Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 16-08-2019, 16:26   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Salt Lake City
Boat: 1984 Hobie Holder 12'
Posts: 60
Rank the different boat brands

I’m hoping this doesn’t come across as too dumb of a question, but I’m looking for some help in understanding boat brands/manufacturers.

I understand there are too many to cover them all. I understand it will be very subjective. I understand everyone has different sailing goals and experience. Ok - with the disclaimer out of the way - who wants to sort the different boat manufacturers into categories?

Maybe relating to cars would be helpful.

The Kia/Hyundai tier: boats that are super cheap, good for beginners, and you won’t lose too much sleep if it sinks due to the cost (no offense to Kia owners, I’m sure they’re great cars).

Honda Accord/Toyota Camry tier: solid boats, no bells or whistles, won’t turn any heads in the marina, but will get the job done and probably hold their resale value - based on my 3 months of hanging out around this forum, I’d guess Catalina’s would go here.

Lexus tier: higher end of boats that average people can afford

Feel free to add higher tiers if you’re bored, but they’re out of my range. I want to start looking at boats and would love a cheat sheet to help me quickly sort the brands.

Edit: looking at monohulls, but not opposed to multis
Salt to Sea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-08-2019, 16:42   #2
Registered User
 
Svsumurun's Avatar

Join Date: May 2018
Location: Lake Erie
Boat: Pearson 365 ketch
Posts: 182
Re: Rank the different boat brands

Svsumurun is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-08-2019, 16:42   #3
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: W Carib
Boat: Wildcat 35, Hobie 33
Posts: 13,479
Re: Rank the different boat brands

Monohulls or Multis?
belizesailor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-08-2019, 16:48   #4
Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Salt Lake City
Boat: 1984 Hobie Holder 12'
Posts: 60
Re: Rank the different boat brands

Quote:
Originally Posted by belizesailor View Post
Monohulls or Multis?
Mono, please. Thanks.
Salt to Sea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-08-2019, 16:55   #5
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 2,951
Re: Rank the different boat brands

Sounds like you need to hang around another 3 months.
letsgetsailing3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-08-2019, 16:58   #6
S/V rubber ducky
 
sailorboy1's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: heading "south"
Boat: Hunter 410
Posts: 20,362
Re: Rank the different boat brands

the brand is only 1 piece of the puzzle, there is the model, year, and even the various options within each
__________________
Don't ask a bunch of unknown forum people if it is OK to do something on YOUR boat. It is your boat, do what you want!
sailorboy1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-08-2019, 17:04   #7
Registered User

Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Oregon
Boat: Seafarer36c
Posts: 5,563
Re: Rank the different boat brands

If I could get a cheap cruising boat that has a 20 year warranty like our KIA, I would be buying it.
model 10 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-08-2019, 17:17   #8
Registered User
 
S/V Illusion's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Lakewood Ranch, FLORIDA
Boat: Alden 50, Sarasota, Florida
Posts: 3,464
Re: Rank the different boat brands

My first boss said his Ford Pinto was the “best car he ever had”. Turned out it was the only car he ever had.

I’d rank a well-maintained Kia over the lemon Mercedes my wife has. And the Kia doesn’t cost me $400 for an oil change. Best boat .... there is no such thing.
S/V Illusion is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-08-2019, 17:31   #9
Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Salt Lake City
Boat: 1984 Hobie Holder 12'
Posts: 60
Re: Rank the different boat brands

Quote:
Originally Posted by S/V Illusion View Post
My first boss said his Ford Pinto was the “best car he ever had”. Turned out it was the only car he ever had.

I’d rank a well-maintained Kia over the lemon Mercedes my wife has. And the Kia doesn’t cost me $400 for an oil change. Best boat .... there is no such thing.
Not looking for the best boat. I spoke with a Lyft driver who told me to checkout Hunters. He said they’re great boats. I was hoping it might be possible to say brands x,y,z are really good, and brands a,b,c have terrible reputations.

I knew it was a dumb question as I typed it, but I was hoping someone could simplify it for a total dummy like myself. I plan to get a boat next year and will be doing some research between now and then. There are so many brands that it’s overwhelming. I need to work on my list of what I’m looking for, and tbh, I don’t know enough to even do that yet. I’m hanging out at the marina when I can and talking to everyone (even my Lyft drivers) about sailing. Really wanted to be able to cross off some of the 200+ brands that I see on the boat classifieds, but looks like all I’m going to accomplish is a well deserved reputation around here as completely incompetent.
Salt to Sea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-08-2019, 17:35   #10
S/V rubber ducky
 
sailorboy1's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: heading "south"
Boat: Hunter 410
Posts: 20,362
Re: Rank the different boat brands

now you gone and done it
__________________
Don't ask a bunch of unknown forum people if it is OK to do something on YOUR boat. It is your boat, do what you want!
sailorboy1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-08-2019, 17:38   #11
Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Salt Lake City
Boat: 1984 Hobie Holder 12'
Posts: 60
Re: Rank the different boat brands

Quote:
Originally Posted by sailorboy1 View Post
the brand is only 1 piece of the puzzle, there is the model, year, and even the various options within each
Y’all are overthinking this. All thing equal, are some brands regarded as better than others?

