Island Packet Closing doors

[Alika]

When I go to the link above, I do not get any notice of closing for IPY. Has anybody verified this? My emails do not bounce back.

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by TacomaSailor

A friend was a salesman for an IP brokerage and a long distance cruiser in a 42' Island Packet. He had serious experience as both a salesman and cruiser.

Several years ago we spent a week on his boat cruising about SoCal and Mexico and talked a lot about the future of Island Packet. He was disturbed and distressed that the IP management and marketing folks were so far out of touch with the modern market and cruising community. He felt that IP owner/managers were ignoring the hard won advice of folks like him who spent 40-hours a week trying to sell the beautiful, but old and slow, antiquated IP boats.

He was most disturbed that the IP response was the BlueJacket line of boats. He felt that boat was the death knell of the company and an terrible demonstration of how mis-informed IP was about the modern cruiser / high end boater buyer.

Recently he moved on to another line of boats but still owns a big and beautiful IP.

I don't really get this. The BJ 40 was clearly a modern design. What was the issue with this boat?

[reed1v]

About time. Their boats look more and more like bloated whales.

[rockDAWG]

I was surprised that IP actually lasted this long. A company who refused to change and improve their products. They have no one to blame except themselves. They continued to make their boat without innovation for decades. The people like their boats are those in the nursing home or 6 ft under. The sad part is those will not buy their overpriced new boats.

I understand that one should not make changes the recipe in the Grand mom's secret red sauce. Can you imagine if Apple continues to make their "original" iPhone and selling them 3 x as much. I doubt they will survive today.

I expect that more boat manufactures will go under. Survival of the fittest. Natural selection process may take a long time, but economical selection process is quick and brutal.

[Cheechako]

Apparently many of you forget that IP does have a more modern style boat available. I doubt it's selling like hotcakes either.
http://www.bluejacketyachts.com/
There is nothing new about boat companies going out of business, it happens regularly.... to the worst and to the best.

[rockDAWG]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

I don't really get this. The BJ 40 was clearly a modern design. What was the issue with this boat?

Seriously, they are more than 2 decades too late with antiquated manufacture process.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by rosatte

They are nice boats but who could afford to buy a new one..only a few can

There are plenty of people with more than enough money, but they prefer not to buy a dated, ugly design. Shannon discovered the same thing with the same outcome.

[SaltyMonkey]

IP is still open for business. Apparently they will make some announcement on Tuesday. All this eviction had something to do w/ legal papers being modified or something or other etc.

Saw this info on another forum -- you know which one.

Don't know if any of this has already been relayed above as I didn't find it.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

I don't really get this. The BJ 40 was clearly a modern design. What was the issue with this boat?

Go see some European boats. The BJ40 would be right at home in 1985.

[alansmith]

I agree about the European designs. Clean, sophisticated, in tune with people's desires, innovative, and sexy.

That young Briish chap who rides all of the new steeds ... What a job he has commenting on these sleek ponies. There was a 50 foot Italian job on YouTube that was just so sleek and drop dead gorgeous. Then we have 80's in America. They come and they go.

[TacomaSailor]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

I don't really get this. The BJ 40 was clearly a modern design. What was the issue with this boat?

I know nothing about the Bluejacket - I am just repeating what I was told by a very experienced IP salesman and cruiser.

It was not unique and was overpriced. Nothing about the Bluejacket would cause a Beneteau (or similar) buyer to spend the extra dollars. It was not fast enough to interest the J-boat crowd.

The BlueJacket seemed, to my experienced salesman friend, to be a middle of the road boat that did not appeal to any of the markets that were siphoning off the traditional IP customers.

[DDabs]

Originally Posted by TacomaSailor

I know nothing about the Bluejacket - I am just repeating what I was told by a very experienced IP salesman and cruiser.

It was not unique and was overpriced. Nothing about the Bluejacket would cause a Beneteau (or similar) buyer to spend the extra dollars. It was not fast enough to interest the J-boat crowd.

The BlueJacket seemed, to my experienced salesman friend, to be a middle of the road boat that did not appeal to any of the markets that were siphoning off the traditional IP customers.

The problem with any type of crossover, really.

[dangerfield55]

I liked everything about the IP's. A sailboat no matter how stylish is never fast compared with power. My last boat will be an IP.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[clockwork orange]

Originally Posted by rockDAWG

Seriously, they are more than 2 decades too late with antiquated manufacture process.

I'm curious what you know about the manufacturing process, could you please explain the process for those of us that have not been in the IP factory. I agree that they were way too late with a modern design but I don't know about the build.

Steve.

[Sailing55]

Originally Posted by Sailor Jer

Amen, I always chuckle when I meet the ones who just downsized to a storage locker to live on a boat and they have snap on tools hahaha. Less than three months later you hear them berating themselves for with dropping them over the side of whining how rusty they're snap on tools have become.

Funny, some of the first Snap-On tools I bought 50 years ago are still rust free even though they reside in the forward compartment. Not so the few junk tools I have...
The only tools that have gone over the side on my boat were the broken ones that I "dropped".