Commentary: Center Console Futures
 

Interesting take from Scott Sjogren of Pier 57 Marine, http://speedonthewater.com/in-the-ne...onsole-futures

I believe that man is correct...... Now anyone want to buy a Sonic 358.

Keep the cat

39 Cig GTS as a second home.

big block/supercharged/turbocharged stuff is done......there was a rush to have 125 mph vee bottoms and 200 mph cats but after the costs and impracticality of those boats is figured in.......most people would be content with decent performance boats that accommodate 10+ people and are warranted for long periods of time. Think about it, for the cost of a 525 boat rebuild (rebuild motors, replace headers, refresh XR's) you could buy 3 300 Vrods brand new out of the box!

I would like to see some closed deck builds (37 AT, 39 TG type stuff in standard go fast trim but with triple outboards). There was a 38 PP- triple 300's but can't think of to many others. http://www.flpowerboat.com/gallery/d...bum=135&pos=25

I thought the Cig was a "Huntress" , not a mistress.
Nitpicking aside, I think insurance and maintenance are a big factor in the growth of the CC market also.
You REALLY have to want a fast boat to pay what it costs for these two items alone. Then add even higher premiums for the guys in Florida and it gets to be a small market segment in a hurry.
I have crawled all over several of MTI's center consoles and ridden in a couple and I can see why people like them, they are easy to live with!

Not nitpicking at all ... Scott said Huntress, I heard Huntress, I know Huntress ... and I typed Mistress. Corrected now. Many thanks.

I have to gently disagree with Jupiter, as I sometimes do. I think "done" is an overstatement. In fact, the higher end of the custom catamaran and V-bottom segment is, at present, the strongest segment of the pure go-fast boat market. Now, if you want to say the overall market is a fraction of what it once was, then we have no argument whatsoever.

Carry on, gentlemen. I am always engaged and enlightened by your discussions.

I would agree with Jup on one thing, I wish there were more go fast type with outboards. Seems to me the high cost of maintaining high HP IO's and the room they take is the biggest down fall.

As for fitting 10 plus people on, I don't want that many people on my boat (considering most wont give a chit about the boat) but I do understand a lot do.

OL has built a couple nice boats this year.......check
MTI premiered Gino's boat at the Miami show......check


Then crickets in the go fast market.....Shogren doesn't stock a single new go fast cat or vee, arguably the biggest go fast dealer in the world and not one in stock, dealer at LOTO still owns the first 36 OL/ even after heavy price cuts and 2 yr warranty on the power.....market is dead.....check!

I can remember seeing 24-36 brand new boats in between Miami and Lauderdale show.......all sold in 8 month period. Saw this multiple years in a row, buy and run it in the next poker run. Some guys bought 5+ brand new go fast boats. I can't remember the last new go fast I have even seen on the water in S. Florida.

Cause once you get away from the MTI's and O.L's. You get into a range where the go fast and the CC market meet in price.

Before the go fast had all the advantage other than space. Now the tides have turned and these CC's are running at speeds right there with them, with many more amenities, longer warranty, and the ease of outboards. All that's missing is the sound but after getting so much more these days with a CC that part can be over looked.

It has taken nearly a full year to build my new MTI that delivers next week. Why? Because there were quite a few ahead of me and it takes time to build one. There have been lots of performance boats delivered from MTI, Skater, Mystic, DCB, and others, just maybe not as public as the ones you mentioned. As far as "stocking" performance boats, that's a losing proposition. Most, if not all the customers in this arena at the dollars these boats cost will opt to have one built for them, painted in THEIR colors, and are willing to wait.
I agree the number of performance boats in general is probably way down, but the upper end market seems just fine. Right or wrong, that's the way it seems.