THE FATE OF SEA RAY BOATS

aaronbocknek · Post by **aaronbocknek** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:22 pm

looks like they will be 'made in mexico' from now on.
just thought i would pass this tidbit on to you all.
aaron....

Brunswick shutting down Sea Ray plant
Tuesday, 06 January 2009 11:01
Brunswick Corp. this morning announced plans to â€œmothballâ€ its Riverview boatbuilding facility near Knoxville, Tenn., which manufactures Sea Ray boats. Production will wind down during the first quarter.

Approximately 300 production and support positions will be lost in Riverview, but Brunswick said it will work to transfer as many people as possible to the Knoxville and Vonore, Tenn., plants.

Production at Riverview will be moved to the plants in Knoxville and Vonore. In addition, production of certain models will be transferred to the companyâ€™s Palm Coast facility in Florida and another plant in Mexico.

In addition, Brunswick announced plans to reduce up to 275 additional positions throughout Sea Ray manufacturing and product development facilities, as well as at Sea Rayâ€™s Knoxville headquarters, by the end of this week.

All Sea Ray manufacturing facilities in Tennessee and Florida have scheduled at least a week of production furloughs each month through the end of June. These will generally be observed the third week of the month.

â€œWe have taken a number of actions over the past few years in an effort to mitigate persistent difficult conditions in the global marine market and economy,â€ Brunswick chairman and CEO Dustan McCoy said in a statement. â€œBut the global marine market remains in a severe downturn because of the weakening economies here and abroad and anxious consumer sentiment.â€

In addition to Riverview, Brunswick has closed, mothballed or sold 14 other North American plants since 2006.

Stripermann2 · Post by **Stripermann2** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:38 pm

Yep heard that...and one of Brunswick's other popular boating line, Albemarl, was bought out by a N.C investor...

Brunswick was a giant...and sooner or later, giants fall.

randyp · Post by **randyp** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 4:47 pm

Let's face it. The economy sucks and boats, RVs and other diversions are going to take a back seat to hanging on to jobs, houses, and paying the bills. Stand by for more closings of plants, especially those building our "toys". Of course, this is also a great time to be shopping for a boat....just so long as it's a Trojan!!

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:31 pm

I hate to hear any boating companys having proplems . we went thru this back in the early 90s with the boat luxury tax . and a fed. sticker you had to buy for your boat this on top of a recession put a a lot of boat builder out of busness incl. Trojan.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.h ... A967958260

Coralkong · Post by **Coralkong** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 8:09 am

You can chalk this one up as "Hearsay", but I heard that there will be very few manufacturers that have a NEW '09 model boats.

Meaning, becuase last year sucked so bad for boat manufacturers, they are just taking last year's boats and re-labeling them as '09's.

I heard Sea Ray was one to be specific. So, your '09 models are overstock of '08 models.

Interesting. Wonder if the price will reflect this. I also wonder how they're going to spin this as far as the sales department goes.

Just what I heard.

JuiceClark · Post by **JuiceClark** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 10:46 am

Even Viking is in trouble. They just had a big layoff and decided to abandon their new 60-some footer design when a bunch of orders cancelled.

mtwolf · Post by **mtwolf** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 11:23 am

I am sure the price of fuel didn't help either!!! A lot of people just stayed at the dock, last summer, or put their boats up for sale.

John

chumwithabottleofrum · Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:37 am

I went to the boat show in Cleveland last weekend and almost fainted when I saw some of the "deep discount show prices". If those were in fact what they considered discounted prices the industry is in A LOT of trouble. It's been 20 years since I looked a prices on new boats, but It just struck me that the pricing has really outsripped inflation. No wonder they're not selling anything. Given the numbers on the new boats it's hard to believe they'd be able to sell much even in "good times."

wowzer52 · Post by **wowzer52** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 5:18 pm

I've been looking at used boats for years and keep pretty good track of there prices but I haven't looked at new boat prices. I'm going to the Seattle Boat Show in the morning to look for some more goodies for my F-32 so I'll get a chance to find out how our area is handling the boat sales during our bad economy. Should be interesting.

