New boat options pricing - how much do you pay for convenience?

Whitelighter

Whitelighter

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I'm semi seriously looking at new boats to get a feel of whats out there and what the prices are.
All the boats i'm half looking at are a similar starting price and the other thing they have in common is some eye watering factory fitted extra prices and the options of supposedly discounted option 'packs' - some of the packs contain options which you cant order separately.

Again with only a half serious eye I spoke to a number of equipment supplies at SIBS on Friday and the supply and fit prices are often way below that of the boat builder - which seems backwards as surely a) the boat builder should get a better deal for 10/20/50 units than me buying one and b) it must be easier to fit when the boat isn't quite a full boat yet.

Mentioning no names here is an example (all prices are Euros ex VAT)

Basic boat price: €531,000

The Exclusive pack contains:
Windlass control on the fly bridge and chain counter
Outdoor cockpit and fly cushions
Front saloon pleated blinds
Fresh water electric head in owners cabin
220V Shore Power

As a pack, that little lot is €20,500 + VAT. Now that sounds like a lot, but you cannot order the 220V shore power any other way, and that is one thing that you cant really retro fit so I guess you have to have the pack.

But there is more - you can upgrade to the Gold Version which includes the Exclusive pack, plus:
Outdoor foredeck cushions
Inside and outside courtesy lighting
Hot water deck shower at stern
3000W 70A charger inverter
Pressurized salt water system

Not much you couldn't retro fit there, assuming it comes with a battery charger of some sort as standard. The builder wants €35,000 for that pack, €14,500 more than the Exclusive one.
that seems a lot for some cushions, extra lights, what must be the worlds nicest charger inverter and the ability to clean my freshly caught mackerel in salt water.

There are some other nuts prices as well - two 21w underwater lights? €2600. Autopilot, AIS, VHF and 2 GPS map 12" screens? €15,000. that's stuff the price of which is easy to find.
Aft Hydraulic platform is a whopping €40,000 - i think Bart paid not quite half that for his custom job on the Canados.
AC on this boat is individual compressor/airhandlers under bunks/seats which I don't like. all three cabins and saloon: €25,000. Thats at a guess 5 combination units so €5k a pop, which seems toppy.

It seems that a significant saving can be made to buy a boat and then fit systems of your choosing. Or am I just wrong/penny pinching?
 
Whitelighter said:
Or am I just wrong/penny pinching?
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You are neither, of course.
If there's something wrong in your reasoning, it's that the conclusion should not be to buy a basic boat and then upgrade it yourself.
From an economic standpoint, it's crystal clear that the most logical choice is not to buy a new boat at all, at least till there will be decent used ones available.
Then again, if you like buying new for whatever reasons, I'm sure that no boatbuilder will raise any objections! :cool:
 
Our late 2017 boat was base £400k. Once fully loaded £500k - then another £25k or so for non factory options but all ordered through the dealer. I guess for me having a one stop solution for warranty issues, (one of the main drivers for buying new?), is worth the extra pence.

Retro fitting air con ducting, squeezing in gen sets and so on can be pretty difficult once bulkheads and superstructures are in place and then you have the issue of a non factory items, say lighting or other electricals being blamed for warranty issues....

But if you buy new and the dealer will quote for the options, post factory, that’s fine but probably not going to save you money....once a gross discount is applied to the new boat price....
 
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I was at the show today and was shocked at what some base boats don't have. I see your one was shore power. Surely that has to be standard I was looking at new boats have completely ruled it out now and will just wait until what I want comes on the second hand market
 
Whitelighter said:
It seems that a significant saving can be made to buy a boat and then fit systems of your choosing.
Click to expand...

From a pure economics point of view you should perhaps also consider how long you intend to keep the boat and the value of the boat when you come to sell it. Fitting the options yourself may reduce the secondhand value when compared to a factory optioned boat by a sufficient amount that the factory option route works out cheaper.
 
