Quoting the age of a boat... what's the norm?

[ari]

If build straddles the year end then I agree, it's a following year built boat as far as anyone is concerned.

But if it's built, finished, supplied, invoiced, and in use in 2006 then it's quite plainly a 2006 boat, whether the spec is of a 2007 or a 2011 or a 1907!

From the sound of it Princess are prepared to market it as a 2006/7 to distinguish it as a 07 model year, and fair enough. But I can totally see why they won't advertise it as a 2007 boat, because it very plainly isn't one!

 

[MapisM]

I would be miffed to buy a 2010 boat which I later found out had been launched and first used in June 2009. People are suggesting that's standard practice in the boating world and to me that sounds fundamentally wrong.

Truth be told, common sense dictates that it is indeed wrong.

The reasons previously given for the standard practice of advertising a X modely year boat as a "X boat", regardless of whether mY (meant as building month/year) show that X=Y+1, are rather justifications than real reasons.

There's only one real reason why the convention is what it is, and it's a very simple one: many boaters are nor aware of the HIN structure, and just look at what the ad says. And the seller/broker, if asked, just shows the last two digits to prove his point.
I'm personally aware of some brokers who are not even aware of the meaning of the 3rd and 4th from last digits, no kidding.

Besides, talking of comparing cars with boats, I'd say that the traceability of cars is actually MUCH higher than with boats. Try to understand which optionals were factory installed in a boat, just as an example (unless the seller has, and is available to dsclose, the details of his contract).
As a matter of fact, in a car it's even possible to understand the build date of most single components. Which is hardly surprising, because the car industry is a real industry. In comparison, even the bigger boatbuilders are just cottages, whether we like it or not.

Btw, out of curiosity, why did you say that "sometimes" you can tell the body type of a Porsche by its VIN? I've always been able to check the consistency of a 911 coupé/targa/cabrio based on the respective VIN. Are there other models where this can't be done?

 

[emibel98]

What exactly does the original builders certificate say as month and year of build? If the boat was sold, commissioned and used in 2006 as someone on here says then I am not quite sure how any of that nonsense about build times, start/finish dates and the fact EBY say it is OK to call it something that it isn't is in the slightest bit relevant. Why do you think they use dates on the boats? It is to distinguish when the boat was made and the model year, if it didn't matter they wouldn't make the disctinction would they? Hands up all those who want the older date used when they are buying the boat but the younger when when they are selling? The older the boat the less it is worth, surely???
Only my opinion mind you.....

 

[MapisM]

What exactly does the original builders certificate say as month and year of build?

Well, actually in the boat which I just sold (US built), the Builder's Certification quoted only the year of construction, not the month, though of course the 4th from last HIN digit gave that away.
Fwiw, the BC (which was made on the basis of a USCG form) showed the "year phase of construction" and the "year completed". In my boat, both were Y, whilst the model year (X) was Y+1.

Hands up all those who want the older date used when they are buying the boat but the younger when when they are selling?

LOL, precisely what I meant with my previous explanation of the real reason behind the accepted convention.
Mind, I also did advertise my boat as "X", and the buyer didn't bother asking anything else, even if all papers were made available to him before closing the deal... Otoh, I did point out that the "real" year was "Y", when I bought her!