Riviera Australia goes under

I enjoy talking to the site owner!

They still have backorders, right? I wish my company had as much 'gauranteed' business as Burger. I also bet Riviera and many other boat builders wished they were Burger.

The Russian ruble is worth less now than ever! 36.43 : $1 The most it ever gained against the dollar in the last 5 years was in 2007, when it the exchange rate was 26.58 : $1. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_ruble)

I HATE BUBBLE BOWS!!!

Yes, Bubble Bows can be aesthetically awkward. But even more annoying are people that hot link pictures to YF, which is against our rules. But I'm guessing that's not important to you?

Your links have been removed.

Good! You did us a favor! Those bubble bows are just too ugly!

I remember well the days when we laughed at anything with "Made in Japan" stamped on it and Chinese products were the cupie dolls at carnivals. Obviously only fools don't take their manufacturing and products seriously. As for competing with their wages, tarriffs have to be imposed to balance price, but that's not so simple. We also want to sell to that huge market. The world is shifting, and I don't see any sure bet on how it will end up.

Agreed. Even the very wealthy, and highly experienced yacht owners to boot, are price sensitive - as I am sure the point has been made that many were astute enough in such matters to have accumulated their wealth in the first instance.

In this rather tiny country the superyachts built locally for European, Middle Eastern and US owners may comfortably compete as to quality and engineering with the very best Dutch and Italian yards but it would be naive to believe that the comparative price has not been a factor.

It may be that builders like Trinity hold a premium reputation in the US but that doesn't stop them contracting out interiors for example to offshore suppliers in countries like NZ that can offer both top quality and an apparent price advantage. Even so, Asian manufacturing is likely to displace many Western builders including the local ones here as the steady improvements in design and quality coupled with significant price advantage is largely irresistable. The best of the West will necessarily have to focus on the extreme top end market but that has its risk too. Maltese Falcon, an icon of quality and innovation was built for a US owner in Turkey for example. The next equivalent may well be built in China.

Shes not finished yet.
http://boatpoint.ninemsn.com.au/news/2009/motoryacht/riviera-banks-on-sydney-show-15854

Still looking for buyers and Barry Cotter is one.

Neil1, think of your Riv as your holden monaro, sure its a quick practical car, but to compare it against your proper battlewagons is like comparing your monaro to a porsche/ferrari/lambourghini. and has your friend had any other boats bar the Riv? Riv's marketing is top notch no dought, that is why they have gone so well....

also i think u get what u paid for in regards to these asian brands. the reports i hear/see/touch (and i can back this up with examples) from alot of boat builders coming out of the asian countries is well not that good. i would rather spend the extra doo for a desent boat out of australia or america then go to say build a boat on the cheap... you will pay for it in the long run.

far

Riviera owner

I have been reading this thread with regards to Riviera Yachts. I would just like to chime in here. I have been boating for 40 plus years and in that time I have owned 14 plus boats. I now own a Riviera. My second. I boat in the Pacific Northwest, and have found this boat to be the ideal boat for this area. I boat in the sheltered waters of the Gulf and San Jaun Islands as well as up the west coast of Vancouver Island. This boat is a very nice blend of comfortable, well finished cruiser, as well as a good solid open ocean boat. My 39' is efficient and a solid open ocean boat. It is not a purebred battlewagon, but it works well in the big water. I just wanted to speak to the quality of these boats, which seems to be a good part of this discussion.

I certainly have no issue of quality from Riviera going by friends boats and
soon to be the owner of a 33 that I am importing back from America due to
the exchange rate being in my favor and not a nice thing to say but thanks
to the recession in America which has open up an opportunity to purchase
at half the cost to what I would have to pay for an Australian delivered
secound hand Riviera due to Australia not going into recession.

I think some just seem to thing Australia cannot produce quality vessels,
I noticed the Palm beach motor yachts build down here have just been
awarded for the secound time best power boat trophy at the Newport
International boat show Rhode Island so some good must come out of Aus.
Riviera only got into trouble due to the world wide recession as over 70%
was exported , I believe this figure is now 50%.

