Would a return to cost-conscious, value, revive Catalina Yachts?

[VFR750]

The 5-Series intentionally moved to higher-end build quality and materials starting in 2009. More teak, very nice interiors, well equipped, etc... It worked until ~2023

2024 is when the bottom fell out, due to inflation crushing the large upfront cost, > 7% interest rates and marina fees on big boats practically doubling in the last 6 years..

But, also, there was/is lack of a good, affordable, starter, family, boat (The 22 Capri/Sport & 275 were not)

After watching many YouTube videos on re-fitting an old boat, I decided that wasn't for me. And maybe that's true of many others. Hence I think there is an untapped market.

1) I would think a new stripped down Catalina 25 and/or 27 might be viable. <-- get young, new, sailors onto a solid new boat.
2) Make it up-gradable in the future.
3) It needs a private head, hence the 22 doesn't count. Preferably an electric fresh water one, but a porta potti is fine)
4) It needs to be a "dry" boat, not some "wet" planing wedge.
5) Keep it under 8' wide so it can be transported by everyone with a good sized SUV.
6) Advertise! Not just at boat shows. Word of mouth isn't going to cut it anymore.
7) Partner with a known entity and show how maintainable the boat is.

Sure, you can buy a mediocre 25 or 27 for several thousand, but..... I looked at several swing keel and fixed keel 25s in 2020 and some were pretty rough. Water damage on the bulkheads, smelly, broken/worn out interiors, split rudders, dead sails, rusty standing rigging, corroded aluminum castings, corroded wiring & dated electronics, worn-out engine, etc... And I priced a new trailer which turned out to be about the same or more than the price of the boat. I'm sure those 25s didn't get any better in the intervening 6 years without a lot of post-sale cost and labor.

 

[colemj]

They would still go bankrupt. Immediately. The market just isn't there, and won't be. There are no appreciable numbers of young families looking for a 25' stripped down sailboat. Production costs for a 25' boat aren't much different than for a 35' boat. A new design and tooling would never return on the investment. Marina and storage costs are through the roof for any young family. Trailering and setting up and taking down a 25' boat every weekend gets old fast.

The wettest tippyest boats I've sailed are the older designs. Old designs don't sell today. With the exception of perhaps Rustler, all manufacturers have moved to new designs. Just look at what Halberg-Rassey, Amel, Contest, Hylas - pretty much everyone - are designing and making today.

The smaller boats that are selling well are the new, fast, fun designs. Granted, many are used for beer can racing, but this is also an activity popular with young families. Probably more popular than weekending on a 25' stripped down older design boat.

It sounds like you had a bad experience in the used market. But the fact remains there are so many used boats in this size range, that competing with a new boat costing multiple times more isn't possible today. Advertising just isn't the issue. There are also good solid boats in the used market.

Mark

 

[VFR750]

I’m watching the live auction.

the what-ifs are no longer relevant.

Extremely sad.

 

[Stu Jackson]

You asked:
Would a return to cost-conscious, value, revive Catalina Yachts?

The answer is a resounding NO.

The reason is primarily because the factory WORKERS who have decades of experience at Catalina have all gone because of the disastrous Reardon takeover scam. The tooling and molds may still be on the old factory floor, but the KNOWLEDGE required to assemble a boat has disappeared. One of the better videos about CY and WHY Frank butler was successful is this one: youtube.com/watch?v=KknKq8mXOAg

He figured out a way to BUILD A BOAT that was less labor intensive. That was critical and long lasting. Catalina never left being cost conscious. They just started making bigger boats or sometimes, like the 315, the same C30 but with better features, like improved electrical systems, or the C355 - a C34 layout with improved systems. That's what they did, and remained successful until Reardon showed up.

But as Mark said, the market has changed. People who want to buy a sailboat don't want the smaller boats that many of us grew up with and eventually out of for our bigger mid-30s boats. They want larger boats with amenities as starter boats! And the quantity of folks wanting to sail these days just isn't there. Add to that the economy, you may get to see the big picture.