carcrash

Not many boat builders are public companies, so they don't have to announuce when sales go down. No duh, everybody has known that sales are depressed due to high gas prices.

I think its a sign of a good product that their sales have just barely fallen. I have talked to other very good builders whose sales of their premier high performance boat products has gone to ZERO. They are staying alive with sales of wimpy boats.

T2x

I know that, but what does that have to do with Baja never going bankrupt?

FeverMike

I've never owned a Baja but they seem to have a good looking product at a good price with a strong dealer network. This keeps them in business. Most boaters can't afford a 38 Cig but they can find a way to afford a 38 Baja. Also most boaters are not as educated in product quality and can not tell the difference in build quality up to a point and Baja's look very good to them, especially for the money. Baja also sells a lot of smaller boats and bow riders and this keeps them in business. Other than all this I have to go back to the strong dealer network. Baja seems to keep the same dealers for a long long time so there has to be profit in their product line along with excellent dealer and manufacture relations.

TSPM

Just got this today TRADE ONLY publication......follow up on Fountain.

Beak Boater

Now they have 6 people working instead of 3

Back4More

Good, maybe Fountain will drop prices even more with 0.0% financing with cash back so I could buy a new 42.

Michael1

Not only are gas prices hurting boat sales, but financing costs are up. People don't have as much equity in their homes to borrow against. Next year will be even worse with inboard emission standards kicking in. Not only will people not want to be the first on their block with potentially unreliable emissions equipment which really has had very little "in boat" testing (almost none in salt water), but they won't like the $1000 increase in prices per engine either. Some energy pundits are predicting oil will go to $100 per barrel in 2008. Brunswick stock is already down due to lower boat and inboard marine engine profits. It could get ugly next year. Go short on boating stocks.

Michael