Lack of forum posts about guys buying new boats

Anyone else notice the sheer lack of threads on either this site or other sites with guys asking questions and going through the process of ordering their new boats? The huge demand on boat manufacturers means that guys are still ordering them, even if they have to wait much longer to get them. Is this just another example of how the fishing forums have had reduced participation as people move instead to Facebook groups, etc? All the old guys already have their dream boat and the younger guys who are ordering aren’t on the forums?

It was just a few years ago when I loved following people’s excitement over ordering their first rig or their retirement rig. Everything from that new glass boat all the way down to a 16 foot Alumacraft. This time of year especially would be full of people finishing off their orders from the boat shows.

What happened?

Who’s exited these days to way over pay on a boat. Easy to get excited for when getting a new boat. Hard to swallow 80 to 100k on a rig that was 45 3 years ago. Makes me chuckle and realize I put my money in better places, my 2003 boat is still doin the trick

I agree with Bearcat.
Too overpriced for my wallet.
My 2001 Ranger is clean, bought and paid for and suites me just fine.
Would I like to have a new $110K Ranger? You bet but I don’t see anyone giving one to me anytime soon. Hell I probably couldn’t afford the insurance on it anyways…

There are plenty of people excited and clamoring to rig their new boat, I just think there is more engagement on Facebook. Just is what it is.

There is also a plethora of available information out there as well, and maybe just less questions that need answering.

Im sure Ill have a question soon for IDO on how much I need to worry about the 4 stroke I neglected to winterize….

Beside the market being so crazy over priced, add in inflation on everything else, and the speculation of gas prices – no way in hell I’m peeing my money away

YOLO

Bought mine last fall at 2021 prices.

Went to the Red River Valley Sportsman’s Show in Fargo this wknd. Not nearly as many boats etc. there as before covid. Saw a 22 ft Vexus with a 400 merc for a mere $124K. And they acted like that was an awesome deal. I’ll keep my O6 Pro V. Its paid for and floats just fine.

I was chatting with Dean @ TBC earlier this week about ordering a Starcraft tiller. He stated that if I wanted one for deliver spring of 2023 I would need to put down a deposit and order it ASAP to have any chance of getting it on time. He also mentioned he was selling new fiberglass boats, 2023 models, with no confirmed pricing to share with the customer at this time, because all available production of 2022 models has been allocated.

The process and timeline to buy a new boat is nothing like it used to be. The same can be said for electronics and trolling motors. If you have a new boat arriving in the next few months and you don’t have all your accessories figured out… you’ve got your work cut out for you and I wish you good luck. I started chasing down electronics and trolling motor for my Skeeter last summer and finally located the last few items needed this past week. Gone are the days of hopping online and picking up everything needed from Reeds with a few clicks.

Just curious how many people will put down top dollar for a boat they have never seen or electronics that arent out yet? At some point, the market has to balance. Just my opinion. As it looks now I will be fishing in my 14yr old Alumacraft until it sinks with me in it. I try not to share my opinions often but come on….. (no dig against anyone that disagrees with me… )

Got a few buddies bought new boats and are waiting and praying they show up by spring like promised. Dealers I know and talk to are selling every boat they can get there hands on. No shortage of cash the way it sounds

I picked up a new Lund 1950 Tyee Magnum last November. I’ve finally got a chance to rig it the past few weeks. Man there is a lot of time and work to them when you put in a lot of thought and time to plan things out. I’m still waiting on new components since last mid November.

I’ve had every panel that is able to be removed, removed. Conduits chased out to see where they lead. Explored every nook and cranny. The worst part is relocating the existing holes when I’m reassembling the panels to return them to the original location!

Pulling in massive 6 & 8 gauge stranded marine cable for trolling motor and grafts to the helm and bow. Then finding quality ends and figuring out how to crimp them to connectors. Stainless machine screws, and metal thread screws of different length and sized. Graft mounts to do what you need them to do and be able to handle the weights. My list has gone on and on and on and on and—!!!

Making progress though, I got a lot to do and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel BUT I still got a lot to do!

I’m getting there for a going on 68 year old that is over feed, under exercised, and a rather inflexible individual that is doing it alone. My body was stated by my back surgeon when I was 40, “You have a back of a 65 year old, when you are 41 it will not be 66! DO YOU understand?!?!” oh well it is the deck of cards that God gave me and that is the game that I have to play.

I’ll be on the water not soon enough!!

I ordered this past fall…still anxiously waiting delivery….going on 4 months

Like James I picked up my graphs and add ons over the fall/winter as it was apparent the supply chain wasn’t going to suddenly catch up.

