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Whats happened to the boat buying public

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Whats happened to the boat buying public - 11 November 2008 22:51:15   
Mike Lanigan


Posts: 418
Joined: 29 November 2006
From: Seasport Marine, Kelmscott
Status: offline 		I know the economy is a worry for most, but what would be the number one reason for the average Joe NOT to buy himself a new or used boat?
I ask this question because as a boat shop owner who has seen inquires on new and used boats pretty much drop to zero, I am worried for the future. I guess motor vehicle dealers have seen a similar decline in sales but in the boating industry, it seems to be an even greater drop.

- Is it the economy?
- Is it interest rates?
- Is it access to finance or lack thereof?
- Is it the weather?
- Is it new fishing regulations?
- Is it the Skippers ticket?
- Is it poor facilities?
- Is it the price of a decent boat (some have gone up!)?
- Is it a lack of fish?
- Is it the price of bait?
Or have people just given up on boating? Is it just not fun anymore?

I would dearly love to hear from people who fish, their thoughts on boating and the future.


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Post #: 1
RE: Whats happened to the boat buying public - 11 November 2008 23:18:04   
luke hunter

 

Posts: 150
Joined: 16 August 2007
Status: online 		yep, heard on the radio about car salesmen doing fantastic deals to get the sale....

worrying times i guess, with all the factors you mentioned taking their toll...maybe time of year is playing a bigger part than normal, due to chrissy coming and people watching their penny's???

feel for ya!!

hopefully with things seeming to improove, buyer confidance will return soon!!

(in reply to Mike Lanigan)
Post #: 2
RE: Whats happened to the boat buying public - 12 November 2008 10:34:43   
Rod Pallister

 

Posts: 237
Joined: 13 January 2004
From: Mindarie
Status: offline 		Honestly for me i have been a little quiet but i'm mostly blaming the weather. A few nice days and i'm flat at it again.

But yes i only sell used and am probably a bit smaller than most.

We still have to get up and put pants on eat and get on with it.. I hope we won't see too much negative..JMHO  

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www.boatshack.com.au

(in reply to luke hunter)
Post #: 3
RE: Whats happened to the boat buying public - 12 November 2008 10:48:20   
Steve Hogan


Posts: 174
Joined: 6 July 2004
From: Kalgoorle
Status: offline
quote:


- Is it the economy?
- Is it interest rates?
- Is it access to finance or lack thereof?


Its the 3 above. Everyone I know is worried about their financial situation at the moment, with good cause. Unfortunately for you boats are definitely discretionary spending. I have been thinking about getting a bigger boat for about a year, was planning on doing it when I sold a property. Well, cant sell a property at the moment and I am guessing when I do there will be no cream to spend on non essentials.
The other thought on a lot of people's mind is whether they will even have a job in 6 months time. I work in the mining industry and I would say half of my colleagues in the industry would consider their position precarious.


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The challenge is to be fooled less, as it is human destiny to be fooled sometimes.

(in reply to Rod Pallister)
Post #: 4
RE: Whats happened to the boat buying public - 12 November 2008 18:07:47   
Rob Gray


Posts: 312
Joined: 13 January 2004
From: Broome
Status: offline 		Everyones sitting back watching what happens in the scheme of things and maybe now pulling their heads in instead of living above their means.Times have been good but a lot of people have spent it as fast as they got it.

(in reply to Steve Hogan)
Post #: 5
RE: Whats happened to the boat buying public - 12 November 2008 18:34:14   
Rob Madaffari


Posts: 2061
Joined: 4 June 2003
Status: offline 		I work in the mining industry and I would say half of my colleagues in the industry would consider their position precarious.
 
in the scheme of things and maybe now pulling their heads in instead of living above their means.Times have been good but a lot of people have spent it as fast as they got it.
 
We are still selling plenty of tenders etc but not larger RIB's, tenders are seen as commodity item and need replacing. Apart from the reason you pointed out Mike I believe the two above are right on the money. There doesn't seem to be any shortage of cash out there, their just careful where they are spending it. Camping products are selling hand over fist and fishing gear has picked up quite a bit.

The other REALLY big problem is that the consumer is now conditioned to buy specials (advertised specials) while the Harvey Normans and Rick Harts are still selling plenty of gear (OK may be not as much as previously) they have created a monster that can't be stopped. I see it day in and day out in our line of work, those that don't have the funds to advertise and finding it tough! There are plenty of ways to turn individual business around but it takes some who does not have a preconceived idea IE: someone with open eye's.

It will bounce back just depends by how much, after all most retailers and wholesalers have had it pretty dam good for the last couple of years with enormous growth. It's even harder to to reach those targets when things are flat.

Just imagine what it would have been like if those fishing bans came into effect, we would be F#$%%$ed by now.

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You are Erratic, Conflicted, Dis-organized. Every decision is debated, every action questioned, every individual entitled to their own small opinion, you lack Harmony, Cohesion, Greatness it will be your undoing.

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(in reply to Rob Gray)
Post #: 6
RE: Whats happened to the boat buying public - 12 November 2008 19:49:26   
Jeff Smith

 

Posts: 40
Joined: 26 March 2008
From: Baldivis
Status: offline 		onother reason could be all the build to order boats around, I,m getting one built at the moment, everything i want in it is getting done during the build phase, where as if I had of bought from a boat yard  everything would have to be added on. Having all the holes for fittings etc cut out before painting is alot better than drilling and cutting after the paint has been applied. the guy building mine  reckons he is getting orders he has to knock back coz he couldn,t take on too much being a lone operation..

