Island Packet Closing doors

[scuba0_1]

Originally Posted by Black Diamond

I wish them well. They built a solid boat and many good people were employed there. Unfortunately over the years the design's got stranger (30 degree angle berth's and SP Cruiser like boats) and the manufacturing process did not improve to drive costs and volume the way you need to in this industry. As such other manufacturers could offer "good enough" quality and a much more comfortable boat for several hundred thousand dollars less than IP.

I wouldn't sail around the world in a Jeanneau, but the cost of an IP485 was a almost a half million dollars more than a Jeanneau 57 or a about the same as a Hanse 575. The Jeanneau and Hanse offered more options and layouts for the interior and exterior, where Bob Johnson was still selling the same fold down table he designed 30 years ago on a boat with 17' of beam.

Darwin's law. Adapt or become extinct.

Jeanneau 57
LOA 58' 4" (17.78 m.)
LWL 50' 4" (15.35 m.)
Beam 16' 4" (5.00 m.)
Draft (std./opt.) 8' 2"/6' 10" (2.50/2.10 m.)
Sail Area (100%) 1,421 sq. ft. ( 132.00 sq. m.)
Ballast (std./opt.) 13,448/14,330 lb. (6,100/6,500 kg.)
Displacement 45,415 lb. (20,600 kg.)
Ballast/D (std.) .29
D/L (std.) 159
SA/D 17.86
Water 246 gal. (930 l.)
Fuel 115 gal. (435 l.)
Holding 60 gal. (227 l.)
Mast Height 79' 4" (24.20 m.)
Engine 140-hp. VW TDI
Designer Philippe Briand Yacht Design
Sailaway Price approximately $750,000
Jeanneau America

I could sail One around the world

Sent from my SM-N910V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Black Diamond]

Lots of people could ! :-)

Its a nice boat. My point is around the never-land between high volume production manufacturing processes and custom crafted, expensive, high end business models (Oyster, Hylas, Hinkley, etc.).

Island Packet was making a superb quality boat targeting people who did not have bottomless pockets. It was a niche that closed quickly. IP started off as a volume manufacturer (they made hundreds of IP40's and IP370's and IP420s) but they got more and more expensive each year. What I saw was that they lost their market to the companies like Hanse, Jeanneau and Beneteau who were making "good enough" quality. I even went to the factory to see the new 485 prototype. Not many people would have bothered but I had an IP45 for 10 years and loved it. I went to HYLAS for my boat in 2008 because I didn't see the same value in IP that I did in 1998. I also didn't think the interior layouts used the potential provided by the hulls. It seemed like an IP32 interior inside a 16' beam, 53' long boat. It wasn't competitive.

There are some very bright people at IP. Merging with bright people at Seaward may just give them the critical mass and combination to spring back. I hope so.

Rick

[Ip485]

and with the latest news I am pleased to say they appear to be spinging back.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Ip485

and with the latest news I am pleased to say they appear to be spinging back.

What latest news?

I have never known a company dead for a year to be redirected.

Their brand imho is gone.

[neilpride]

Originally Posted by Ip485

and with the latest news I am pleased to say they appear to be spinging back.

Hopefully they draw new hull lines and something really atractive for the market...

[Ip485]

Island Packet Yachts | America's Cruising Yacht Leader

Back under Hake Marine, still producing the same superb cruising yachts and, although I may be biased, beautiful lines, superb build quality and gorgeous interiors.

[Black Diamond]

Not sure about the "gorgeous interiors" comment. Bob Johnson kept re-using his interior designs to the point where a 485 has a dance floor in between the two settees. In my opinion its a huge waste of space. That and his ridiculous fold-down table which makes sense on a 32' boat but is nowhere near the right table for a 52' yacht.

Even if you accept the above as "opinion", the issue is one of economics. IP made a high quality yacht. I just don't think they could make money at it and charge what the market is willing to bear. They are not Oyster or Hylas or Passport and therefore could not charge $1M plus for a boat. On the other hand, their 465/490 (whatever you call it) was running close to $900K at the end. They need to have a "value" play. Early IP had it (in the late 90's and early 2000's) Then their costs caught up with them and prices went up to a point where people had other "value" options...

The challenge for the new owners is maintaining the brand and selling new boats at a value price. Tough to do if you only make 3-4 of a model in a given year...

Rick
* Former IP45-029 owner

[Eder]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

What latest news?

I have never known a company dead for a year to be redirected.

Their brand imho is gone.

Actually they just splashed this one...


They lowered prices to 2008 prices and intend to have 2 to 3 under construction from now on.

[a64pilot]

They will have a tough time. I believe they are renaming the boats so that its length overall or something. You could tell IP was trying to find something the market would go for with the unusual boats they were building.
They just don't have the flash of some of the newer things out there

[Eder]

Island Packets are not for everyone...that's what makes them so special...many sailboat brands are like this.

[neilpride]

Who is the NA ?

[Cotemar]

They have to get rid of all the exterior wood. No Cruisers have the time or money to maintain outside wood anymore.

[DDabs]

Love the OEM hard dodger. Good work IP

[Ip485]

Not sure about the "gorgeous interiors" comment. Bob Johnson kept re-using his interior designs to the point where a 485 has a dance floor in between the two settees. In my opinion its a huge waste of space. That and his ridiculous fold-down table which makes sense on a 32' boat but is nowhere near the right table for a 52' yacht.

I agree the fold down table on mine has gone. It is the boat's worst feature. I hope there is a small redesign of the saloon. Without the table but with a more conventional replacement the size is perfect and the port settee is a perfect sea / night berth with a removable rail and lee cloth.

I have yet to find a perfect boat. However the navigation station is one of the best, the rear lazarette that will take a compressor, water maker, a/c, water heater, and a load of kit is "I dont know how I could live without it" for the live-a-aboard, and the state rooms are very comfy.

I am not sure where all the extra wood work is - I have a few teak treads, a teak cap rail, and teak eyebrows, that is it.

They definitely are not for everyone but my goodness they comfort and reassure you on long passages especially at night with one of you up top hoping for a drama free transit, so I reckon they have a place in the market and with the revised prices reprsent very good value for money.

[a64pilot]

I love the table, I think it's brilliant, when the kids are down we can very comfortably seat four, six is a little tight, and then fold it up and it's gone.
But I have a 38 too, and maybe that is what it is, space is harder to come by on a 38 than a 485 I guess.