Seattle Boat Show - Such a sparse showing

Since when have they ever had more than 1 or 2 c-dorys on display? I remember one year maybe 2006 they had the full lineup. Otherwise its usually an example or two of the c-dory, and a couple sea sports and an osprey or two. Remember NMI has a variety of boats they manufacture to display in their limited space.
 
http://nlpnotes.com/post-purchase-rationalization/

"Post-purchase rationalization, also known as Buyer’s Stockholm Syndrome, is a cognitive bias whereby someone who has purchased an expensive product or service overlooks any faults or defects in order to justify their purchase. It is a special case of choice-supportive bias.

Expensive purchases often involve a lot of careful research and deliberation, and many consumers will often refuse to admit that their decision was made in poor judgement. Many purchasing decisions are made emotionally, based on factors such as brand-loyalty and advertising, and so are often rationalized retrospectively in an attempt to justify the choice.

For example, a consumer cannot decide between two popular video game consoles, but in the end decides to purchase the one that many of their peers also own. After purchasing it, they may find few games for their console worth purchasing, and more for the console they did not purchase. However, they do not wish to feel they made the wrong decision, and so will attempt to convince themselves, and their peers, that their original choice was the correct one, and the consumer’s opinion is better than everyone’s opinion, i.e. using sour grapes arguments.

This rationalization is based on the Principle of Commitment and the psychological desire to stay consistent to that commitment. Some authorities would also consider this rationalization a manifestation of cognitive dissonance."

Most C-Dory buyers never gets over this rationalization process. Thus we come back to this time and again.
 
C-Dories have always been a niche boat. They've never sold many and I don't think all the marketing in the world would change that. They are a real boat's boat and there are not that many real boaters out there. Lots of drunks (stoners included) but very few real boaters. I see this at my marina ever time I go.

I love my almost new C-Dory and thankful they are still being built as I had an 2007, which was very nice and in like new condition, but I like my new one MUCH better. To me it was worth the $$$.
 
ken35216":3c16v0rr said:
They've never sold many and I don't think all the marketing in the world would change that. .
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How many is "They've never sold many"? There are 3000 entries listed in "Our C-Dorys" on this site. Some are Ranger tugs and I'm sure that there are some duplicates (ownership changes). Also, considering that there are owners do not participate on this site (like the guy I bought mine from) which would increase the total.

This seems like a pretty good number for a "niche" boat.

Another "niche" boat is the Marinaut 21. How many of those got made? Maybe 6?
 
ssobol":7j8nkc0g said:
ken35216":7j8nkc0g said:
They've never sold many and I don't think all the marketing in the world would change that. .
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How many is "They've never sold many"? There are 3000 entries listed in "Our C-Dorys" on this site. Some are Ranger tugs and I'm sure that there are some duplicates (ownership changes). Also, considering that there are owners do not participate on this site (like the guy I bought mine from) which would increase the total.

This seems like a pretty good number for a "niche" boat.

Another "niche" boat is the Marinaut 21. How many of those got made? Maybe 6?
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Of those 3,000 how many are just looking at C-Dories?

"2010 U.S. Recreational Boat Registration Statistics Report Total registrations decrease slightly to 12.5 million"

3,000 (at most 3,000 over 20+ years) out of 12.5 million boats would, to me, be considered a niche boat builder.
 
ken35216":oruq4ob0 said:
Of those 3,000 how many are just looking at C-Dories?

"2010 U.S. Recreational Boat Registration Statistics Report Total registrations decrease slightly to 12.5 million"

3,000 (at most 3,000 over 20+ years) out of 12.5 million boats would, to me, be considered a niche boat builder.
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The list of CDorys shows slightly over 2600 boats, but the list of C Brat members shows almost 8,000 members--there are a number of people who view the sight but never register. About half of the 8,000 never made a post....S I would guess they are the lookers...Of the 2600, there are a lot of duplicates, but there are also a lot of C Dory owners who either don't visit or don't know of the list.

I think that Ken is correct; the C Dory is a niche boat. I consider it a "Trailerable trawler" class. There are very few of these--and even less until Ranger Tug came along....There are only a very few builders (and currently the Wrights build several of the lines.