aaronbocknek · Post by **aaronbocknek** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 6:01 am

i went to the baltimore indoor boat show on thursday (btw, mid week when everyone is working is a great day to go) and i too was stunned at the 'discount' and 'show only specials'. a bayliner for 'only' 129,900--- the 28 foot fly bridge cruiser. the guy said she was 'priced to move'. i looked at him and said not at nearly 130K. i did talk to a westerbeke dealer who said he could sell and install a new 'beke' 7.0kw genset for 6K. hey, thats a bargain i think. there was a 29foot tug cruiser 'priced to move' at only 270,000. you are right, the prices do not match up. i also spoke to the sea ray dealer and he said the plant 'always shuts for a few months in the winter'...... yeah.... okay. one thing i did notice though. whenever i walked near a boat display, the sales people swooped in like sea gulls on a dock. i have to say though, that when they asked if i already owned a boat, and said i had a 'vintage trojan fly bridge cruiser', i actually got some positive comments especially from the older guys there. it's nice to know that even at a boat show, i can get a good comment about my vintage f32. i did however fall in love with the 41' island packet yacht py cruiser. i guess at 320K, it will have to wait, but man, what a sweet trawler she was----navy blue hull and all.
aaron

LSP · Post by **LSP** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:26 am

Aaron , good morning. Was the show worth going to?

gjrylands · Post by **gjrylands** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 1:10 pm

A friend and I attended the Chicago Boat Show last weekend. I like going just to see if I can get any ideas I can incorporate into my F36. I spend the majority of my time at the show looking at the accessories and boating supplies. I canâ€™t say I saw anything that caught my eye.

Youâ€™re right about the sales personnel. They were really hawking potential buyers. I wasn't one of them! The price tags on boats have gone ballistic. Itâ€™s easy to see how they can discount when the tag is over priced to begin with. I guess they think that all boaters are rich fat cats that donâ€™t know what to do with their money.

aaronbocknek · Post by **aaronbocknek** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 7:04 am

hi will, i would say it was worth going just to kill some time and look at the vendors and some of the new boats. and will, i know you were looking to add a genset to your f-32 and i have the guys card that can do it for under 7K if you are still interested........but, i really have to say, and this is what i said when i was in the market to buy a boat....... the newer designs just do not do it for me. like i said, the tug and the island packet py cruiser were the ones that i really liked. i guess i am just a traditional type of guy when it comes to the boats i like. it was funny though, as i was talking to one of the sea ray reps. he said, ''sea ray actually developed this type of 'express cruiser' concept for the american market and has done very well at it.'' when i said, ''sir, i respectfully disagree with you. i believe that it was TROJAN with the advent of the delta conic hull and the new international design in the late 1970's and early 1980's that set the true 'express cruiser standard' for the american market.'' he look as if i cut off his boy parts. he said he was unfamiliar with the trojan international design. so i said, ''well, now you have something to google when you go home from the show and see where it all REALLY STARTED''.

i know, it was bitchy, but hey, i was not in the mood for any boat seller attitude that day.

enjoy
aaron

RWS · Post by **RWS** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 7:11 am

The shows are a great place to get ideas about doing updates and upgrades.

TAKE A CAMERA!

Visit the boats and take pictures of features you like.

I have a set of photos of cockpit upholseries, updated galleys with granite countertops, recessed stovetops with removable lids for more counter space, same for that pesky double sink that is really too small to be a double sink.

I plan on replacing the REALLY DATED formica galley counter top and tabletop in either Corian or granite, then match the cockpit wetbar countertop with the same.

A new sink, stainless fittings and a recessed stovetop will really update things.

We need to replace the reading lights in the fwd cabin and the light in the head with new LED fixtures.

A transom shower with hot/cold water is also planned.

Now if I could budget for a set of those really nice underwater lights installed somehow on my trim tabs to avoid drilling into the hull......

RWS

Bob Korts · Post by **Bob Korts** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:38 am

We just came back from the Atlanta show. We went on dealer day, Wednesday and there was no body there. We have a 1991 12 meter express and want to do some updates. I just pulled the carpet out of the cabin and am planning to put down a 1/4 thick teak and holly floor. My wife wants to replace the counter top but I would like to hear from someone who has removed one and how they did it. It appears to have been set in 5200 on a ledge along the hull. Getting it out in one piece would be a big help in making a new one. I have a feeling the water tank was replaced at some time. I found the wires for the water level sensor but no sensor. The only name I found on the indicator mounted next to the micro wave was Jensen but when I googled that name nothing came up except someone named Jensen held some patents on level indicators. Any information would be helpful.

Bob