(in reply to Rob Madaffari)
Post #: 7
RE: Whats happened to the boat buying public - 12 November 2008 21:04:06   
Brian Guest


Posts: 2069
Joined: 5 June 2003
From: Port Kennedy, Western Australia
Status: offline
quote:

- Is it the economy?
- Is it interest rates?  - I believe was having an effect - but not any longer
- Is it access to finance or lack thereof?  - nah - still plenty of money if you ask
- Is it the weather?   -   a spell of good boating weather would normally help after the end of winter I expect
- Is it new fishing regulations?  - I thinl a lot of people are adopting a wait and see attitude here
- Is it the Skippers ticket?  - doubt it would have any effect
- Is it poor facilities?  - nah
- Is it the price of a decent boat (some have gone up!)?  - again cant see it impacting, If htey have themoney and wont the product they will pay for it
- Is it a lack of fish?  - Nah - heaps out there according to some posts
- Is it the price of bait?  nah - the price of fuel would have had more effect but has turned around , although I suspect most people are still thinking its only a temporary drop
Or have people just given up on boating? Is it just not fun anymore
- its fun when I go

I think Steve pretty much hi the nail on the head. A combination of the economy , uncertainty re the jobs futures being bandies in the press and the shares crash  have all made people sit back and decide to watch for a while. and its the non essential  toys suchs as holidays , holidays homes and boats ( although I regards boats as essential) that are the first crossed off the list.
Sale of camping gear could also reflect this - people looking for cheaper local camping holidays.

_____________________________

Guesty

looking for work / lifestyle balance
2 days work / 5 fishing sounds balanced to me!

(in reply to Jeff Smith)
Post #: 8
RE: Whats happened to the boat buying public - 12 November 2008 21:32:12   
Michael Heslewood


Posts: 1393
Joined: 23 March 2007
From: OFW underground bunker
Status: offline 		 mike for me personally ..........im not really worried about the economy etc ....it will sort itself out in due course

.. i mainly fish for a feed .and enjoy doing it ....i had contemplated buying a new plate alli 6.5 mtre with all the fruit etc ............but with all the new fisheries changes still to come in .........i had  to sit down over many months and really justify why i wanted  to upgrade ........and spend about $65 000 to do it ..........

truth is i dont ........i own my  plate alli .boat ...it owes me nothing .AND it catches plenty of fish for our needs and is still small /versatile enough at 5.3 metres to go/tow anywhere .and handle on my own .....with fuel the way it has been its cheap to run and service in comparison .....

so iv decided to just keep mine and replace the trailer after xmas ...........

decision based on needs ..........not wants ......i spose for me mike i dont need a bigger boat ......it was just a want really ......
cheers hezzy

< Message edited by Michael Heslewood -- 12 November 2008 21:55:34 >

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hezzy

evil flourishes when good men do nothing !

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(in reply to Brian Guest)
Post #: 9
RE: Whats happened to the boat buying public - 12 November 2008 21:37:45   
Brendon Robbins


Posts: 106
Joined: 1 January 2006
Status: offline 		Boats are wants, not needs - therefore with the dire warnings in the media and most people old enough to remember the crash in the 80's, a lot of people are (quite rightly IMO) pulling in their head and reining in their budgets rather than spend spend spend.

Paying off a boat is not something you want to be doing when money is tight and you can barely afford to run the thing anyway.

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here fishy, fishy, fishy - I'm waiting.......

(in reply to Michael Heslewood)
Post #: 10
RE: Whats happened to the boat buying public - 12 November 2008 23:44:27   
Ashley van Viersen


Posts: 536
Joined: 26 March 2005
From: Kalbarri WA formally Mt Walker WA
Status: offline
For retired people some have lost a lot of value in their investments and their income has dropped a great deal.

I was intending to replace at least one 4wd maybe two and an ATV but now I will do none of those things the cheque book is locked away.

If fishing becomes very restricted eg overly complicated ballots for tags or fishing times, places and so on I think you will see a big shift away from it.

Ashley

(in reply to Brendon Robbins)
Post #: 11
RE: Whats happened to the boat buying public - 13 November 2008 6:29:08   
Jamie Moir

 

Posts: 283
Joined: 26 January 2008
Status: offline 		I haven't finished putting my last new boat in the water bloody wiring . . .

(in reply to Ashley van Viersen)
Post #: 12
RE: Whats happened to the boat buying public - 13 November 2008 9:28:34   
Michael R King

 

Posts: 6
Joined: 5 April 2008
From: WA
Status: offline 		I'm in the market for another boat but I try to buy toys with cash and at the moment I'll wait for another 6 months and see how the share, investment property, bank and employment markets go over summer/autumn.

People that I now with cash and means are sitting back for the time being, waiting for some absolute bargins in all private and commercial sales sectors as others who have extended themselves financally beyond their means have to bail out.

So its the old dinghy for me! 



(in reply to Jamie Moir)
Post #: 13
RE: Whats happened to the boat buying public - 13 November 2008 10:02:00   
Peter Birch


Posts: 58
Joined: 17 May 2008
Status: offline 		lucky i sold my tinnie and bought a 5m F/B centre console a year ago(3yrs old) just need to get a little work done to spruce it up .paid in full up front so it doesnt owe me anything.
peter.

(in reply to Michael R King)
Post #: 14
RE: Whats happened to the boat buying public - 13 November 2008 10:09:00   
Daniel Mance


Posts: 6789
Joined: 5 June 2003
From: TLC Basement
Status: offline 		-Already got one

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Mancey

On the v5 revision...
quote:

ORIGINAL: David Adams
I reckon it is a wishy washy decision. Talk about Nero fiddling while Rome burned.

(in reply to Peter Birch)
Post #: 15
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