Another quality boat manufacturer sells out.
 

Reginald P. Smithers III wrote:
HK wrote:
Capt John wrote:
On Nov 3, 6:29 pm, HK wrote:
Just read that Albemarle was bought out by Brunswick. Another famous
line goes in the crapper. Cabo was sold last year. Sad to see the
independents disappearing, since they build the best boats.

I can't say I blame them, with the price of fuel, the future is very
cloudy. Powerboating was very much a middle class activity. Sure, the
really big boats are owned by the wealthy, but the vast majority of
boat owners are middle class. Crazy fuel prices are starting to push
the middle class out of boating.

If I owned a business that was very much dependant on middle class
incomes. And the business started to change, pushing the operating
cost of my product beyond that which my customer base can afford,
driving increasing numbers of those customers away. And someone came
along and offered me a good price for that business, I'd probably take
the money and run.

John


Oh, I don't *blame* Albemarle for selling out, but the likelihood is
that the product that emerges in the years to come will no longer be
an "Albemarle." It'll be the product of the MBAs and accountants, and
therefore the probability is, it will be crap, because that is what
MBAs and accountants produce.

Some decades ago, an ad and pr company I worked for had a client that,
at that time, was the largest and most successful FHA-VA mortgage
banker in the country. We liked the company and its management a lot,
so much so that the owner of the company and I (I was the chief
account exec and writer) bought some stock. It was traded O-T-C at the
time, for about $4.00 a share.

Lo and behold, a giant NY-based financial institution offer the
founders $35 a share for the stock. Too good an offer to turn down. We
all cashed in to the limits of our holdings, of course. I made a few
bucks and was happy to do so.

Well, the new owners simply didn't understand the market for the
acquisition and in a few years, it sold the company off to someone
else, after most of its value (which was mainly in good will and very
competent staff in about 20 U.S. markets). The company disappeared,
along with the service it had provided. The big institution's MBAs
turned the mortgage company into crap.

The family that started the mortgage company, the guys who cashed out,
stayed active in business. A large regional bank in our market was
about to be shut down by the FDIC, and the guys, over the course of
ONE weekend, put together enough cash to take over the bank with the
FDIC's blessing. Bank opened Monday with a new name and new management.
No MBAs involved.

Hatteras no longer is a premier manufacturer of top-end sportfishing
boats. Cabo no longer has its edge. Albemarle is going to become just
another nameplate.

Sad to see, whatever the reasons.



Who is the premier mfg'er of top-end sportfishing boats who has retained
it's edge.



There are top-end sportfishing boats in just about every size category.
If I were in the market for a large Atlantic Ocean "battlewagon,"
though, I'd be visiting the independent Carolina builders.

There are some builders in the Maritime Provinces of Canada who build
some really serious fishing boats.

Another quality boat manufacturer sells out.
 

"HK" wrote in message
...


Whenever a corporate conglomerate takes over a boat line, I'm reminded of
what happened to Harley-Davidson when it was taken over by AMF.

Better yet is what happened to HD when it's employees bought it back.

Eisboch

Another quality boat manufacturer sells out.
 

"Reginald P. Smithers III" wrote in message
. ..
HK wrote:
Capt John wrote:
On Nov 3, 6:29 pm, HK wrote:
Just read that Albemarle was bought out by Brunswick. Another famous
line goes in the crapper. Cabo was sold last year. Sad to see the
independents disappearing, since they build the best boats.

I can't say I blame them, with the price of fuel, the future is very
cloudy. Powerboating was very much a middle class activity. Sure, the
really big boats are owned by the wealthy, but the vast majority of
boat owners are middle class. Crazy fuel prices are starting to push
the middle class out of boating.

If I owned a business that was very much dependant on middle class
incomes. And the business started to change, pushing the operating
cost of my product beyond that which my customer base can afford,
driving increasing numbers of those customers away. And someone came
along and offered me a good price for that business, I'd probably take
the money and run.

John


Oh, I don't *blame* Albemarle for selling out, but the likelihood is that
the product that emerges in the years to come will no longer be an
"Albemarle." It'll be the product of the MBAs and accountants, and
therefore the probability is, it will be crap, because that is what MBAs
and accountants produce.

