A sad day for sailing

[gleason99]

So Beneteau is shutting down in Marion SC this September 15 after 33 years in the USA, a sad day for sailing and particularly Beneteau and Jeaneau owners. I would imagine Annapolis sales department will still be open but all parts are going to be shipped from France.

https://wpde.com/news/coronavirus/ma...lose-its-doors

[Fishbust]

Buy American when you can.

[Chenega]

Originally Posted by Fishbust

Buy American when you can.

[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]

[Jim Cate]

Perhaps a sad day for their employees, but hardly a sad day for sailors as a whole. The economics of producing inexpensive boats for the charter trade here on this side of the Atlantic was good for a while, but not so good now. What would one expect a bean-counter driven biz to do?

For those who want to buy a new Bennie, they will likely still be available. For the rest of the sailing world, there are plenty of things that make us sadder...

Jim

[slug]

Originally Posted by Fishbust

Buy American when you can.

They don’t build boats in the US

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

I suspect the main advantage is proximity to the big customers in the Caribe charter fleets. And when their biz tanks due to Covid, so does the charter cat building trade, and shazam! back to France.

Jim

Possibly, but because they don't fit into containers shipping cost from Europe to the US or Caribbean must be a considerable addition to the cost.

[Fishbust]

Originally Posted by slug

They don’t build boats in the US

https://www.catalinayachts.com/

[Snore]

Originally Posted by slug

They don’t build boats in the US

Tartan, Pacific Seacraft, Catalina-
I could drone on but....

[barnakiel]

I think this is good news for US builders, hence good news for sailors.


I wish there were more PS boats, fewer Bene boats, around.


b.

[DDabs]

It's a shame that all the people working in that factory will be laid off, however Beneteau has its hands in so many different areas of the marine industry- I wouldn't say it's a sad day for sailing...

[Kd9truck]

Sad it is, lots of Beneteau and Jeanneau vessels in my harbor, and I own a sun odyssey 44i.
They are beautiful durable and mostly well maintained. My vessel was built in Marion, and my vessel before that a 90’ first 285. It was never a French over American thing for me. I just bought the youngest vessel in the best shape, in my price range.
While the charter service did drive a Formidable portion of Annual sales most of the vessels I see from Beneteau on the Long Island sound are not vessels retired from charter.
American jobs lost, is American jobs lost, regardless of the companies nation of origin. There will not be a Hinkley factory opening in the same location next month.

[DDabs]

What's sad for sailing is you'll start seeing more Beneteau and Jeanneau powerboats than you will new cruising sailboat designs...

[Alita49DS]

I do wish people would desist from writing posts with click bait headings such as this. Please, please give some idea of the subject so one can decide if it is worth reading about.

[Don C L]

To each his own of course, but I still consider it even sadder to see good stout boats, that could make someone a nice first practice boat, or some kid a great project, that get reduced to shreds under a chainsaw. Sailing just may not have the romantic appeal it once did... or a middle class lifestyle just can't afford it.

[vpbarkley]

Here's the news as I understand it to be:
Beneteau's sailboat manufacturing facility in Marion, SC is closing.
The plant has been in operation for the last 30 years.
Beneteau sailboats will now be manufactured in France.
Parts and support for will still be handled in the US.
Beneteau is dropping 4 of 12 brands in an effort to consolidate.