TheOrs said:
From a pure economics point of view you should perhaps also consider how long you intend to keep the boat and the value of the boat when you come to sell it. Fitting the options yourself may reduce the secondhand value when compared to a factory optioned boat by a sufficient amount that the factory option route works out cheaper.
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You may find the reverse, as you can upspec the equipment:

Tecma loos instead of jabsco
Spit AC system rather than noisy compressors under each bed
Bordered teak instead of non edged

I’m not suggesting everything on the list, but how many people know who made the oem platform lift? In fact who cares if it looks and operates the same
 
MapisM said:
You are neither, of course.
If there's something wrong in your reasoning, it's that the conclusion should not be to buy a basic boat and then upgrade it yourself.
From an economic standpoint, it's crystal clear that the most logical choice is not to buy a new boat at all, at least till there will be decent used ones available.
Then again, if you like buying new for whatever reasons, I'm sure that no boatbuilder will raise any objections! :cool:
Click to expand...

Issue is there aren’t any of the model used yet, and scant used boats of this type on the used market, and those that do exist are often in the Caribbean or Australia. That’s not to say there aren’t European boats but they are scarce. I’d rather buy used but the comparible ones (ok a bit bigger to be fair) are almost the cost of a new one with options
 
Well, you must spill the beans then, I reckon! :D :cool:
Anyway, whatever she is, do NOT spec bordered teak instead of non edged. Regretting that is just a matter of when, not of if.
I'd rather pay extra for not having it...
 
simonfraser said:
if you're spending over half a mil +VAT on a toy what's another 50k ?
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that's a good 10% though, not a small deal if you ask me

You know you need most of these extras, the builder knows you need most of these extras so they lower the base price to get people to gain interest and make up on the "extras"
 
MapisM said:
Well, you must spill the beans then, I reckon! :D :cool:
Anyway, whatever she is, do NOT spec bordered teak instead of non edged. Regretting that is just a matter of when, not of if.
I'd rather pay extra for not having it...
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Hang on:

Are you saying you PREFER non bordered teak or are you saying no teak at all?
I like teak in the cockpit - it’s covered so cool and looks nice. Agree not ondeck or flybridge. Not sure about swim platform - I like it but don’t have it now. Interestingly the factory highlo can only be ordered with teak or fake teak
 
don't you find that when stuff is factory fitted it is some times harder to get ,it took me ages to find my webasto .
 
Surely if you are spending €0.5M on a boat and are being taken seriously, then surely explaining you require certain extras, but not as part of a 'Pack' with items you do not require they will flex to your requirements.

I appreciate the final spec should be good for your needs to provide a decent overall spec, but there are plenty of boats crammed to the gunwhales with extras that have little use apart from upon a Naval Officers boat - e.g. hatstand, waste paper basket, and, of the course, the owner !

If I ever find myself in the position you describe I would be plain in explaining what I do and do not require, and if one particular boat manufacturer will not oblige then I would look for another that will. Can't see many salesmen letting you go over some superfluous (to you) extras.
 
Choice is not that wide - currently accessible manufacturers number 3 that offer the type of boat we are interested in.
There are others not represented in Europe but that would mean buying and importing myself.

One manufacturer will not yield at all as their whole model is fixed spec production line building. The others I don’t know, but I’m sure they wouldn’t lose a sale over it.

The point of this thread was more about the cost of extras and the practicality of having them fitted to a new boat after delivery
 
Whitelighter said:
Are you saying you PREFER non bordered teak or are you saying no teak at all?
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I understood that by "bordered teak vs. non hedged" you were talking of the gunwale capping, but in hindsight I suppose that's not what you meant...
If and where you are going to have floors covered with teak, it obviously has to be bordered.
Anyhow, 'fiuaskme, on a plastic boat teak has no place other than inside and in the cockpit.
Synthetic stuff for the swim platform might be a good idea if you really like the teak look, whose only problem is that it gets hot, so no big deal on a swim platform.
 
MapisM said:
I understood that by "bordered teak vs. non hedged" you were talking of the gunwale capping, but in hindsight I suppose that's not what you meant...
If and where you are going to have floors covered with teak, it obviously has to be bordered.
Anyhow, 'fiuaskme, on a plastic boat teak has no place other than inside and in the cockpit.
Synthetic stuff for the swim platform might be a good idea if you really like the teak look, whose only problem is that it gets hot, so no big deal on a swim platform.
Click to expand...

Phew - we agree then ;)
 
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