Facebook has been a more active source for me in the process as there is much more involvement of brand specific and even boat model specific groups

I ordered my new boat January of 21 with a estimated March/April delivery. As time passed the delivery date kept getting pushed back until they finally said the factory is not giving dates it shows up when it shows up. Well I picked it up 2nd weekend of October. I was lucky that the dealership honored the January prices we agreed on because I just saw my boat at the St. Cloud sportsman show this year for 12 thousand more than I paid for just boat,motor, and trailer. The wait sucked last year but after seeing this years prices it was worth it.

People aren’t slowing down with the purchases. The IDO crowd represents a fraction of a percent of people in the market for boats in this part of the Upper Midwest. Some of the Facebook groups organized for the buying/selling/showing of new boats have 10x the number of active participants as IDO (and that’s not a shot at IDO), just the facts.

I wouldn’t buy a boat in 2022, but that’s just me. I don’t owe a dime on mine and it’s a good feeling. In a few years I’ll revisit it when the kids are older. For now, the Tuffy gets the job done and the tritoon handles the pleasure runs. Hell in a few years if the # of people on the river keeps accelerating the way it has been and livescope 4.0 directs you to fish within a quarter mile, I’ll probably find a different hobby and let people fight over the newest toys to make fishing easier.

Russia is one of the top 3 aluminum producers in the world.

Prices will skyrocket and supply chains were already stressed in this market before the war.

i will be hanging onto my new to me boat for at least another 10 years. i can’t stomach the prices some are paying to get into a boat used or new. views like these are priceless

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I was at the st cloud sportsman show looking at pontoons, one dealer said that all pontoons ordered won’t be in till september. who wants one then, so you can put it away for the season. the price of boats is crazy, no way I will buy another, my 2008 skeeter is still good. people need to stop buying these with the current crazy prices, then the price will fall.

Y do people think the market will correct itself. If I am manufacture seller I’m riding this as long as possible.
Sorry I just don’t see it flipping any time soon. Cars trucks boats etc

Bought my home, truck and 2016 boat with the intention of keeping them for a long time. Of course I didn’t predict supply chain issues or inflation but I’m glad that was always my thought process with the big purchases in my life. Don’t think I’ll ever buy a new boat again. I will say though I check out used boats on marketplace from time to time and you can get a nice tyee for 15k

I’ve toyed with the idea of a new boat for a couple years now. However, with pricing and timelines the way they are, now I have no intention of parting with my 2014 Dominator. It’s about to be paid off, and I can’t imagine taking on the payment of a new boat now.

Hey wrote:

Russia is one of the top 3 aluminum producers in the world.

Prices will skyrocket and supply chains were already stressed in this market before the war.

Yep, nickel, aluminum, and copper pricing and availability are going to get very ugly.

Congratulations on the really nice boats out there. I like seeing them out being used, and imagining how much people are enjoying them.

My wife and I are in our late 50’s, with an eye toward planning for an early retirement.

With the supply and inflation issues going on, I have firmly decided to keep relying my fleet of fishing boats that can be simply flipped over in the fall, and feel very fortunate to have them: 2 canoes (Wenonah and Alumacraft); 11.5’ StarCraft that doubles as a duck boat; and F-14 Alumacraft. Motors are newer (2.5 Yamaha and 6hp Suzuki).

They are fully equipped when fishing with seat cushions, anchor, oars, fish basket; cooler. My wife and I typically fish for panfish in the metro, and walleye/lake trout/bass in the Grand Marais areas for periods of 2-4 hours at time, on nice days, before and just after dawn. We enjoy getting out more than ever, so I guess our system is still working out pretty good for us, and will be into the foreseeable future.

I am busy choking on the used car market.

I am still in luv with my 2000 Crestliner 182 Tournament, over the years have changed out more electronics, if I were to take that total probably more then what I originally paid for my boat.

I have sure thought about a different boat at times but just can`t seem to find the one that does everything this one does for me. I am sure it would be much prettier with all that sparkly stuff.

Tom P. wrote:

2000 Crestliner 182 Tournament,

Those boats are fish catching machines. I loved fishing out of the multiple 182’s I owned.

Manufacturers don’t like the supply issues anymore than we do. They don’t want to deal with bottlenecks and labor headaches. Way better to sell more product, line up more financing, and have more owners buying upgrades and having servicing done. Any manufacturer that tried to “ride this” longer than necessary will get priced out and beat by the competition.

everybody knows THE best boat is your buddy’s boat.

Other than the old fishing boat at the cabin – I will be sticking to my kayak for the foreseeable future!

James Holst wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Tom P. wrote:</div>
2000 Crestliner 182 Tournament,

Those boats are fish catching machines. I loved fishing out of the multiple 182’s I owned.

We caught thousands of fish out of a very similar Crestliner boat that a buddy had…single console, early 115hp 4 stroke Mercury. Some of my best days ever fishing were in that boat. It was a great boat for trolling, rigging, casting with it’s open layout, and just about anything else you could imagine. He sold it a couple years ago to a local guy who says it will last him another 20 years. Even the original floor isn’t the slightest bit soft.