Marine Max purchases Fraser Yacht Group from Azimut Benetti

I ran a brand new Benetti, maybe 2 years ago and had Benetti's delivery Captain on board. The lack of quality was very apparent everywhere and he mentioned the same things. He'd make recommendations to the factory and they'd say yes yes yes great idea and they wouldn't improve or change anything. He said the same about the plumbing, electrical, etc was all sub contractors with no oversight and nobody followed the plans. When they'd launch the boat they'd have 100 people on it finishing up things in a mad dash with no quality control just to get it out of the door, they didn't care how things were run, how things were done, as long as this switch turned on that light. The joinery work, while nice, the execution in some areas was seriously lacking. In one of the guest heads, the vanity stopped about 2.5' shy of the head on one side, and the distance from the other side of the head was less than 8" from the glass shower door. So if you sat on it, much like people use a head, your right knee would be pressed against the shower door and on the other side you have 2.5', begging the question to why on earth they'd install the toilet offset instead of the middle of the space. They had a waterproof door to access under the flybridge to the wiring, battery shut offs and such with a turn wheel to disengage the lock, well when you did, the 75 pound waterproof door would fall on your feet or the teak flybridge deck, because while it had hinges, Benetti never bother to install them. The short comings went on and on and aside from some glitz on the interior, the entire build felt no different than an Azimut. But you see tons of new Azimuts floating around. They sell the sizzle, but you certainly don't get the steak.

Let me put it to you this way, I found enough stuff to fill a 1 page punch list and I only ran the boat one day, was busy Captaining the vessel, and wasn't even looking for items. Then I put it on a freighter another day.

And yes, in my earlier years I worked full time on Feadships, Delta's, and Lloydships. So I know a thing or two about what a nicely done interior looks like and is built like.

Bayliner built up to 65' I think it was. Benetti warranty repair wouldn't be a challenge for a yard such as Rybovich to handle all of their warranty issues. But very doubtful Marine Max would go that route, and VERY doubtful that Azimut/Bennetti of North America would even pay for it. That is the other side of the problem and the difference between a quality build and brand such as Westport and well, Bennetti……..after the sale support.

Marine Max is about sales. Sales of boats, yachts, charters. Sales of service. What they are not about is providing high levels of service.

The biggest difference in the comments we hear from Azimut customers in the US and Europe is the level of service, starting with initial delivery and warranty service. Marine Max is the sole provider of warranty service on Azimut in the US, but even worse than that, they are the manager of warranty service and the sole decision maker. If they follow this pattern on Benetti, then it will diminish the reputation of Benetti. I've never owned a Benetti but was good friends with an owner who bought new. He was pleased with his Benetti even though he purchased it in the 90's and refit it in 2007. He did say there were a lot of initial small items that it took the better part of the first year to get all fixed, but the service he received was excellent. He didn't realize the difference until her downsized to a Westport in 2016 and it had a very short punch list after the shakedown cruise and all were immediately addressed.

The basic construction of Benetti is solid. That of Azimut is ok, although some variation where built. The interiors of Azimut are lesser quality materials as is some of the equipment. Talk to Azimut and Benetti owners in Europe and most are happy. Talk to Benetti owners in the US and they're generally happy but there have been very few sales the past 10 to 12 years. Talk to Azimut owners in the US and you'll get a very mixed response. Some very unhappy, some thrilled, and many happy except....and the except will generally be warranty and service issues.

I have no idea from reading the releases if Benetti Sail Division is involved in this at all. They're aligned with SGOG and build in Shanghai.

I didn't like the dispersion cast in the way of Bayliner either. I totally agree with your opinion, Ralph. Not only were the Bayliner Motor Yachts built in Arlington, Washington a lot of boat for the money then, they've stood the test of time very well. I know, from other forums, dozens of extremely happy owners. One thing that keeps them high in demand is the lack of teak, a cost savings but also a labor saver for DIY owners. No issues like delamination or other serious hull or construction issues in their history. I believe today there is a huge market void that I wish there was a Bayliner-Pacific Mariner builder building from 30+' to 85' in the manner of those boats, simply updated a little.

Inexpensive doesn't have to be bad. There are intelligent ways to save money. It's called building "value" boats. It's why production boats dominate the small market and now production yachts, including semi-custom variations of interior but not hull, are taking over the markets up to 500 Tons. The custom builds won't disappear, but their market share is falling in that range and they're focusing more on boats beyond that range. Obviously, being able to build boats in the 500 Ton and less size in fiberglass has played a huge role.

So, I'm with you on Bayliner.

My experience was very different but it was 9 years later. Also surveyed prior to acceptance and extensive shakedown cruise with Westport representative aboard. ABS classed. Maybe we benefitted from your experience.

Europeans and Americans have different interpretations of what is warranty and they accept different levels of warranty service. Most likely due to the differences in our legal systems.

The American view of warranty and stand by your product is beyond, for instance, an Italian or French point of view.

It will come down to MM meeting the expectations of customers on the “next level”.

As Captolli says Beneetti has three distinct lines.

