Annapolis Sailboat Show Review

[Kenomac]

When we had our Hunter 450 several years ago, it was the new Beneteau 58 that got us thinking about buying a larger boat at the Newport, RI boatshow. I remember specifically, that it had an electrically controlled companionway door. So put me firmly in with the group that's quite taken by electronic gadgets and style.

Ken

[bsfred]

I do not think it is all about flash and electronics with all volume builders. I think that is disingenuous. I think there is an intent by some of the production builders to improve their quality and to get to an affordable blend of performance and comfort. I am sure there is a happy middle ground somewhere.

edit: That was in response to a couple of posts earlier.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

That easy....US labor costs and regulations.

Then how do the French do it with massively more business regulation than the US and higher manufacturing wages????

[colemj]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

Not one major Cat. manufacturer in the USA.

Endeavor still builds sailing catamarans don't they? Aren't Gemini's still built in the USA?

Mark

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

That easy....US labor costs and regulations.

How does the UK and Germany manage? They certainly have an equal amount of regulation and high labor costs. Discovery and Oyster. Bavaria and Hanse.

[Rohan]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

The US manufacturers present were Hunter, Catalina, Island Packet and Morris. For cruising boats, I think that was all... very sad.

You are forgetting about Seaward. There were 3 of them there, I think, and right by the main entrance. I'm impressed with the 46 RK although the styling is a little old-fashioned (intentionally).

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I see the future in wide, open stern monohulls and catamarans. A puzzlement why there are no US manufacturers participating in that market.

Gemini. More 105s have been built than any other catamaran in the world.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Rohan

You are forgetting about Seaward. There were 3 of them there, I think, and right by the main entrance. I'm impressed with the 46 RK although the styling is a little old-fashioned (intentionally).

Gemini. More 105s have been built than any other catamaran in the world.

I didn't see the Seawards, please provide a review for the rest of us, your thoughts will be appreciated. We usually entered from the side entrance of the show.

I intentionally left out the Catamarans because of the other thread on Annapolis multihulls. But I wasn't aware Gemini was an American company & just looked at a few of the Lagoons, Leopards and Isara myself. Didn't take a look at any Cats under 48ft.

[CR38]

Some comments:

1) Tartan was present with at least 4 boats.
2) Other cruising brands present that I didn't see listed in the original post were Passport (2 boats), Moody (1 Boat) and Halberg Rassy (1 Boat)
3) Gunboat manufactures it Gunboat 55 in Wanchese, NC.

[Rohan]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I didn't see the Seawards, please provide a review for the rest of us, your thoughts will be appreciated. We usually entered from the side entrance of the show.

The one I looked at in detail was teh 46RK. Not much of a review, more like just my impressions, since I didn't sail it, but by all accounts it sails very well.

I am fascinated by the 46RK, and am considering it, but have very mixed feelings. It has two wonderful things you won't find on many monohulls. A retractable keel and rudders, so you can enter shallow waters, you could probably even beach it. There is also a captain's chair in the salon with a nearly 360 view all around, in a semi-pilothouse, perfect for controlling the boat when it's cold/rainy outside, or conducting watch. Actually I don't know any monohull currently sold that is set up this way.

My wife saw it last year and immediately didn't like it because it seemed very tight walking through the salon. But this year she changed her mind. The boat is very open otherwise, with plenty of light, and a very large galley, and good quality heads. It also feels bigger than it is because the raised portions of the salon feel like a natural partition between the starboard aft cabin & head and the rest of the boat. It also has a second dedicated navigation station inside. There are even deck prisms even, which is nice. The anchor/sail locker is huge and can fit anything you want.

There are several drawbacks, although some of them are just my preferences and not drawbacks per se. Unlike modern European boats, the aft of the boat is rather narrow, so the cockpit has less room & one wheel instead of two. The windows in the owners cabin are small. The styling is so retro, like straight out of the 1970s, that I would be worried about resale value several years from now. The aft of the boat is just plain white and makes it look like a bathtub floating in the water. Not very attractive.

Of course, function is more important, and I can imagine this as a great sailboat, especially for exploring islands in the Caribbean.

[Kenomac]

Rohan,

Thanks for your review.

It would be nice to read some impressions other folks had of the overall show, specific models they like and others they may not have liked. Trends in the market etc.

[a64pilot]

Kenomac,
I'm interested in you started this thread.
I assume you didn't buy either your Hunter or your Oyster new?
Boat manufacturers obviously target the new boat buyers and they should of course, and I've been wondering to be truthful, who those people are?
From what I can tell, they drive something prestigious, have a Rolex on their wrist, a Harley in the garage.
They aren't really going to "use" the boat, except mostly to brag about having one and to have parties on their "new" boat at the marina. As likely as not they will hire a "Captain" to sail the boat just as they hire a pilot to fly their aircraft.

