Boat Repossession: How Much Do New Ones Cost: Current Prices Part 2

More typically, however, is that the average boat repossession "base price" of production boats amounts to 75% to 80% of the final price of a boat as finally delivered to a boat buyer.

Complete "from scratch" outfitting can run the final price to 30% greater than the base price.

Add financing and the base price can nearly double, albeit over a span of several years.

Note that we have said nothing about two other widely separate alternatives.

One alternative is partially completed boats with certain details, usually joiner-work and hardware installation, left for owner comple­tion.

At the other end of the spectrum are production boats which are "semi-custom" in that there are a number of options offered, especially in interior layout, engine installations, rig, and underwater configura­tions.

Our concern here is with the vast majority of new stock boats purchased by conventional methods from dealers.

The only practical way to avoid disillusionment in pricing of boat repossession is to be armed in advance with a realistic idea of all the costs that buying a new boat en­tails.

To this end The Practical Sailor set out to "buy" a boat.

We chose to price out a boat with wide appeal, the type that would meet the desires and needs of the widest possible market.

Thirty feet seemed the right size; in unit sales it is the busiest part of the marine market for boats, because boats of this size have on­board livability and at least limited offshore sailing capabilities.

We selected a boat that is conventional and contemporary, neither an all-out racer nor an all-out cruiser.

Finally, we wanted a boat manufactured by one of the larger boatbuilding firms for the simple reason that such a boat can more easily be compared with the prod­ucts from other large firms.

The boat we chose is the Ericson 30 + .

However, before what we are doing be misconstrued as an advertisement for Ericson boats, let us state that this is not in any way an endorsement for a particular boat. Rather it is a cost study in boat repossession; we could as easily have chosen to "buy" a C&C 30, Tartan 30, San Juan 30, Cal 31, or a host of other similar boats between 28' and 32'.

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