Sculley vs Mann, Spencer, Jarrett

[Squidnation]

Craig - Too much brother. IMHO the nicest boats being built today are by Jimmy Weaver. I have been on many custom boats and found myself on a weaver on two very very shitty days. The boat performed beyond any expectations I may have had for a vessel that size in those conditions. Weaver makes an incredible rig.

[Otoro]

Does anyone know much about the 58' Howell "Goombay" listed on yachtworld? Looks like a nice rig..... any thoughts?

[Team Karma]

Man I couldnt have put it better myself. Thats exactly what I mean. These 600k to 2mm dollar boats are so overpriced it that they will never sell ever at there current prices. It just doesnt make financial sense.

Why on earth would I buy a $4mm boat when I can just go down the road and get a BRAND NEW Ritchie or sonny built for half that much...and its better newer boat custom to my specs!!! For half as much!!! In my opinion for used boats generally over 200k the used boat market is completely lost from reality and replacement cost.

There is a reason some boats are more expensive than others. I would assume/hope that the reason some are more expensive than others is because of the materials and craftsmanship provided by a builder. I am not knocking Ritchie or anyone for that matter, that is just a logical guess on my part.

The majority of the Carolina guys build fishing boats that are better for fishingthan production boats (although Viking builds a good boat). I think the carolina boats are worth the extra money.

That 64 Sculley is over priced but it is still an awesome boat. It has a great ride and is tricked out to the max. I walked through it when it was close to completion at the factory and the layout and custom details are amazing.

P.S. I love our 54 Sculley

[Capt. Mark]

[QUOTE=Team Karma;1022989]There is a reason some boats are more expensive than others. I would assume/hope that the reason some are more expensive than others is because of the materials and craftsmanship provided by a builder. I am not knocking Ritchie or anyone for that matter, that is just a logical guess on my part.


I believe all the builders are using similar materials to build their boats ..as far as the craftsmen building the boats goes, most have worked for at least two or three different builders of varying price range, so quality of craftmenship should be fairly equal across the board ... where we see the biggest differences is in level of finish in unseen areas, overhead of the shop and how the boat is priced. The majority are built on a time + material basis, so cost overruns are common. We have put in place contract pricing for Ritchies boats .. so their are no surprises and there is incentive for the builder to build the boat efficiently and timely. He also has kept overhead low by maintaining a modest shop without the need for fancy offices or or a huge administrative staff. All of these things factor tremendously into the bottom line of what you pay for any particular boat

Mark

[JPH]

Whether you contract to build a time + materials x X% deal with a builder or a fixed price deal with a builder, the key is you absolutely, positively must do your homework prior to signing that contract. You must know exactly what you want, why you want it, how you want it laid out and set up and make no changes once construction begins. It takes a huge amount of thought, written notes, and time to get it all right before you start.

A fixed deal price works for an owner if homework is done first (computers have helped a lot), no changes are made, and his salaried captain the last 12 months of construction is there at least weekly then he will likely be very happy with the outcome. Many fixed deals end up as time + materials due to changes made by the owner anyway. Changes after construction (caused by not enough homework done prior to construction) caused most builders to go time + materials x X% to protect their business’ bottom line and make sure no short cuts are taken in the completion of the boat.

Those owners who learned this construction game made a lot of money building, fishing, and then selling boats over the last 12 years or so but the current economy has hurt this effort badly. The most liquid boats going forward will be the fuel efficient boats as these Canyon Runner boys have posted previously. 65’@ 36 knots burning 130 GPH ain’t selling right now in the used market…and absolutely nothing is being done in the future to increase oil supply so the prices of fuel will not go down any time soon. 58’@ 30 knots burning 65 GPH or less is the future of this custom boat game.

If 15-20 months of construction time and all the required homework does not appeal to you, there are some absolutely outstanding used boats available at really good prices right now from every builder out there.

[jbonvetti]

Craig - Too much brother. IMHO the nicest boats being built today are by Jimmy Weaver. I have been on many custom boats and found myself on a weaver on two very very shitty days. The boat performed beyond any expectations I may have had for a vessel that size in those conditions. Weaver makes an incredible rig.

The only problem with the Weaver Boats is that they are soaking wet, other that that they are a pretty decent boat...but ill still take that F&S in a head sea...

[Mike15]

The only problem with the Weaver Boats is that they are soaking wet, other that that they are a pretty decent boat...but ill still take that F&S in a head sea...

Roger that on the F&S

[Team Karma]

Roger that on the F&S

Capt Mark-you make an excellent point. Many of the builders mismanage their workers. At one point during the build of our boat, Sculley had almost 120 employees. 15 were office staff and the rest varied from skilled craftsman to the guys that faired hulls all day long. By the end of our build, they were down to 7 office employees and about 40 guys in the factory with only one less boat under construction. Their overhead was cut dramatically and the company ran smoother. We had a firm contract in place but I know that several of the other boats in production did not which leads to....

JPH- If you know EXACTLY what you want from the beginning, the entire process is cheaper and more enjoyable for both sides. The reason custom boats are expensive: an owner shows up and says "I don't like that, change it to this.." builder happily does it and sends the owner a bill. If an owner tried to do that with a production boat, they would most likely be told no.

Having someone their to manage the build is essential also. Most builders are great guys and want nothing more than to make an owner happy.