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Great news for US boat buyers... #158161
10/24/08 11:21 AM
10/24/08 11:21 AM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,037
Central California
ejpoulsen Offline OP
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ejpoulsen  Offline OP
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,037
Central California
I'm always looking for a silver lining...

For any US sailor looking to buy a boat, the economy and exchange rate is looking much more attractive than 6 months ago:

Oil prices per barrel are half what they were, affecting the entire supply chain.

The US dollar has gone from pathetic to quite decent:

1 Euro = $1.27
1 AUD = $0.62
1 GBP = $1.58

Is it time to start ordering boats from England (Stealth, White/Spitfire), Australia (eg AHPC), and Italy (Bimare)...maybe even Hobie Europe?


Eric Poulsen
A-class USA 203
Ultimate 20
Central California
-- Have You Seen This? --
Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: ejpoulsen] #158167
10/24/08 12:02 PM
10/24/08 12:02 PM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 749
Santa Cruz, CA
SurfCityRacing Offline
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SurfCityRacing  Offline
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 749
Santa Cruz, CA
Bad News for the local guys):

I was sitting around with a friend who owns an outboard motor/ boat sales shop and he's thinking about calling it quits after 23 years. He hasn't sold a single boat in 3 months. We counted 17 marine related businesses that have gone under in the last 6 months in the SF Bay area alone. This winter is going to brutalize the boating industry here in the States.

From what I've seen it takes 10 weeks for the price of resin to catch up with the price of oil.

Maybe I should go get a job at McDonalds, I hear their numbers are way up due to the slumping economy;)

Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: SurfCityRacing] #158170
10/24/08 12:48 PM
10/24/08 12:48 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,116
Annapolis, MD
Mark Schneider Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Mark Schneider  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,116
Annapolis, MD
My marina manager told me that the attenance of the Annapolis Sail and the follow up Power boat shows were down by 35% this year.

Nobody he talked to had any good news.
Todays stock and economy news look like more of the same bad to devestating news.


crac.sailregattas.com
Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: Mark Schneider] #158173
10/24/08 01:14 PM
10/24/08 01:14 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,430
california
F-18 5150 Offline
veteran
F-18 5150  Offline
veteran

Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,430
california
Jeremy are you qualified to work at McDonalds? And if you do we know where your getting your diesel.


Richard Vilvens
Brand Ambassador
PSA Capricorn USA
R.Vilvens@yahoo.com
Fairfield, Ca
F-18 5150

http://www.capricornsailing.com/
Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: F-18 5150] #158175
10/24/08 01:34 PM
10/24/08 01:34 PM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 749
Santa Cruz, CA
SurfCityRacing Offline
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SurfCityRacing  Offline
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 749
Santa Cruz, CA
Good question Rich. I run a small business, which means I can't be all that swift;)

J

Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: SurfCityRacing] #158176
10/24/08 01:57 PM
10/24/08 01:57 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,252
California
mmiller Offline
veteran
mmiller  Offline
veteran

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,252
California
So far this doesn't seem to be effecting Hobie as it is the larger sailboat and power boat guys. We have a wide range of successful products. Most of our products are priced much lower than products taking the major hit. Guys with money seem to be buying. Maybe just buying less expensive stuff. They still want to play.

I am sure a significant downturn will effect our sales, but to this point we are still doing very well. My department (Parts and Accessories) is way up this year. Even beyond projections. This month is no exception.

I feel for the guys that have the wrong products at this "wrong" time.


Hobie Cat Forums
Matt Miller
Hobie Cat Company
Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: mmiller] #158180
10/24/08 02:26 PM
10/24/08 02:26 PM
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,969
B
brucat Offline
Carpal Tunnel
brucat  Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B

Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,969
It will be interesting to see what happens to sales of new sailboats over the winter. Kayaks are cheap, cats not so much.

The parts and accessories is completely predicatable. People fix what they have rather than buy new. That's why auto repair is considered a recession-proof business.

Mike

Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: SurfCityRacing] #158181
10/24/08 02:27 PM
10/24/08 02:27 PM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,037
Central California
ejpoulsen Offline OP
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ejpoulsen  Offline OP
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,037
Central California
Jeremy,
I'm just trying to look on the bright side--here in the central valley things are very rough economically.


Eric Poulsen
A-class USA 203
Ultimate 20
Central California
Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: mmiller] #158190
10/24/08 04:21 PM
10/24/08 04:21 PM
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,118
Northfield Mn
Karl_Brogger Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Karl_Brogger  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,118
Northfield Mn
Originally Posted by mmiller
I feel for the guys that have the wrong products at this "wrong" time.


