is buying a new boat similar to buying an RV

[Jim Cate]

One must wonder if the Bene factory will be producing new boats now... or in the foreseeable future?

This may solve any new vs used dilemma!

Jim

[Lake-Effect]

Not an owner of a new boat, and not likely to be. But I did some electrical work for a yacht dealer once.

If you're ordering a boat, there won't be much discount available, and you will have the pleasure of waiting and waiting and waiting. If the dealer has some new inventory that has been on their books for some time, you will have more leverage on price, and much less waiting.

For all the reasons already mentioned, there's more bang for the buck with a used boat, even if it's just a few years old.

But yes, it would be very cool to be able to order a new boat. Next life, maybe.

[Vasco]

Having bought three new boats I can tell you there is little discount. If you buy from a large volume dealer with a good commissioning staff and order many dealer installed options you might get eight percent off the list prices. Anything over ten percent is for dreamers.

[Tin Tin]

RVs are a much bigger market and so finding discounts on run out models etc will be much easier and pricing is easily found on-line. New yachts on the other hand are much fewer, selling into a comparatively low volume market with poor price transparency. Until you get serious you will need to approach each of the rep Agencies ie Beneteau, Hunter, Bavaria, Amel etc and get their price and options list and do an apples for apples comparative for the total new price delivered. The only time heavy discounting will take place is when the factory is financially stressed in poor economic times and they need to reduce stocks quickly. That being said most boats are built to order, there is not usually a line of them waiting to be sold. A string of cancelled orders may free up the price a bit, these things happen in Global financial crisis times and it looks like that is where things are headed now till they get a vaccine. Problem is how long do you wait and guess when the bottom of the market is reached. Remember too in such times builders go broke and you lose your deposit. In todays falling market (may only be temporary) buying a 1 year old boat or cancelled order boat may be a safer option.

[mvweebles]

Given the market uncertainties, dealers of any item purchased with discretionary money will not feel maximum pinch for at least a few months. Carrying costs will build and realities of demand reduction will sink in.

There is no model for what is going on except post civil war carpetbaggers. If you have cash and patience, and if things do not improve, dealers will need to fire-sale inventory just to make their current fixed expense payments.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Whyever would anyone buy a STOCK yacht ex factory when NEARLY new yachts of identical make but of greater utility (because the "teething troubles" have been taken care of and the "extras" already installed) are available for a price substantially lower than the sticker price of the ex factory boat?

TrentePIeds

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Whyever would anyone buy a STOCK yacht ex factory when NEARLY new yachts of identical make but of greater utility (because the "teething troubles" have been taken care of and the "extras" already installed) are available for a price substantially lower than the sticker price of the ex factory boat?

TrentePIeds

Where does one find "NEARLY new yachts of identical make" for a price substantially lower than the sticker price of a new boat. I would love to see a few examples.

Anyone who has seriously been in the market will tell you how difficult this is. It's been my experience that to get a substantial difference from new you're looking at a fifteen year old boat with the attendant problems such as new rigging, new electronics, and of course all those hidden things that only the present owner is aware of.

[SaltyMetals]

MedVed,
many of the earlier replies you have had say it is much better to buy a used boat. Not just a better price but the fact that all the teething problems of a new boat (much worse than a new car) will have been sorted out by the original owner. I absolutely agree. So many things that reputable builders get wrong, so many things where they have got the orientation of a winch or block & tackle wrong, so many things where the execution was a mistake and nobody spotted it, items like a pump or compressor fail in the first 12 months or the alternator fights its way off its brackets because it was incorrectly balanced in the factory. Yes i have had the lot. It is truly so much better to buy secondhand.
Andrew

[Medved]

thank you all for your replies. At this point, based on the comments, I will wait till fall to see what is available in both new and used markets. I was not planning on purchasing for few more years anyway, just thought with this overreaction there could be an opportunity.

[Lake-Effect]

With all the current uncertainty, I don't think there's any point to plunking down a deposit for something whose delivery date is a question mark. Any opportunities that exist would be for on-hand inventory.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Medved

thank you all for your replies. At this point, based on the comments, I will wait till fall to see what is available in both new and used markets. I was not planning on purchasing for few more years anyway, just thought with this overreaction there could be an opportunity.

I bet there will indeed be an opportunity to buy a quality used or existing stock boat at bargain prices. I bought my current boat following the '08 crash. No way could I afford it before, but after the crash many good boats became a lot more affordable.

[Medved]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I bet there will indeed be an opportunity to buy a quality used or existing stock boat at bargain prices. I bought my current boat following the '08 crash. No way could I afford it before, but after the crash many good boats became a lot more affordable.

That is the thinking. Adding 0% Fed rates could make it a real opportunity to get in late this year/early next.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Medved

That is the thinking. Adding 0% Fed rates could make it a real opportunity to get in late this year/early next.

I agree ... but probably not for new boats.

[Lost Horizons]

Originally Posted by Medved

That is the thinking. Adding 0% Fed rates could make it a real opportunity to get in late this year/early next.

During the last recession Beneteau reduced retail prices and introduced special packages with equipment added at no charge around 2011-2012. So it may take more than a few months this time as well. The reason is, they can reduce production temporarily without causing price erosion, but not for a few years in a row.

[mcon12000]

I sold boats just before and after the 2008 disaster. There’s likely to be some deals now but..

First the margins are small on production boats so don’t expect deep discounts on a new model.

Second I hope you are paying cash or using collateral to back a loan as in borrowing against you home equity. Banks simply will not write Unsecured paper on boats and RV’s right now this is worse than 2008. When this goes well into summer of the first things that distressed people default on are boats, RV’s and planes.

Third don’t buy new. The punch lists on new boats are huge and they aren’t equipped for much beyond an afternoon sail. Buy a used “new” boat that’s been splashed, all the hardware that fell out in the first week is secure and everything from a deck brush to a water maker are onboard at a huge discount.

You might not get more than 15% off a new hull but I guarantee you’ll get 25% plus off a fully equipped previously owned boat in the coming months.

[rick bertram]

Well I’ll say it like this. Overall larger boats (35’+) are not built or priced for the masses, just as the big diesel pusher RVs aren’t. Maybe because of this worldwide Medical crises you might get a decent price reduction but you’ll do better buying a used boat from someone who can no longer afford it.