Second Hand Boat Buyers Conundrum - AWB vs MAB and Seaworthyness

..saying "you don't know if you can't afford it" is a pretty bad form of snobbery

It's a pertinent question though: Porsche laments that it would sell many more cars if everyone who yearned for its cars went on to buy one when they could afford it; curiously this includes folk in their mid- to late-20s.

Either way, boatbuilders quite reasonably only care about the subset of people who can afford their products and every boatshow has a story of a red faced salesman who accidentally turned away a wealthy buyer.

It gets even trickier for them when people of sufficient wealth tell them exactly what they think they would like - and then don't buy the damn thing when it's produced!!
 
Seems you are not in a position to pay £100k for a boat so how can you know what you would buy if you were actually in a position to do so?

Another of your typically arrogant comments, Mr "100k is small change". How do you know what i'm in a position to pay for a boat ?

I'm not in a position to buy a £20m yacht, but i can still decide which ones i like to look of.
 
It's a pertinent question though: Porsche laments that it would sell many more cars if everyone who yearned for its cars went on to buy one when they could afford it; curiously this includes folk in their mid- to late-20s.

Either way, boatbuilders quite reasonably only care about the subset of people who can afford their products and every boatshow has a story of a red faced salesman who accidentally turned away a wealthy buyer.

It gets even trickier for them when people of sufficient wealth tell them exactly what they think they would like - and then don't buy the damn thing when it's produced!!

Doubtless all true, but in order to complain that people who once lusted after your cars aren't buying them once they can afford to, you need to accept that they are entitled to an opinion on them beforehand, and hope that opinion is positive.

That seems some distance from Tranona's view of what Paul is or isn't entitled to.
 
It's a pertinent question though: Porsche laments that it would sell many more cars if everyone who yearned for its cars went on to buy one when they could afford it;

Not sure that's accurate - there are long waiting lists for most Porsche models, they simply can't build enough cars.
 
Not sure that's accurate - there are long waiting lists for most Porsche models, they simply can't build enough cars.

The waiting lists are true, but it's not really that they can't produce them. All luxury manufacturers choose to choke supply a little to keep margins up, encourage desirability and sometimes support resale values.
 
So the waiting lists are just a ploy? And maybe Porsche have thousands of cars lying around ready to sell?

Ploy is a bit of a loaded word, but that's right. Almost all Porsches are made to order, so there are certainly no carparks full of them. Porsche could easily build more if it suited their business model and the same applies to Rolls Royce alongside many others. Three instead of two daily shifts are often possible, production facilities can be expanded with a 2-3yr lag and so on.

In the same way Bvlgari, Vacheron and Cartier could make more watches, Hermes could make more handbags, Dior more dresses and so on. Basically they choose not to.
 
Nope, was thinking about Bavaria. Been onboard a few and didn't like them, sorry. . .


I always thought they were ok. However there is a strain of modern, economy boat were the interiors are abysmal, whichever way you look at them.

I will forebear to mention them by name but we all know the ones, with gert empty spaces and the odd square MDF box hung here and there.
 
I always thought they were ok. However there is a strain of modern, economy boat were the interiors are abysmal, whichever way you look at them.

Guess you're not in the target market for a new Bavaria, Beneteau, Jeanneau, Hanse, Dehler, etc, then?
 
That's a pretty silly comment. We all spend time making value decisions about sums of money beyond our personal wealth. The economic manifestos of political parties, for a start, would be pointless. Should no-one have a view on footballers salaries? saying "you don't know if you can't afford it" is a pretty bad form of snobbery and I'm sure you didn't mean to give that impression.

Sorry you think that. No it is not snobbery as like most "ordinary" people I spent most of my life with little discretionary money, squeezing the most out of what I had to raise two children and put them through 4 years of university each. it was lovely when they became financially independent! Fortunately we had our children when we were young so had time to catch up.

I was responding to PR who raised the question of money and reminding him that we are both not talking about his choice or mine, but the OPs question and the sums involved are less than half that.

I believe it is also true that you cannot predict what you might do if your circumstances change and you do actually have a much bigger discretionary sum available - simply because the choices are greater.
 
Another of your typically arrogant comments, Mr "100k is small change". How do you know what i'm in a position to pay for a boat ?

I'm not in a position to buy a £20m yacht, but i can still decide which ones i like to look of.

That perhaps shows how shallow your thinking is. Suggest you read my response to bibaltic
 
Doubtless all true, but in order to complain that people who once lusted after your cars aren't buying them once they can afford to, you need to accept that they are entitled to an opinion on them beforehand, and hope that opinion is positive.

Fair point, and of course everyone is entitled to an opinion! However, whether a manufacturer hopes that opinion is positive is not so obvious. Porsche would certainly hope young boys see their brand in a positive light, but then again Daimler Benz won't care too much that no self-respecting 10 year old yearns an E Class Estate.

It's a difficult balance, but commercial pressures really do require boat manufacturers to listen more to 30-50 year olds with the necessary dosh in their back pocket, as opposed to folk who either don't, or have no intention of changing their current boat.

It's a delicate balance, and one which Westerly, Moody and so many other UK builders don't appear to have got quite right.
 
That perhaps shows how shallow your thinking is. Suggest you read my response to bibaltic

If i must.

Sorry you think that. No it is not snobbery as like most "ordinary" people I spent most of my life with little discretionary money, squeezing the most out of what I had to raise two children and put them through 4 years of university each. it was lovely when they became financially independent! Fortunately we had our children when we were young so had time to catch up.

Yes, i've read all about this, many times. Not sure of its relevance here.

I was responding to PR who raised the question of money and reminding him that we are both not talking about his choice or mine, but the OPs question and the sums involved are less than half that.

My mention of money was well inside the OPs budget, for a boat that answers the question he asked "So what boat would you buy with a budget of £25 to 30k suitable for a family with young kids?

I believe it is also true that you cannot predict what you might do if your circumstances change and you do actually have a much bigger discretionary sum available - simply because the choices are greater.

I do have a much bigger discretionary sum available, but it's exactly that, a discretionary sum. I chose not to spend it on a boat. If i wanted to spend more money i know exactly which boat i would buy. As it is, i'll leave my money where it is, it won't earn any money in a boat and a £100k boat won't do anything my current boat won't do. If that's OK with you ?
 
So what boat have you got? I'm intrigued. Interesting and entertaining thread, thanks everyone.

Westerly Discus. From post #48 :
My 80's Westerly has two separate (permanent) double cabins, each with full hanging wardrobes, separate heads with hot and cold water and shower, fridge, cooker with oven, blown air diesel heating, electric windlass, solar power, large saloon with permanent dining table and two, four seater sofas that convert to bunks in seconds.
 

Other threads that may be of interest

Top