Alot of how much a performance/sport boat depreciates depends on how radical the boat was when built. For instance:

2004 46 Rough Rider American Bad Ass with 950 Zul's was probably around $900k list when new. It is down under $150k and theres a couple other RR down at that price.

2005 38 Top Gun with Merc 525's asking $219k was probably sub $400K when new.

Rough rider depreciated $750K and the Top Gun only depreciated $180K

I think these new monster 50+ foot center consoles are going to depreciate at a rate never seen before. People with the means to run, transport, and maintain that type of boat will just go buy whatever they want and the used ones will sit in a barn somewhere because the owner will not accept reality that in order to sell his $3.5M Cigarette center console, he has to either part it out or sell it at a giveaway price. Hence why so many of these big old magnums, cougars, mystics, etc.... end up being sold in estate sales after the original owners die.

Piggybacking off your piggyback -

1 - My boat is a perfect example of redoing an older boat too. A couple of years ago I was faced with a decision to either redo my boat (interior vinyl, dash, gauges, rigging, canopies, full rewire and mechanical update - or trade/sell it and upgrade. The cost of new prohibited that and there was nothing used that got me more of what I was looking for so spending the money to redo it made sense to me.

I also agree with the new mega CC market. Going to be a tough sell on the used market....

2 - Being in heavy construction, I know exactly what you are referring to with newer more efficient machines. Our crews are using smaller excavators with faster cycle times and the same power as machines that were 25-40% bigger and getting better production and burning less fuel. The only downside is the computers and complexity of all the electronics &emissions which make basic maintenance and repairs much more difficult.

The Baja boys are into cigs now.

You are right on there, the big power V's are a tough sell because the cost of keeping them running. I am the type that is a used buyer, and can not deal with short 200-300 HR rebuilds, high cost to keep running and sky rocket price to rebuild big power. So moderate power boats are what we look for. As others have said and I have said, those have not been made for at least 10 years.

Not that I would want one of the blinged out CC's but even if I did I don't care if its a OB or not, I do NOT want to maintain 4 or 5 motors.

Wasn't there a similar thread about TS Guns not long a go, TS Cigs are hot right now

The airlines figured that out years ago.

agree I cant buy a new one but can redo one.

the whole cc deal is ok but cant get past having one not for fishing

where is american bad ass listed for umder 150 k? I see it bit at 199K.

Not a Cigarette, but this thread turned into a resto thread of sorts...I went through the sell / redo decision cycle with my '06 Sunsation 32. Interior, electronics, stereo, interior, paint, new Myco trailer, new engines, rigging etc. Yeah, it was expensive, but still cheaper than a new boat (and of course, Sunsation does not make sportboats any longer). I feel that I have a better than new (better paint quality, better rigging quality than Sunsation shipped the boat with when new). All a sunk cost, of course...but I have a reliable boat with updated everything to run for several years ahead.

Day 1 with new paint

Justin at Waves and Wheels with the new interior

Hear you on this! Been thru the same choice over the past couple years. Do I run some money into this '06 Lightning or move on?

Made a similar decision as you did, two years back I did brand new drives, last winter did a crank up total refresh on both 525 EFI's with best of everything and some upgrades to boot.

I do believe that I now have a 35 Lightning that even the Fountain factory can not compete with should I decide to pass it on.