Najad Yachts - is nothing sacred?

[Tranona]

For personal use rather than as a business, I'd still take a second hand najad over a new AWB (though not completely sure about the red colour scheme...)

Having been through that process twice, once for a business and now for just personal use and on both occasions chose a new Bavaria. Reasons are very simple, they are just better value for money. While a similar cost "quality" boat may look initially attractive, it is likely to be nearer 20 years old than 10, not exactly the spec you would like and, as many here have recounted likely to need a further expenditure of 20-30% of the purchase price in a combination of replacements and upgrades to bring it up to a comparable standard.

I appreciate it is not all about money and that there are probably intangible benefits but not enough to offset the combination of cost and effort associated with buying an older boat.

Having said all that, if I had £450k to spend on a boat, the new Najad would be in the frame and I expect over 10 years the total cost including depreciation would not be dissimilar to that of running a similar size Bavaria.

Just the problem of finding the £450k........

 

[pvb]

... and I expect over 10 years the total cost including depreciation would not be dissimilar to that of running a similar size Bavaria.

I reckon the Najad would be rather more expensive to run when depreciation is included.

 

[Tranona]

I reckon the Najad would be rather more expensive to run when depreciation is included.

Not so sure, looking historically, but does not mean the future will be the same. Loss of value of the £ seems to have had a more dramatic effect on prices of the more expensive boats than the mass producers who seem to have made cost savings, so the gap between them has widened from a 50-60% difference 10 years ago to nearer 100% now. However the more expensive boats tend to hold their monetary value in £s so depreciation in money terms is much less over that period than a mass produced boat, although the difference to replacement would be similar.

So an HR 36 which might have cost £160k in early 2000's would fetch around £120k now compared with a Bav 36 that cost £80k sells for under £40k. Monetary loss over the period about the same.

 

[pvb]

So an HR 36 which might have cost £160k in early 2000's would fetch around £120k now compared with a Bav 36 that cost £80k sells for under £40k. Monetary loss over the period about the same.

By the time typical options had been included, the new price of an HR36 would have been rather more than £160K.

 

[Goldie]

You sound like you know your stuff but the ensign was this one

View attachment 66350

I'm in no doubt about this as I looked it up because I hadn't previously been aware the RAF had its own ensign.

Now I'm intrigued - I'm at a loss to know what yacht could legitimately fly the RAF Ensign! RAFSA ensign yes, but not RAF. The RAFSA Ensign would have had a gold eagle over the rounded.