Some decades ago, an ad and pr company I worked for had a client that, at
that time, was the largest and most successful FHA-VA mortgage banker in
the country. We liked the company and its management a lot, so much so
that the owner of the company and I (I was the chief account exec and
writer) bought some stock. It was traded O-T-C at the time, for about
$4.00 a share.

Lo and behold, a giant NY-based financial institution offer the founders
$35 a share for the stock. Too good an offer to turn down. We all cashed
in to the limits of our holdings, of course. I made a few bucks and was
happy to do so.

Well, the new owners simply didn't understand the market for the
acquisition and in a few years, it sold the company off to someone else,
after most of its value (which was mainly in good will and very competent
staff in about 20 U.S. markets). The company disappeared, along with the
service it had provided. The big institution's MBAs turned the mortgage
company into crap.

The family that started the mortgage company, the guys who cashed out,
stayed active in business. A large regional bank in our market was about
to be shut down by the FDIC, and the guys, over the course of ONE
weekend, put together enough cash to take over the bank with the FDIC's
blessing. Bank opened Monday with a new name and new management.
No MBAs involved.

Hatteras no longer is a premier manufacturer of top-end sportfishing
boats. Cabo no longer has its edge. Albemarle is going to become just
another nameplate.

Sad to see, whatever the reasons.



Who is the premier mfg'er of top-end sportfishing boats who has retained
it's edge.



Jim Smith

Eisboch

Another quality boat manufacturer sells out.
 

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...


Jim Smith

Eisboch



Forgot the link:
http://www.jimsmithboats.net/HOME.HTML

Eisboch

Another quality boat manufacturer sells out.
 

HK wrote:

Hatteras no longer is a premier manufacturer of top-end sportfishing
boats. Cabo no longer has its edge. Albemarle is going to become just
another nameplate.

Sad to see, whatever the reasons.



Who is the premier mfg'er of top-end sportfishing boats who has
retained it's edge.



There are top-end sportfishing boats in just about every size category.
If I were in the market for a large Atlantic Ocean "battlewagon,"
though, I'd be visiting the independent Carolina builders.

There are some builders in the Maritime Provinces of Canada who build
some really serious fishing boats.

Are these custom boats or do they have a model line up of different size
sportfishing boats that one can see online or at a boat show? The
reason I ask is I normally think custom boats are more expensive than
similar boats using an existing mold and design.

Another quality boat manufacturer sells out.
 

Eisboch wrote:
"Reginald P. Smithers III" wrote in message
. ..
HK wrote:
Capt John wrote:
On Nov 3, 6:29 pm, HK wrote:
Just read that Albemarle was bought out by Brunswick. Another famous
line goes in the crapper. Cabo was sold last year. Sad to see the
independents disappearing, since they build the best boats.
I can't say I blame them, with the price of fuel, the future is very
cloudy. Powerboating was very much a middle class activity. Sure, the
really big boats are owned by the wealthy, but the vast majority of
boat owners are middle class. Crazy fuel prices are starting to push
the middle class out of boating.

If I owned a business that was very much dependant on middle class
incomes. And the business started to change, pushing the operating
cost of my product beyond that which my customer base can afford,
driving increasing numbers of those customers away. And someone came
along and offered me a good price for that business, I'd probably take
the money and run.

John

Oh, I don't *blame* Albemarle for selling out, but the likelihood is that
the product that emerges in the years to come will no longer be an
"Albemarle." It'll be the product of the MBAs and accountants, and
therefore the probability is, it will be crap, because that is what MBAs
and accountants produce.

Some decades ago, an ad and pr company I worked for had a client that, at
that time, was the largest and most successful FHA-VA mortgage banker in
the country. We liked the company and its management a lot, so much so
that the owner of the company and I (I was the chief account exec and
writer) bought some stock. It was traded O-T-C at the time, for about
$4.00 a share.

Lo and behold, a giant NY-based financial institution offer the founders
$35 a share for the stock. Too good an offer to turn down. We all cashed
in to the limits of our holdings, of course. I made a few bucks and was
happy to do so.