I don't think people should think of Australia as producing poor quality, if they do, they should remove that thought quickly. Our standards are pretty high, like New Zealand, and it's usually our exchange rate that makes the boat "cheap".

Riv and Maritimo shouldn't be considered a reflection of our top work. Both brands were designed to be a base price boat... a turn key, away you go island hopper. Our builders are highly regarded in the boat building world due to proper education in the industry, and it all starts when they become an apprentice.

Far

Riveria

Might as well stir the pot,
I live in Perth and know 3 people who own Riv's, they all love them! Ashame to see an ozzie icon in trouble. Its not the boat, its the economy. I don't know what most Americans think is happening in Australia but things aren't going well for alot of people. I'm involved in the tourism industry and I'm down 50% on last year. The only ones doing well are the people involved in mining and all we need is for China to stop buying our minerals and its over. China is not happy that Obama is going to station aprox. 2500 troups in Darwin. I gotta say the average ozzie loves your president. The reason we don't have great battle wagons in oz is because there is not enough people to buy them. I think California has more people than Australia. I'm sure that all the ozzies importing cheap American boats helped to put the nail in the coffin for Riveria. There is a flood of American boats coming into Fremantle, it has changed the boat selling industry in Perth, why buy a Riveria when you can save at least 30% by importing a US boat......and I'm gonna bring in another one as well..........if I can find an absolute bargain....

Unfortunately it's not our NEW boats that you're buying. It's the ones American's couldn't afford to keep any longer, hence the price. China isn't helping you when it buys your minerals because they're just taking over your industry and selling it back to you (or to us and Europe). We used to have quite the steel industry here. Whole cities (large ones) were formed around it. Cities that are now on the verge of bankruptcy. At least our 2500 troops will be coming with dollars for your economy and security for our friends. I'll bet China isn't happy. They'd especially love to own your country. With that they own east Asia completely.

Is Riviera still in trouble? I'm asking this because they had quite a few boats at the Fort Lauderdale show, something along the lines of 8 different boats.

Actually we're grateful that you've help us sell our used boats. Getting rid of that inventory is the only way for our boating industry to recover. We're just sorry that it had to come at the expense of your boat building industry, but at least it helped your boat selling industry, marinas and repair facilities. We consider you friends that we've proudly stood shoulder to shoulder with in the trenches. And you'll be amazed at how much money a 2500 member fighting force will bring to your local as well as your national economy. As for your biggest trading partner, I learned early in life that some very good looking ladies, who were willing to make one feel very good, carry some very nasty surprises. How exactly was Oz doing before China became your " biggest trading partner"? Yeah, us and Europe too. Kind of makes one go "Hmmmm?". Just think of where Australia and all of southeast Asia would be without a U.S. presence? Do you think you'd enjoy living under Chinese rule and occupation? The Chinese people don't even like it, except for some rich ones.

The Palm Beach motor yachts have to be some of the most beautiful yachts I've seen, especially the 50 and 55 foot series express or picnic boats. I think you'll see quite a bit of these stateside in the coming years.

NYCAP123 is right on the money.

I believe they traded out of it, there 53 IPS sold very well, weather there standing on there own two feet without the help of the bank... I'm not to sure.

Far

This is great info guys, but what on earth does this have to do with RIVIERA???????

Empires and countries rise and fall. The US is the latest in a very long line to have risen and is now falling in relative terms, as others come up. The US in large part exported a lot of production to China because of its lower costs. Think what a TV costs now vs 15 years ago. China, India, Brazil, etc benefited and have risen in economic terms. With the wealth from being the worlds workshop, China has the money to develop itself. It, along with India etc now needs the resources to develop itself (housing, roads, rail, power etc). The recession in Europe and the US gives Asia the space to develop at at lower cost.

In 50 years the Chinese will be complaining that the Africians/Arabs etc are stealing their jobs.. and so it goes.

In the mean time, commodities is the thing to have and sell. Next it will be food. The US has a large agri base, so its not all bad. Happily so does Australia!

Back to boats and the odd thing in a bikini

I agree, I think Y/F should have a Bikini Babe of the month section going

Far