Where do you think Sea Ray owners will go next?

copb8tx

copb8tx

Well-Known Member
SILVER Sponsor
Jan 26, 2008
2,840
Highland Village, TX/Port Richey, FL
Boat Info
SOLD 2005 420 DA w/T-8.1S Horizons
Engines
2018 Sea Hunt 255se w/Yamaha 300hp
So as owners of the bigger Sea Rays think about upgrading to a new or newer model what brands do you think will be the most prevalent?

I would think Cruisers would be a natural choice and perhaps Carver, although they're more of an acquired taste. It seems other domestic brands are either well below the quality SR owners are accustomed to or are semi-custom and priced in a completely different tier.

I think the market for the more recent 40+' Sea Rays is going to take a huge ding, especially anything with Zeus in them. I can't think of one that I'd want that would be reasonable upgrade from my current boat. I always loved the 48 but that boats getting a bit old as well.
 
I totally hate the Eurodesigns that Sea Ray went to, and I think led to the demise of the brand (but that is an argument for another thread.) For myself, that means if I ever go larger, the Sea Ray boat will be a similar vintage to the one I own now.

Beyond that, I would look at Hatteras or Tiara before I looked at a newer-ish Sea Ray. Cruisers has the same Euro look that I hate, and Carvers....ugh....
 
Delivery mid summer 2020?...uh no.....don't have that much patience.
 
I see the older, well maintained 330's to 400 Sundancers holding there value.............. JMO
 
I’ve been making fun of Carvers for decades now. We took a sea trial on a brand-new 57 Voyager in ‘04. My expectations were low as I could see brushstrokes in the woodwork, trim not lining up, the cheapest accessories on the market... Somehow, that beast managed to sink my opinion even lower. In mild 2’ chop, she shook like a motor home on a gravel road. The bulkheads were rubbing against the ceiling, sending waterfalls of sawdust to the floor.

On Saturday, I toured their 52 at the PBBS. I couldn’t find a single clue of the “old Carver”. In fact, we had gone from a 72 Marquis to the 52, and the quality gap between them is astonishingly narrow. I did note however that the base price of the 52 is double that of the original 53...

From there we went to the European / W. European IKEA price-brands that SeaRay buyers have been flocking to. They make me sad. Past SeaRay customers aren’t as concerned with quality or supporting the U.S. economy as we’d like to think.
 
The traditional tastes of most members here not withstanding the greater, younger, public, I think Rob Parmentier will lead Carver to be a popular choice. Being the owner of a new to me Cruisers Yachts, they too will offer well built vessels while providing that oldschool family style service that we SR people have come to love. One thing Cruisers does SR did not is they will sell you the part you need if they have it. Screens for port windows sent at great price. Broke the shower drain elbow, $12 and shipping.

These will be the American choices going forward and I hope they do well against the international competition...

MM
 
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Tiara stands to benefit from SRs departure from the yacht market. Virtually all Tiara owners with few exceptions have owned a SR or two prior to moving to Tiara. It was an eye opening experience for us.
 
When the day comes that I don't need to sleep five bodies aboard (I'm not in a hurry, they are already growing too quickly) I think my current preference will be Tiara. Made in Michigan and all! They seem to be the perfect couples boat.

That said I saw a whole slew of newer 40'+ Cruisers Cantius when I picked up my 400 in Sturgeon Bay, WI last summer. Those things are sharp. I like their appearance better in person than in photos though.
 
We mid-westerners probably already have some affinity for Tiara, Carver, and Cruisers because they are located in the midwest. Much like the close relationship many eastern folks have had with SR.

MM
 
It really seems Cruisers have step up their game year after year. I wonder if they're very profitable and if so, why them and not Sea Ray.

Tiara boats are excellent but quite a leap in price.
 
That Maritimo is impressive. Enclosed hard bridge on the M59. I've been on a lot of newer Cruisers and have been impressed.
 
Honestly, I do not know what the next boat will be for us. We love our boat now, but would like to have a midship master. Other than that, we're not missing anything. Boat runs great, and we taken several multi week trips and never felt tired of it... I also do not care for the new L boats...
 
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.
 
copb8tx said:
It really seems Cruisers have step up their game year after year. I wonder if they're very profitable and if so, why them and not Sea Ray.

Tiara boats are excellent but quite a leap in price.
Click to expand...

One thing pops in my mind, SR tried to be too many things to too many customers. We likely will never see a renaissance like SR of the past in boating. It is hard to be the best in so many categories as SR was able to do for so many years. It is a testament of the quality of people, like Rusty, that accomplished that feat for so long.

Expect market fragmentation for the future...

MM
 
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