Obviously, a brand new X will be better than a rusted out 30 yr old Y. I get that. But, generally, is Y considered a good brand to look into?

Maybe the car analogy wasn’t the best way to frame this. Maybe I’m just an idiot.
Salt to Sea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-08-2019, 17:39   #12
Moderator
 
Adelie's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: La Ciudad de la Misión Didacus de Alcalá en Alta California, Virreinato de Nueva España
Boat: Cal 20
Posts: 20,441
Re: Rank the different boat brands

#1: Cal

#2: I don’t care.
__________________
Num Me Vexo?
For all of your celestial navigation questions: https://navlist.net/
A house is but a boat so poorly built and so firmly run aground no one would think to try and refloat it.
Adelie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-08-2019, 17:49   #13
Marine Service Provider

Join Date: Jan 2019
Boat: Beneteau 432, C&C Landfall 42, Roberts Offshore 38
Posts: 6,253
Re: Rank the different boat brands

This is an impossible and even foolish request.....it would be like trying to rank the people that inhabit this planet.
There must be 1,000's of variables....makes, models, years, draft, ketch rig, schooner rigs, catboats, center cockpit, aft cockpit...the list is endless !!
On top of that....like the saying goes...some people like blondes and some people like Brunette's, so there is no accounting for personal taste, budgets, etc.
West coast boats are not always found on the east coast...
You can get steel boats, fiberglass boats, wood boats, concrete boats, plastic boats, composite boats....
Race boats....cruising boats...
I'm sure you get my drift.
If you are looking to buy a boat...start with a budget...this will narrow your search considerably. No point in walking down marina's eyeballing mega yachts with a VW budget. Likewise, peruse online....Yachtworld and many others...find a broker...etc...
Better to find a boat you like...and can afford...then ask the question...is this a good boat ??
MicHughV is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-08-2019, 17:54   #14
Registered User

Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 3,521
Re: Rank the different boat brands

This summary of monohulls by John Neal is very good. See the list of boats at the end.

https://www.mahina.com/cruise.html
CarlF is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-08-2019, 18:02   #15
Moderator
 
JPA Cate's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: aboard, cruising in Australia
Boat: Sayer 46' Solent rig sloop
Posts: 28,400
Re: Rank the different boat brands

Hi, Salt to Sea,

Of course, everyone feels a need to defend his own choice, and boat choice is at the end of the day, more personal than cars, because the basic environment (the ocean) is not as safe as land for humans.

Boats that are lightly built can be very good and expensive (due to materials costs) or dreadful and prone to having issues and there's a middle ground, as well. When you have settled on a marque in which you think you might be interested, go to the owners forum and see what kinds of repairs they are discussing.

What you will eventually want is one that has been better maintained [see http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-a-78671.html], than the others you're interested in. Don't allow boat lust to develop till you've found exactly what you think you want, given that ALL boats are compromises.

One of the easier entry level stances is like a used Catalina 22, 27,or 30. Very common boat, easy to buy and sell, and you can learn a lot with one and have a very good time. Or, look for posts about a Hunter 27 bought by a CF member called something like <Teknishn>, sorry, I don't remember how he spelled it.

Or, look at Sailorboy1's avatar, he has a Hunter listed as hi s boat. Ask him the pros and cons. Mostly boat owners like to talk about their boats, but there is sometimes brand bashing that occurrs, which is unpleasant to deal with. Just as there is sometimes conflict between the preferences of mono vs. catamaran owners. Boats are built to price lines and their solidity or lack of it is part of that.


Ann
__________________
Who scorns the calm has forgotten the storm.
JPA Cate is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
boat

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
AIS different brands any good?? davil Marine Electronics 50 10-01-2019 06:07
Boat brands that are not seaworthy? wannabesailing Monohull Sailboats 97 26-10-2015 18:59
can I mix different rudder angle indicator and different autopilots awab Marine Electronics 11 24-04-2013 14:25
Brands, Brands, Brands . . . . Alan Welch General Sailing Forum 10 23-12-2009 11:57
Please Rank These Boats by Quality Jake Tanley Monohull Sailboats 9 04-09-2009 20:09

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 03:31.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.