International Boat Industry - June-July 2018

http://www.ibi-plus.com International Boat Industry | JUNE–JULY 2018 31

a customer rendezvous
and met a customer who
had just bought a 42ft
Boston Whaler Outrage,
and he didn’t have any
experience in boating.
In the past that would
have been unthinkable
for someone with no
experience to buy a boat
like that, but today he
has the touch-screen
electronic helm suite so
he can easily learn to
navigate the boat, he can
anchor it with the touch of a button and he can dock
it anywhere with his joystick. Technology has made it
possible for anyone to enjoy boating.”

FISHING BOATS OR LUXURY YACHTS?
Ironically, some of the strongest-selling models in
the saltwater fishing segment today are boats that
weren’t really designed with fishing in mind. Rather,
the top sellers are increasingly multi-purpose boats
which place more emphasis on creature comforts
and family-friendly amenities than pure fishing
functionality. “We started directing our marketing
towards emphasising family fun and not just hard-core
fishing probably about 10 years ago,” says Alan Lang,
international sales manager for Summerville, South
Carolina-based Scout Boats. “Today’s buyers want
more comfort and amenities, they want more than just
a straight-up fishing boat. Of course fishing is still an
important part of it, but it’s no longer the sole focus.
So we placed a much greater emphasis on designing
the boats to provide inviting, comfortable seating, and
all sorts of amenities like below-deck cabins, full head
compartments, high-end entertainment systems, air
conditioning, grills, refrigerators, and in some cases
even big-screen televisions. The boats are comfortable
and they’re appealing to family members who aren’t
interested in just going out and fishing for hours on
end. So those who want to fish can fish, and those who
don’t can listen to music or unwind and enjoy the fresh
air and the sunshine.”
While this inf lux of new features obviously drives
up the retail price of the boat, Lang notes that Scout’s
sales keep growing every year. “The additional
features do add to the price of the boat, no question,”
he says. “But they add a level of value that far exceeds
the incremental cost.”
At the top-end of the market are luxury day
boats based on saltwater fishing designs. When it
launches later this year, the 6500 Estrella by HCB
Center Console Yachts – a 65-footer powered by five
627hp outboards from Seven Marine – will become
the largest and most expensive centre console in the
world, with a sticker price estimated in the range of
US$2.5m.

SMulti-purpose boats

that ofer creature comforts

like refrigerators, grills and

comfortable seating areas,

rather than pure fishing

functionality, are proving

increasingly popular. Pictured

is the bow seating area on the

Boston Whaler 330 Outrage,

and the cooking area on the

34SS from Regulator Marine

VECO S.p.A. Giussano, Italy

+39 0362 35321 | [email protected] | http://www.veco.net

Achieves 22°C

whatever

the weather

outside

Cerri Cantieri Navali