When there is no boat dealer, and you have to work with the manufacturer directly, would you expect as much negotiation room? Or, is the manufacturer typically offering boats to their customers at a price similar to the price a dealer may be pushed into honoring? How do this work...

are you thinking Kachina?

realistically, I am just dreaming now. Moving up is not going to happen real soon, but I am thinking about Challenger. They have some 30-33 ft center cabin/open bow options that look to be better than Envision. I need people room and sleep in my condo.

Depends alot, I believe, on whether or not the manufacturer has a substantial dealer network in place. If so the other dealers may get a little bumpy if the factory sells to the general public at dealer cost. I have seen manufacturers honor the network by selling direct but at price negotiated off of retail pricing. That would probably consist of a 20% savings or so. This isn't always the case though. Why don't you approach them about selling some of their product and using the boat you want as a demo! That may entice them to give you a better deal than you may think. Worth a try anyway.

Sean