Sea Ray put up for sale by Brunswick

Yes, 10%. Number three most every way you define the market.

I think a Sundancer with a flybridge isn't a Sundancer anymore. Not a bad build concept, just thinking about the naming. Maybe a new model name? Or maybe even a Sundancer "Something" (anything but "Fly," which has always sounded too Eurpoean for my tastes) to differentiate?

-Chris

But Sundancer Fly is what it is.

No, the numbers should read, once sold 28,000 a year. Now about 3,000 . One decimal off.

There are no small boat builders with L line in the US. Small is small, big is big. SR is very modestly profitable. Their problems are more than the L line. The entire line has had poor sales. They didn't have what is in demand. They finally came with the outboards. They don't have inboard wake or ski boats. They don't have pontoon boats. And, their distribution is heavily dependent on one marine group.

Their units are middle of the road, average. The L Series doesn't significantly impact that. The volume is smaller boats and they were once #1, now #3 in stern drives. Not bad. Problem is the market volume isn't in stern drives. Can't compare apples to apples when there's only one apple. I compare them with the companies they've always considered their major competitors and to well run small boat companies in the US. The profits of Sea Ray and the profits of all boat businesses in Brunswick have been at substandard levels.

I do think it's got great potential but it requires a huge investment on top of the purchase price. Going outside the boundaries set by Brunswick requires investment. It may even require another acquisition to make it quicker. We'll know more when we see who buys.

One more fear. Brunswick really stopped doing needed things in Hatteras and Cabo while they lingered on the market. I fear we'll see no progress and some steps back for Sea Ray while they sit.

My entry was simply a typo, one I saw and thought I'd corrected. Actually it was a voice-o as I was speaking, not typing. The numbers, now that they're correct, are verified through multiple sources including their annual report and their competitor's annual report plus an article in boat test and a couple more. They may not be precise but they're very good ballpark. Some are also verified from a paid source whose information I can not republish. I will get you Chaparral's numbers.

Ah, Didn't realize, haven't seen one, nor an ad for one. Thought only the L models were Flies (so to speak).

I don't have their market research, so can only speak from my own guesses, but my gut says mimicking Fairline, Princess, Sealine, Azimut... in design and in product naming... isn't a great way to set their products apart....

As Pac says, no real appeal... And I thought their earlier "Sedan Bridge" models were names "OK enough" at the time, even if "sedan" in the boating world is a fairly squishy product description.

-Chris

Marine Products annual boats sold.

2016-5049
2015-4285
2014-3490
2013-3565
2012-3409
2011-2100
2010-2145
2009-963
2008-3590
2007-5444
2006-6245
2005-7292
2004-7310
2003-6265
2002-5625

Now, there has been a big shift in their sales from Sterndrive to Outboard/Robalo. I would estimate their stern drives are about 40% of peak, including their jets. A little less if you don't include the jets.

It doesn't set it apart but allows them to compete and allows them to fulfill the need of the dedicated Sea Ray owner. At one time they were good at getting a Sea Ray buyer early and keeping them as their needs increased. I was in that pattern as I had a 17' Sea Ray at the age of 13, traded it for a 22' at the age of 18, traded it for a 24' at the age of 23. At the age of 29 though, they lost me to Cobalt.

Brunswick shot themselves in the foot many times over the years.

First, they were conceited enough to virtually walk away from the repower market. Then they rolled over on the catalytic converter issue and now their new motors don't fit in many applications. Recent years, dealers can buy CPO motors to fill this need but this is kind of a back-door sales operation. Then they had sporadic production cycles. Pretty big turn off to tell a customer that you can't readily get a fuel cooler and when you could, the price was steep.

This does not even touch on the Bravo 3 debacle. Overall the best stern drive they ever built. However, installation issues at their own factories and a lack of concern over the customer fallout gave this drive a bad reputation. I still tell customers, use OEM parts and keep up with the mercathode or suffer the consequences.

If this is a way to expand their new installations to provide an alternative to Volvo, then it makes some sense.

My .02

All speculation, but I'd expect them to include some sort of engine commitment in the sale of Sea Ray so Sea Ray isn't completely free to do as they wish immediately.

Outside of that, the sterndrive business is a much smaller market than it was so they'll be protecting their portion of a small market. I don't see them doing anything aggressive, but just trying to hold the course.

The profits are now in outboards and in losing Sea Ray they aren't impacted much there.

One example of the Searay/Brunswick engine debalacle is the 59' L series. It has Triple 600hp Zues, cruises at 22 knots at 78 GPH and the motors, (the fly only cruises at 21 knots) you can't even stick an arm between. It's SLOW by today's standards, and if they simply went with Twin 900 HP Volvo 1200 IPS, it would probably get 20% more speed and less fuel burn and would have been an ideal match for that in comparison. But ohhhhhh NO, Brunswick won't let them go with the better propulsion choice.

I run a 2007 62' Predator with 2-1100 HP Man's. It cruises at 28 knots and burns 86 GPH and is about 1/3 more volumous than the Searay. Much taller and more interior room. So how/what does this 59' Searay compete with in today's market????? Even the older Searays in the mid 2000s that size would cruise 24-25 knots.