Here are some observations from the Raleigh Boat Show this past weekend. I'll post some GW specific info later.
o The crowd was better then expected. After hearing from the NE US shows, I was surprised at the turnout. Since it was the first year in a wonderful new LARGE venue it was hard to compare to past years. It seemed to be getting pretty crowded by 3pm.
o There were way more boats then in previous years, likely due to the size of the showroom. The largest I saw was a 47' Sea Ray. Very nice cruising boat. It had the Zeus docking system installed.
o Albemarle was absent. There was discussion that the recent sale kept them from closing altogether. They have 23 employees including the receptionist. It is sad to see a legendary NC builder fall so far after aquisition by Brunswick.
o The Jupiter 29 was a fine looking CC. The fit and finish was top notch. Very nice looking boat.
o The Robalo 305 was also a nice boat. There was lots of wood in the cabin, a nice helm deck, and a really pretty hardtop with glossy underside and recessed LED lighting. I pointed some GW folks to it so they could see some of the nice touches. I would like to see the larger GWs adopt some of the features.
o The Everglades 320 is an amazing boat. Of course at 300K for a 32/11 outboard boat it SHOULD be. There was SS everywhere, tons of wood in the cabin, an enclosed bridge with 16K BTU a/c, power driven front windows, and get this, a touch screen to control all systems (pumps, lights, power, etc). There were some mechanical switches for key systems in case of failure. The boat has a single thru hull with a header to feed all seawater systems. Very cool. The bilge was lit and finished like a cabin. Think outboard Cabo. Amazing boat.
o The Scout 35 was very nice. Finish and features compare to Pursuit and GW although it doesn't seem as fishable (IMHO).
Some trends I noticed:
o despite the economy many models are adding wood, SS, amenities, and luxury items.
o helm deck a/c is becoming the norm on boats large enough for a genset (best believe I continued my campaign with GW for helm a/c on the 300)
o hardtops are going to finished undersides, recessed lighting including spreader lights, and some other feature. I continue to lobby GW for this direction. Some of the hardtops looked like small versions of a Pipewelders custom top for a tower. Very nice.
o more SS everywhere, drink holders, scupper drains, toe rails, etc
o heads are becoming more upscale with countertops, SS sinks, more padding, etc
o many boats have gone to the Beckson deck plates which screw out rather then pop out with a screwdriver.
o more clear separation of usage. The Carolina Classics and Regulators are geared for fishing and did not have most of these new frills. The family/dual purpose boats all had new features not seen in past years.
o Everyone is using top mounted riggers. Sorry, but they do not look right on a 25'+ cabin boat. My next boat WILL have side mounts even if they are done after market.
I post some GW info tomorrow.
o The crowd was better then expected. After hearing from the NE US shows, I was surprised at the turnout. Since it was the first year in a wonderful new LARGE venue it was hard to compare to past years. It seemed to be getting pretty crowded by 3pm.
o There were way more boats then in previous years, likely due to the size of the showroom. The largest I saw was a 47' Sea Ray. Very nice cruising boat. It had the Zeus docking system installed.
o Albemarle was absent. There was discussion that the recent sale kept them from closing altogether. They have 23 employees including the receptionist. It is sad to see a legendary NC builder fall so far after aquisition by Brunswick.
o The Jupiter 29 was a fine looking CC. The fit and finish was top notch. Very nice looking boat.
o The Robalo 305 was also a nice boat. There was lots of wood in the cabin, a nice helm deck, and a really pretty hardtop with glossy underside and recessed LED lighting. I pointed some GW folks to it so they could see some of the nice touches. I would like to see the larger GWs adopt some of the features.
o The Everglades 320 is an amazing boat. Of course at 300K for a 32/11 outboard boat it SHOULD be. There was SS everywhere, tons of wood in the cabin, an enclosed bridge with 16K BTU a/c, power driven front windows, and get this, a touch screen to control all systems (pumps, lights, power, etc). There were some mechanical switches for key systems in case of failure. The boat has a single thru hull with a header to feed all seawater systems. Very cool. The bilge was lit and finished like a cabin. Think outboard Cabo. Amazing boat.
o The Scout 35 was very nice. Finish and features compare to Pursuit and GW although it doesn't seem as fishable (IMHO).
Some trends I noticed:
o despite the economy many models are adding wood, SS, amenities, and luxury items.
o helm deck a/c is becoming the norm on boats large enough for a genset (best believe I continued my campaign with GW for helm a/c on the 300)
o hardtops are going to finished undersides, recessed lighting including spreader lights, and some other feature. I continue to lobby GW for this direction. Some of the hardtops looked like small versions of a Pipewelders custom top for a tower. Very nice.
o more SS everywhere, drink holders, scupper drains, toe rails, etc
o heads are becoming more upscale with countertops, SS sinks, more padding, etc
o many boats have gone to the Beckson deck plates which screw out rather then pop out with a screwdriver.
o more clear separation of usage. The Carolina Classics and Regulators are geared for fishing and did not have most of these new frills. The family/dual purpose boats all had new features not seen in past years.
o Everyone is using top mounted riggers. Sorry, but they do not look right on a 25'+ cabin boat. My next boat WILL have side mounts even if they are done after market.
I post some GW info tomorrow.
