SOX

Well with all that is going on right now all we can do is look to the future and hope Baja survives this merge. I pray all of the folks who are losing their jobs can find employment elsewhere and go on to live well without Baja.

We have no choice but to be optomistic about the new Baja and trust that it will not become the bastard child of Reggie. But instead it can flourish and become better boat brand than ever before.

With that being said I thought it would be fun to have predictions of the new Baja by Fountain boats predictions to be posted here and we can look back to see if any came true as predicted. As posted in other threads some have predicted which models will be spared and which will go away. When will the first boat leave the new factory and what will it be? Will they do away with ingel graphics? Will Reggie sponsor a race team(s)? Or will they have left hand throttles

Take care,

Rob

SOX

BTW I am fan of the 26Ol d was thinking of ordering one for my next boat. I am very glad I didn't just place an order. However I am very excited to see what the future is and what changes are instore for the 26 in the future.


And my prediction will be...


STEPS

Dock Holiday

I think the number one reason he bought the company was to pick up dealers and market share.

With that said I expect the models he builds to remain much the same. I really hope he does not add the Fountain dash and seats, although they have been improved a lot in the last couple of model years.

I expect he will keep the price down, enjoy added incentives from Mercury on the additional engine purchase volume make a little more money and enjoy being number one in total volume of unit sales. And last but not least hope everyone will move up to the higher priced Fountain.

It will surprise me if he does not move manufacturing to North Carolina where he can have hands on and more control of the process. That just seems to be his style which is a good thing.

Just my opinion

Dock Holiday

I agree and think he will have to add steps to a few models at least with the Baja name to get people excited.

Wild Card 09

The future of Baja? I would expect the use of common components, but not in areas where the identity of the brand is defined. Retooling Baja dashpanels to look like Fountains would be a waste of money, for sure. Using the same fuel tanks, wiring components, fuseboxes, clamps and fuel fillers wouldn´t be a problem.

Stepped hull, single engined 24", 27" and 29" Outlaws, all with a tad leaner beam, would get my vote for sure. Keep the deep cockpits, the angular design character of the deck and the dash. Develop the next evolution of the Aerobolster and offer a three bolster rear seat, with flip up armrests. Market them with blue power from the beginning (and dial them in BEFORE they are handed to the boating press) and then offer them, at lower prices with the black motors too.


Imagine the 2010 24TS Outlaw standing in the showroom with an original 454 powered 1993 Outlaw standing next to it. Mercury Racing´s newest HP550 EFi under the hatch of the new boat, giving it an 85 mph top speed.

27TS available with 650SCi and 29TS with 750SCi.

All models also avaiable with black motors, with price stickers to match.

Well spaced Islander and Performance models to match, with milder but still stepped hulls. New, solidly built windshields. Marketted with black motors, but with the blue options on the pricelist.

gcoutlaw

Well, it just does not make sense to me that Reggie would want to develope Baja much more than it is now? People need an affordable boat with mid range quality as the Baja offers (I own a Baja). I have always thought they are the mid range performance boater who enjoyed the performance type boating without the checkbbook of the big boy boats (don't take that personal) but that is Bajas market. Would there be a gain in R&D for the Baja to any great degree when he already has his Fountains? I think Baja personally will remain a second option, any profits rolled back into his Fountain designs, and in about 5 years of tax write offs in losses, that is when I will be really concerned about Bajas future.

kennyo

I predict my next boat will also be a Baja. I'm currently running ten years behind so my next boat should be a 2007, in 2013 of course.

socalstone

I agree with dock on the dash panels and seats, Hate that about the Fountains! That was the biggest turn off to me when I was looking at a few used 29's. Didn't like the seat position, the dash and interiors looked dated, and my knees were jammed into the dash. The bajas seating, dash, and foot rests, and leg room won me over in both form and function.

I bet the bajas will stay much the same- but I would guess they will produce fewer of the larger models.

I doubt he will add steps to the bajas (but would love to see that).
If the brand is to continue as somewhat "entry level" I think the safety and predictability of a non-stepped bottom is will remain the choice.

JaayTeee

I hope he looks at it as an opportunity
to offer something different than his
current offerings.

Much like how people would compare say the
25O/L to a 272, different things appeal to different
people.

Leave whatever Islander offerings he's going to keep
the same.

The Performance series, at least the over 30', seems
to be moving more towards a performance cruiser,
that's kind of a mixed bag with me, 247, 278
don't mess with.

That leaves us with the O/L series,
which to some of us, is more appealing
than his offerings.

I don't know if steps would be really needed
on the 23-30's, 35..... maybe.

What I was hoping for was something in the
38-39 range with steps....that would keep
my interest going.


One thing is for certain.

He bought a boat company that had various
products that appealed to the masses,
and if if just does a little tweaking on
what needs tweaking, he should do real well with it.

Now that things have settled, and I've had time to
think things over.

I'm looking forward to see what he does with it.

As much as I'm not a real fan of his self promotion
and recent stunts he's pulled, I can't think of a better
person to run it.

five cent worth

I agree...

And I want steps. Also agree on the dated dash boards - that is the one big thing holding me back from a 29 Fever right now.