Well, the new owners simply didn't understand the market for the
acquisition and in a few years, it sold the company off to someone else,
after most of its value (which was mainly in good will and very competent
staff in about 20 U.S. markets). The company disappeared, along with the
service it had provided. The big institution's MBAs turned the mortgage
company into crap.

The family that started the mortgage company, the guys who cashed out,
stayed active in business. A large regional bank in our market was about
to be shut down by the FDIC, and the guys, over the course of ONE
weekend, put together enough cash to take over the bank with the FDIC's
blessing. Bank opened Monday with a new name and new management.
No MBAs involved.

Hatteras no longer is a premier manufacturer of top-end sportfishing
boats. Cabo no longer has its edge. Albemarle is going to become just
another nameplate.

Sad to see, whatever the reasons.


Who is the premier mfg'er of top-end sportfishing boats who has retained
it's edge.



Jim Smith

Eisboch



Very very nice, and if you have to ask what the price is .........

Another quality boat manufacturer sells out.
 

On Nov 4, 7:30 am, HK wrote:
Chuck Gould wrote:
On Nov 3, 4:29?pm, HK wrote:
Just read that Albemarle was bought out by Brunswick. Another famous
line goes in the crapper. Cabo was sold last year. Sad to see the
independents disappearing, since they build the best boats.

Where have you been, Harry?

Brunswick has owned Albermarle for quite while now. Basically, they
are built by the same group that makes Hatteras. Many of the upper
tier
trademarks built by Brunswick are pretty darn good boats.

I'm sure they were better boats when the companies that built them were
independent. The newest model Albemarle, for example, is wider and with
less deadrise than the model it will be replacing. That's corporate
conglomerate think for you...take a line of fishing boats and turn them
into something less.

People often think that just because something is made by small
independents that it automatically means better craftmanship and
quality, but that just isn't always true. Larger companies have money
to use for R&D and testing, plus the tools to ensure quality control.

Another quality boat manufacturer sells out.
 

Eisboch wrote:
"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

Jim Smith

Eisboch



Forgot the link:
http://www.jimsmithboats.net/HOME.HTML

Eisboch



While these are really nice (and out of my league) boats, are they
really better than a similar equipped Hatteras? I was under the
impression that outside of the hull mold, Hatt's are really custom built
to the owners specs.

Another quality boat manufacturer sells out.
 

Another quality boat manufacturer sells out.
 

Reginald P. Smithers III wrote:
HK wrote:

Hatteras no longer is a premier manufacturer of top-end sportfishing
boats. Cabo no longer has its edge. Albemarle is going to become
just another nameplate.

Sad to see, whatever the reasons.



Who is the premier mfg'er of top-end sportfishing boats who has
retained it's edge.



There are top-end sportfishing boats in just about every size
category. If I were in the market for a large Atlantic Ocean
"battlewagon," though, I'd be visiting the independent Carolina builders.

There are some builders in the Maritime Provinces of Canada who build
some really serious fishing boats.

Are these custom boats or do they have a model line up of different size
sportfishing boats that one can see online or at a boat show? The
reason I ask is I normally think custom boats are more expensive than
similar boats using an existing mold and design.


In the larger sizes, most of the boats are pretty much custom even if an
existing mold is used or stretched or modified. And not all the boats
come out of molds.


There's a relatively new builder of larger custom glass boats...Mirage
something or other. Forty to 60 footers, with Bertram-like hulls in
their lineage. Lots of custom features, very nice. There's a fellow on a
boat discussion board who is having one built for him, and he's posted a
zillion good photos. I'd have to say they are the best looking (from
photos, anyway) glass battlewagons I have seen lately.

Most of the custom builders will have a lineup at the Miami show. Their
customers are glad to help them, so you'll see several owner boats
included at the show.

If you are a serious fisherman, you cannot evaluate a boat by seeing its
photos or specs on line. Even on a bitty boat like my new Parker,
showroom visits alone were not enough, at least not for me. I got the
dealer to arrange a "demo" with a customer who bought the identical hull
and engine combo a year earlier, and from that demo I concluded I did
not want the forward vee-seating he opted for. Fortunately, Parker is a
manufacturer who, within reason, will semi-custom its stock boats to
some degree.