Now, I'm talking about the big boat owners because you are talking about big, new boats.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Kenomac,
I'm interested in you started this thread.
I assume you didn't buy either your Hunter or your Oyster new?
Boat manufacturers obviously target the new boat buyers and they should of course, and I've been wondering to be truthful, who those people are?
From what I can tell, they drive something prestigious, have a Rolex on their wrist, a Harley in the garage.
They aren't really going to "use" the boat, except mostly to brag about having one and to have parties on their "new" boat at the marina. As likely as not they will hire a "Captain" to sail the boat just as they hire a pilot to fly their aircraft.

Now, I'm talking about the big boat owners because you are talking about big, new boats.

I think I know what you're asking, but from what I've found, your impressions couldn't be farther from reality.

My wife and I have never owned a Rolex, she drives a 10 year old VW Bug to work four days a week to her nursing job. I drive a 12 year old Dodge Neon (a hand-me-down from my daughter).... so much for the status cars. No Harleys in the garage. We are self made, have worked more than full time for over 40 years.

The other folks we see out at the anchorages on the larger boats... are the same. Hard work, self made, many are business owners either now retired or looking forward to retirement and a chance to settle down/slow down a little. All the owners we know (Five Discovery 55 owners, maybe 10 Oyster owners and several Lagoon owners) always the same story. We drove back to our Best Western (budget hotel, more like a motel) from the show with our friends in their 7 year old Acura SUV which they'd driven down from Canada for the Annapolis show. They own a $2,000,000 sailboat which they purchased brand new. They could afford the boat, because they've always worked 60-80 hours a week in a family owned business and lived very modestly, currently, they live in a small apartment.

Regarding the buyers of new boats: After viewing the then brand new Beneteau 58 four years ago, when I got home, I called my yacht broker and began to make plans to sell our Hunter and find a way to purchase the Beneteau. We ended up instead on the Oyster, which actually cost more.
So, I think that my wife and I should be included in the manufacturers new buyer target market. We look for the same goodies, sleek styling, light interiors, etc.

I've only met two couples who have hired crew onboard. A couple on an Oyster 62 who sailed around the world and a UK couple on an Oyster 575 who were in their mid 70's and could no longer handle the boat by themselves. We don't know a single owner who can be described as owning a "dock queen." Everyone is out using their boats as much as time will allow, many for months on end. We live on our boat for a four month stretch each year in the Med and hope to extend that to include the entire year as soon as my wife retires.... always at anchor. Last summer we spent zero euros on mooring and dock fees, and always haul out for the off-season... hardly a "Dock Queen."

I hope this helps you to figure out who really owns the cruising boats. The truly rich guys own powerboats/motoryachts, those are the people literally.... with money to burn. A 53ft boat is not a "Big Boat." Maybe by American cruising standards, but in Europe, we are always one of the smaller boats in the anchorage. I consider the folks on the 150 foot motor yachts to be the "Big Boat" owners.



Ken

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

One can pay entry an entry level price to purchase a quality boat, it's usually done over at the brokerage show. But not many boats over on those docks at Annapolis. Many more brokerage boats at the Newport, RI show.

That's interesting to know. For someone that has only done the Annapolis show and the Miami show, I find that kind of info very interesting.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by zboss

That's interesting to know. For someone that has only done the Annapolis show and the Miami show, I find that kind of info very interesting.

Of course, I'm referring to the purchase of a used boat.

Example: Four years ago, my wife and I discovered the Brokers show in Newport, RI for the first time. We had been shopping for a new or slightly used Beneteau 58, Hylas 54 or a Jeanneau 54DS and had signed in on the register books to look at various boats, some of which we had no intention of buying. After several offers and deals that had gone sour on our target boats, we received a color sales brochure from Oyster Yachts four months after the show. We liked what we saw, and ended up purchasing our Oyster 53 with only 600 original hours on the engine... entirely as a result of attending the Primary boat show where we went to see the Beneteau, Jeanneau and Hylas. I know of one other Oyster owner who did the same thing at the same show. He was there looking at a Hylas 54 and ended up buying an Oyster 56.

Had we not attended the Rhode Island show looking at new boats, and had not explored the Brokers show, we would never have signed in at the Oyster Brokers desk and been sent the brochure. I'm sure we'd probably still be happy sailing around southern California on our Hunter. The Boat shows do produce results. We sold our Hunter 450 at the boat show in Dana Point, California.

[DDabs]

I really wish I could have gone to that show just to see the Outbound.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum