BTTF Yachts/Boatworks.

[capttonyf]

Crazy Question, looking for some opinions. Do you think if someone built boats under a company named, say "Back to the Future Yachts/Boatworks" that the boats would sell? What I mean is, a yard or a builder, a known "someone", like Slane for example.

If they had a way to aquire old molds of Iconic boats built with modern day technics and power do you think they would sell? Boats with a pedigree that people loved and always refit but are not currently built
today.

Examples: Some of Hatteras's more popular designs , like the Hatteras 41, 45, 46, 52, 53, 65 Convertibles or the 53MY, 58YF? Other boats I think would work would be the Bertram 31, 42, 46, and 54 Convertibles from the 80's. If the molds don't exisit I would think you could use an old boat as a plug, or I guess you could always have someone design a replica with same demensions.

So that's the crazy question. If a good quality builder were to build New boats to look like the originals but built with modern tweaks and speed do you think they would sell?

Tony

 

[Cricket]

Don't think so. First, because the boats would cost the same to build as any others in a similar class. Second , because the market would be sooooooooo small for something old that's new. Third, because there's ton of old used boats that can be refurbished/rebuilt to very close to new for much less than new construction. Hopefully Slane's boat will perform as good as it looks and the orders start rolling in.

 

[Boatsb]

Why buy the old when someone could build a more modern hull?

Over the years we all have found things we like and things we dislike on our boats. Designing a new hull to use the good and minimize the bad makes more sense.

 

[capttonyf]

Your probably right about the buying a new old boat thing. I just thought some people might because it would be new and not a refit but still have the classic look. Some people even though buying new want the old look with out refit hassels and decisions. Companies Like Grand Banks or Burger Yachts or even some of the small north east builders of lobster, picnic, and Chess Bay boats, still build new but Old looking boats. Look at Hinkley, new but old.

I don't knowit would be neat though to see a Brand New classic Hatt 53 or Bert 54. It would be new and the same cost as new but look old. Kind of cool. Tough call either way but like you siad not enough demand to justify.

Tony

 

[pizzazsdaddy]

Hi Capttonyf
It's simple economics. A new 58 Yacht Fish (if it were built today), would be teetering above $3 Million. Why would you buy a new one, when the total professional restoration of a good hull will cost you One-Third that price? Including modern engines.

In the end, for under $1 Million, you have the "equivalent" of any brand new boat with the same new boat warranty on every new component. A smart boat buyer who can wait a year for the work to be completed, will end up with tremendous "value". Not to mention cruising off in a better "boat" than anything being "built" today.

 

[Boatsb]

Hi Capttonyf
It's simple economics. A new 58 Yacht Fish (if it were built today), would be teetering above $3 Million. Why would you buy a new one, when the total professional restoration of a good hull will cost you One-Third that price? Including modern engines.

In the end, for under $1 Million, you have the "equivalent" of any brand new boat with the same new boat warranty on every new component. A smart boat buyer who can wait a year for the work to be completed, will end up with tremendous "value". Not to mention cruising off in a better "boat" than anything being "built" today.

If i had a million dollars and i was looking for a 55 to 60 foot my I would not want a 1510 beam. I would not want split engine rooms . Today's designs are more modern and bring comforts to the table that a restoration will not. Also after a refit you get new things in an old boat. It still has a manufacturing date of way back when and insurance, finance and resale will suffer.

 

[thoward]

You see some of the classic lines in modern sportys but I don't think I would pass up a modern boat with all its advantages for an old design. Choosing between a Slane 60 and a Hatt 60C would not be very difficult. I would love to try pod drives in my boat....

 

[jim rosenthal]

I think there are too many good old ones around to refit as it is. Like he said, 1/3 the price or less, and that would get you a top to bottom stem to stern complete refit- everything in the boat new. You would be upside down in it forever, but you'd certainly have something where you got to make all the choices.

Folks have been trying this for years with older boats and even more often with cars. There was a fellow on the Chesapeake, John Patnovic, who was doing 31 Bertrams for a few years and did some nice ones. I think the market kind of dried up, though. Tom has done better than just about anyone else, doing 36 and 45 Hatteras convertibles, but the demand is less and besides he is working on the new boat. Which is going to be a huge success, I suspect. Early photos of it show it's going to be chest-pain gorgeous and economical and fast. AND a lot of room inside.

My dream boat would be a Series II 45C with the biggest M11s that would fit in there. I'll never have it, but I understand how much you love the old designs. They are very pretty boats, and they were great in their day- but modern designs are better in a lot of ways.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

The difference between buying a "new" 58YF and refurbishing an old one my be $2M, but the real difference to the buyer is that he could easily finance the new $3M boat but not the $1M refit of the old one.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Many threads ago on this site this same question came up. Hatteras and many other builders got rid of their outdated molds by sinking them in the ocean. All the molds that Hatteras sunk have GPS locations. I don't think it would be possible to recover and re-use those molds.

 

[oldawg]

The difference between buying a "new" 58YF and refurbishing an old one my be $2M, but the real difference to the buyer is that he could easily finance the new $3M boat but not the $1M refit of the old one.

Not to mention that in the new boat every system would be better and the hull design would also be significantly improved. Now, if you could build a new one that had a similar profile........

 

[capttonyf]

Not to mention that in the new boat every system would be better and the hull design would also be significantly improved. Now, if you could build a new one that had a similar profile........

Agreed, like I mentioned in opening question. "With a few Tweaks" to the hull to be able to handle the newer High HP Motors and speeds, they may have to cut down the keel and cut back the the leading edge "V" a little on the Hatteras'. I think on hulls like the Bertram you wouldn't have to change anything because a Deep V hull can handle the Higher speeds just fine. The Convertibles wouldn't need much changed but the MY definetely could be updated a bit. Like someone mentioned make them a little beamier BUT maintain the same classic lines that many people love the look of.

I think if Hatteras or any quality company for that matter came out with a New updated Version of the 58 YF with nice Classic Lines, a big aft deck and walkarounds it would be a big seller. You could power it with 715HP QSM 11's for I'm guessing a 23 to 24Kt cruise 27 to 28 WOT or for the speed demon wanting to spend more, 1115HP C18 Cats for nearly a 30 knot cruise. Nobody I can think of is currently building a boat like that. Is it because very few people think the way I do or they just don't want to?

Tony

 

[Cricket]

You're going to need a lot more than C18's for 58MY to cruise 30k with the beam and luxuries of today's boat, unless it's going to have a relatively flat bottom. If somebody wants a new "retro" boat they can always have it built by a custom builder. .

 

[Boatsb]

Look at all the successful ma manufacturers of classic style motoryachts today. Seems they are leading the market in sales because people buying 3+ million dollar yachts want old school style. NOT.

Only a few custom builders are in that part of the industry because demand for it is low. Styles have changed. Comforts and amenities are different. To build a modern boat with classic lines is one thing. To refit a boat or re release an old classic is not going to have the same level of comforts.

 

[capttonyf]

You're going to need a lot more than C18's for 58MY to cruise 30k with the beam and luxuries of today's boat, unless it's going to have a relatively flat bottom. If somebody wants a new "retro" boat they can always have it built by a custom builder. .

I said cruise NEAR 30 Knots with C-18'. It can be done, Hatteras 60MY currently does over 31 Knots and there are other brands running faster or same speed with less power.

http://www.boattest.com/boats/boat_video.aspx?ID=2039

Click on Test results.

2000 RPM 25+Knots
2350 RPM 31+Knots

I'm surprised this boat doesn't sell better.

Tony

 

[Cricket]

Lets not let the facts from the boat test get in the way, wot is 31.5k, cruise @1750 is 20.8k, You might call that close to a 30k cruise, I'm going to call it a 20k cruise. It will be interesting to see how Viking does with their new MY, they didn't have much success the last few times they tried that market.