Like custom cabinetry and furniture? This entire year has sucked balls. I finally broke down and started working for someone else.

Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: ejpoulsen] #158191
10/24/08 04:58 PM
10/24/08 04:58 PM
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 308
Reno NV
R
Rhino1302 Offline
enthusiast
Rhino1302  Offline
enthusiast
R

Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 308
Reno NV
Originally Posted by ejpoulsen
Jeremy,
I'm just trying to look on the bright side--here in the central valley things are very rough economically.


Sales of tomato sauce, two buck chuck and Budweiser should hold up no matter how bad things get. Fortunately there are still some fields in the Central Valley that they didn't plant houses in.

Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: Rhino1302] #158201
10/24/08 07:45 PM
10/24/08 07:45 PM
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,118
Northfield Mn
Karl_Brogger Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Karl_Brogger  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,118
Northfield Mn
A guy I used to work with was told by his father in-law that the two best business' to be in are liquor stores, and mortuaries. When times are good, business is good. When times are bad, business is really good.

Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: Rhino1302] #158220
10/25/08 09:43 AM
10/25/08 09:43 AM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,655
Portland, Maine
T
ThunderMuffin Offline
Carpal Tunnel
ThunderMuffin  Offline
Carpal Tunnel
T

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,655
Portland, Maine
I've never been busier. Our company has more work than it can handle, and more coming its way. I was just in Raleigh for quick start camp of a program that will give our company 10 more studies before the end of the year!!! $40mil in the books before I can even get started on the work!

hua!!!!!

Oh if you know PL/SQL and/or SAS in the southeast US, we have 5 job opennings in my department alone.

Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: ejpoulsen] #158226
10/25/08 10:18 AM
10/25/08 10:18 AM
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,348
F
fin. Offline
Carpal Tunnel
fin.  Offline
Carpal Tunnel
F

Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,348
We've had openings for two RNs for months. It's so bad they are thinking of bringing me on full time! grin

Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: fin.] #158294
10/26/08 11:40 AM
10/26/08 11:40 AM
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 192
WEST. MICH. USA
DVL Offline
member
DVL  Offline
member

Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 192
WEST. MICH. USA
The office furniture industry is usually last in and last out of a downturn. I have never seen it this slow during the 4th quarter....Spring, 1st quarter will be really bad.......

Last one out of MI turn out the lights....Good job Gov Grandholm.....we are still waiting.

Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: DVL] #158298
10/26/08 01:24 PM
10/26/08 01:24 PM
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 921
Alachua, FL
Mugrace72 Offline
old hand
Mugrace72  Offline
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 921
Alachua, FL
Originally Posted by DVL


Last one out of MI turn out the lights....


I hear there are a lot of nice lake cottages for sale.....


Jack Woehrle
Hobie Wave #100, Tiger Shark III
HCA-NA 5022-1
USSailing 654799E
Alachua FL/Put-In-Bay
Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: ejpoulsen] #158307
10/26/08 03:21 PM
10/26/08 03:21 PM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 893
W
waynemarlow Offline
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waynemarlow  Offline
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 893
The exchange rates defy all belief sometimes and for me it simply sums up the incompetance of most of those in the financial industry. Look at it this way, American financial gurus package up debts which can never hope to be paid as sound financial prospects and sell them on to even dumber European financial experts who think they have to buy them as other more wiser men claim they are a way to make a fast buck and hence offer big wage bonus schemes. Said sound debts materialise as nothing more than a big scam and pop goes a couple of American banks setting off the worst global financial melt down probably of all time.

What do the financial whizz kids then do, rate the US dollar as a safe and strong currency and everyone revalues the dollar higher. Am I being thick or should it be the basket case currency as it set the whole shebang off and has huge underlying finacial problems. My only feelings of joy are that by devalueing the Euro currencies as has happened, we are going to be able to export our way pretty quickly out of this mess selling stuff to America and you guys due to the strong buck are going to be lumbered with mountainous debts for years and years and years and years. I certainly would not be proud of nor be encouraging a strong dollar right now.

Re: Great news for US boat buyers... [Re: SurfCityRacing] #158340
10/27/08 04:49 AM
10/27/08 04:49 AM
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 208
D
DHO Offline
enthusiast
DHO  Offline
enthusiast
D

Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 208
Originally Posted by SurfCityRacing
Bad News for the local guys):


Maybe I should go get a job at McDonalds, I hear their numbers are way up due to the slumping economy;)


I don't think I could get a job at Mickey D's. I'm a college grad, so they'll say I'm overqualified. Or would I leave that off the application?

The economy might get sooo bad that we'll all be out on the street begging for pennies.
D. Ho
TheMightyHobie18 1067


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