lean, clean and sporty. That might give the appearance of being cheap but it's what is in style.

You gonna tell me the 2014 350 SLX is cheap? That's a sweet-a$$ boat (emphasis on the $$...she ain't cheap either).

I saw my old 2008 240SD on the lake over the weekend.... I LOVED that boat but the style looks dated to me. I still like it but the swoopy, bubbly lines don't do it for me anymore...but that's just me.

I love the new Sea Rays personally.
 
I looked at the new 240 Sundeck Outboard and found it not to be up to the standards that I liked. The boat had many screws and almost nothing was bolted. The deck drained into the bilge. Even the fabric did not seem up to the older standards. The only thing that was improved was the price. over 75000 for a 24' outboard boat. I tried to stay in the family but it was not for me.
 
chambers1517 said:
I live in East Tn close to the Sea Ray plant. There are always lots of Sea Rays at the local lake. In 2005 I bought a 2000 Sea Ray 185 with a 4.3mpi engine. It was a great boat and my wife really loved it. We used it for 4 years and sold it for more than we paid for it. It was really well built. I bought a couple of other boats since the 185. We decided we were ready to buy a brand new boat and knew it had to be a Sea Ray. We went to the local dealer and was really surprised about how much they are cheapened down. We were looking for something around 21-23'. We looked at a new 210 and there is no comparison between a 2014 and a 2000. Has cost cutting taken over at Sea Ray. We will have to look elsewhere. Really sad.
Click to expand...

..........other than that, how was your trip to Dallas Mrs. Kennedy?
 
I have compared dozens of models from various manufacturers and for the most part SeaRay still makes one of the best products on the market.

Don't confuse design style with build quality. I've toured a SR factory and they definitely care about quality.

My dealer sells both Bayliners and SeaRays and there's a big difference in build quality between the two. Also, what you don't see is hull thickness. SeaRay builds a thicker hull than Bayliner.

In 2008 the boating industry was hit very hard by the state of the economy. In 2013 things started to look up and this year the industry is expecting growth.

You can disagree with the style of the new boats, but SeaRay is chasing the industry trends. More than a third of their boats are not sold to US boaters and they must please other markets.

If you want an interesting read check out Brunswick's 2014 Q1 earnings report. Outboard boats are doing well, sterndrive cruisers are not. Larger boats are expected to do well this year. This explains SeaRay's commitment to the 510, 510Fly, 650Fly, 650, 580, 580Fly.
http://www.brunswick.com/investors/

A bit off the subject marine engines (Mercury) are more than 50% of Brunswick's gross earnings.
 
If you want an interesting read check out Brunswick's 2014 Q1 earnings report. Outboard boats are doing well, sterndrive cruisers are not. Larger boats are expected to do well this year. This explains SeaRay's commitment to the 510, 510Fly, 650Fly, 650, 580, 580Fly.
Click to expand...

Shows the "middle class" boats are now beyond "middle class" affordability.

I will agree compared to other boats they are still on the higher end but I have to say they are now feeling more like a high class RV with the interior components. Not sure how things would hold up with real rough water abuse. Just my perception from the shows and 90% percent of the new boat market for that matter.
 
What happened to Sea Ray is the destruction of the middle class, the destruction of small businesses, the costs of Obamacare, the castration of the energy sector and associated higher costs of energy, higher corporate taxes, government regulation, and higher insurance rates. All of this has deeply affected the boating industry. It has cut into profit margins, eliminated competition between suppliers, cut demand for the product, reduced the economy of scale, and made it more costly to produce a boat. This is not about corporate greed maximizing profits.
 
JV II said:
What happened to Sea Ray is the destruction of the middle class, the destruction of small businesses, the costs of Obamacare, the castration of the energy sector and associated higher costs of energy, higher corporate taxes, government regulation, and higher insurance rates. All of this has deeply affected the boating industry. It has cut into profit margins, eliminated competition between suppliers, cut demand for the product, reduced the economy of scale, and made it more costly to produce a boat. This is not about corporate greed maximizing profits.
Click to expand...

...And that is why they now are trageting the "wealthy" with the luxury series and not the disappearing "middle class".

MM
 
Tonka Boater said:
I think "cheap" might be a matter of perspective. Of course all builders are looking at minimizing the cost while maintaining quality and maximizing profit. I look at the new Sea Rays and I wouldn't say they are cheap quality at all.... the styles and amenities have changed with the demands of today's boater. Thick, heavy, curvy and plush was in a few years back... today the style is light, lean, clean and sporty. That might give the appearance of being cheap but it's what is in style.

You gonna tell me the 2014 350 SLX is cheap? That's a sweet-a$$ boat (emphasis on the $$...she ain't cheap either).

I saw my old 2008 240SD on the lake over the weekend.... I LOVED that boat but the style looks dated to me. I still like it but the swoopy, bubbly lines don't do it for me anymore...but that's just me.

I love the new Sea Rays personally.
Click to expand...

Is that why you bought a Cobalt to replace your Sea Ray?!!? Lol
 
Lighter weight construction in newer boats is not necessarily "cheap" or "inferior" Manufacturers are using more modern construction techniques that result in less material and weight in general. they also have better resin and lay up techniques to prevent water intrusion in hulls over the long haul. The same occurs in structural and mechanical designs of buildings. Unless you plan on pulling crab pots in Alaska, these new boat designs are more than robust enough to handle the elements the typical csr owner will encounter.
 
Gee...welcome to 2014? If Sea Rays, Cobalts or any other brand of anything were built the samy way they were 14 years ago, the cost to buy would be prohibitive. That applies to just about anything really.

Just take a ken a look at a new vehicle compared to a classic and you'll get my point.

Mark
 
JV II said:
What happened to Sea Ray is the destruction of the middle class, the destruction of small businesses, the costs of Obamacare, the castration of the energy sector and associated higher costs of energy, higher corporate taxes, government regulation, and higher insurance rates. All of this has deeply affected the boating industry. It has cut into profit margins, eliminated competition between suppliers, cut demand for the product, reduced the economy of scale, and made it more costly to produce a boat. This is not about corporate greed maximizing profits.
Click to expand...

What are you basing this on?
I'm a small business owner and have thrived over the past 5 years. Obamacare has had ZERO impact on our bottom line or operations. I am part of several small business groups and I've yet to meet a small business owner harmed by these changes. What regulations are you talking about? It sounds like you're hitting all of the Fox News talking points, which have no substance.

The boating industry as a whole is a luxury. When people aren't spending, boat manufacturers suffer.
When I was at the Palm Coast factory in October they told me about some of the mom and pop suppliers that provide them with parts for SeaRay boats. Times have been tough, but they are still working hard to make boats.
 
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