The Class lines of fiberglass biuld in Viareggio along the bigger Azimut of over 85 feet who are now symbolized as Grande and the big Magellano.
All these are build in the original Benetti yard at V and the Lusben Yard (x Tecnomarine and biggest refit yard).
Some of the big Azimut and Benetti do have hulls made at Ancona at the X Moschino shipyard which Azimut purchased in 1999.
The Moschino was made IMO as both as strategy and also to slow Ferretti Custom Line who at the time where subcontracting for the molding of the hulls of the CL96.

The steel or alloy Benetti are build in Viareggio part of the old yard, with the bigger ones (now 70 meters) moving to the facility in Livorno purchaed in 2003 and now has production capacity for yachts up to 200 meters and can build three 100 meters plus at one time. In reality Benetti can build what they want in Livorno to any size one desires.

Azimut-Benetti has build in the last twenty years and always lead the list of most boats build in size (dimensions) and numbers. I think at the moment they are followed by Sanlorenzo and Ferretti Group.

The price of a new Benetti is not cheap, a few years ago I got some quotes for a 35 m Classic and I think a Moonen build of steel in more or less the same size (came out a million or so cheaper).

As for quality is concerned in my experience with big yachts it is all about if you build to Cross of Malta survey followed or not, which does inflate the price quite a few bit.

Hate them or love them the Italian have dominated this market since it came into existed, and really everyone or most designers do copy them.

Another interesting points is how much Italian talent is today working in Holland and UK since there was the famous Monti tax clamp which made a lof the good workers find work somewhere else.

Tbh I do not agree with this from a European point of view.
I have seen cases of problems with American boats (medium sized sport cruisers circa 10-12 meters).
Also I was aware of cases of blistered USA boats with ten year hull warranty where excuses seem very creative. From you need to take up the boat for two months every year and so on so forth.
Something similar happened with structural issues.

On the other hand I know of cases of three Azimut builds where even when the five year guarantee expired they still came in and fixed a blistering problem.

There is absolutely a difference in warranty expectations from the customer/owners side which was my main point. I have seen it on the front lines many times.

When you look at the American market, you have Customer Service Centers like Viking/Hatteras/Westport that are setting the bar for their handling of warranty within the stated warranty time frames and outside of expired warranty.

Factory Approach versus large remote Distributor (MM) approach - where is the Azimut Factory Service Center in the US?

This is a bit different. I don't know about Westport so I cannot comment on that. But neither Viking nor Hatteras factory service center is the factory service center their primary goal. Viking service center's main goal was a location for Palm Beach Towers, so that they could build tuna towers in house and sell and install them on their production boats, also as a fully functioning boat yard that makes a good profit. Now while it is their warranty service center, it is far from their primary focus or not the locations only focus. Hatteras service center is there so they can stock boats of each model and have them in a single location so that buyers can view them, that was it's primary focus and it is also their service center.

But I do agree that the good American builders will go out of their way to satisfy the customer and cover warranty issues and try to help their customers even on out of warranty. Whereas European builders will first try to find a way to deny warranty. I know of an Azimut that has had leaking fuel tanks that have been fixed by several Azimut warranty centers and now nobody wants to touch the tanks anymore and they're still leaking and I believe the boat is still under warranty or at least it was when the tanks started leaking. Supposedly leaking fuel tanks are an issue on this model as several have experienced it.

Main goals or not, it is now a full function service center and a diverse business model, not to mention a nice second office for one of the principles who resides in the area a fair amount the time.

http://www.vikingservicecenter.com/pages/index.asp

Let's be careful not to use Azimut to represent European builders as a whole. I know many others that provide excellent warranty service. We've gotten it from both Riva and Sunseeker. Also, let's be sure to note that it is not "Azimut" as in corporate headquarters denying service in the US, but it is Marine Max denying it. Marine Max is the decision maker for all US Azimut Warranty Service.

I am not sure you can compare as you say, ultimately as a customer I really do not care who does the service or not as long as it is done.

Also comparing a builder who builds two to five boats a year with one who builds a couple of hundreds is not ultimately fair. Azimut/Benetti has been building fifty or more of yachts above eighty feet in the past fifteen years each and every year. Some of the builders you mention have not build that amount in there full life time yet. Viking just entered 80 feet plus about ten years ago.

Viking which is an example to follow has an easy market since 90% of its sales is concentrated on the Easter Atlantic coast.
I am sure Azimut would have an easy life if it sold only boats in Italy.

It is very easy to say when you have a problem to say someone to come down to the yard and we fix it. I am sure Azimut have a similar platform in its various yard in Italy.
It is unfortunate and a pity that Azimut never opened a service center in the USA. Financially they could have afforded it at some point I am sure of that.

But they didn't and their US service is governed by Marine Max. And sales in the US of Azimut (not counting Benetti which was handled separately) are not all that much different than the others mentioned. I don't believe Azimut Benetti has a significant problem in Europe and until this move I think Benetti problems in the US were minor, but Azimut US problems are significant and we don't know how Benetti service will now be handled.