I have always believed as Marc Grove from Wefings commented--the interior of the Ranger Tugs--and their like--including many of the larger power boats begin to look a bit shabby in 10 to 20 years, where as the C Dory, only needs a good cleaning and maybe new seat covers. We have spent hundreds of hours rehabbing the interiors of even "basic" wood interiors, with headliners. The high gloss varnish even takes longer.

I certainly agree with Chromer that the post buyer's remorse occurs with some boat buyers, and some boats. The only time I have had that was when I found out that a surveyor I trusted, was on the payroll of the yacht brokerage. He and the seller had outright lied about some issues I had asked about on the boat...I should have gone with my gut instinct (which was that something catastrophic had happened to the boat at one time....it had.) I repaired what needed to be done (the cost of most of our C Dory',) and enjoyed the boat. Told the next buyer about what happened and what had been done to repair it. If you have buyer's remorse, you didn't do your home work, or you don't belong on a boat!
 
The boat building business has got to be one of the riskiest enterprises to enter. Looking back, there have been many northwest-built boats that are no longer being made, including Uniflite, Reinell, Cruise-a-Home, Jolly Roger, Mirage, Fiberform, Sabercraft, Bellboy, Olympic, Tollycraft, Fairliner, Tiderunner, Sunrunner, and Freedom. Given the multiple ownerships, I find it amazing that C-Dory has enjoyed a continuous production run of over 35 years.
 
I would not expect C-Dory, absent some major innovation, to be any more a player at boat shows in the future than it is now. I happen to completely agree with Marc in his observations on marketing gimmickry vs. true quality, and building what sells. Putting boats on the floor is done to make profits, not to facilitate pot luck dinners.

Doesn't diminish the value of this wonderful online community however, or of C-Dory ownership in general. The values of simplicity, utilitarianism, economy, function, and "less-is-more" seem to be fading but are refreshingly evident here.

I think it's cool that one can still purchase a brand-new C-Dory if they really wish, and I hope the factory can still put out at least a limited supply of new boats into the future.

Mike
 
ken35216":pxgty6d4 said:
Jake":pxgty6d4 said:
Yeah, so take that. :shock: :)
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I didn't mean to sound mean. Sorry!!!
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Ken, I wasn't directly responding to your post, which is why I didn't quote it. Just musing on the back and forth banter. Actually, I very much agree that the C-Dory is a niche boat, probably why it is still on the market, the niche still exists. If I were on the coast, it would be high on my list. Although I do consider it rather pricey for what you get, there are not many alternatives if you want to purchase new, as I prefer.
 
Something to remember about the Seattle Boat Show is that it is a DEALERS show. Manufacturers don't get to display unless, like Ranger, they are also dealers. NMI is not a dealer so they don't get a booth of their own.
 
I've also been watching this topic with some amusement. I used to drive VWs, several bugs and a bus. In the '50s, '60s & '70s either you were a VW lover or a hater. They were either the most efficient or they were an out right hazard on the road.

The people that disliked them wanted something more "upscale" and were willing to pay for it. Looking at the sales of the Cutwater, the new Rangers & the like with their attendant "blue-sky" price tags, there are a lot of people out there wanting that "Upscale" boat and they would never be happy in our VW bus of a boat.

I'd like to see some modist upgrades to the C-dory line up. However, lets be realistic. The Wrights might put $50,000 into up-grading their molds but I doubt they would sell many more boats. Your either into the VW mind set or you are wanting the chrome and glitter of a cutwater.

My new (6 yrs old) drive is a Nissan Xterra which is also a "nitch" car. Nissan stopped making them because they could only sell 50,000 a year. Rather than upgrade them they just move to a vehicle they could sell greater numbers.

I'm hopping the present managment hangs on and there will be some boats around four future VW mind set boaters.

Chuck
 
Sure - but busses improved, well Let’s say charged with time (look at the brand new concept which will be hated by the samba folks till it’s loved, after the last one rolls off the line -lol). My point being that things, people, times change and as a builder if you seek to build volume you have to at least try to meet the market and currently whether we like it or not more “luxury” finishes at this price point is expected. Similarly if they built a bus more or less with the same fit and finish as they did at first they would not sell many except for the nostalgic crowd. It would likely not be a hit at current pricing levels.

I agree with Mark that for volume sales (to sustain a dealership) C-Dorys as they are today and at they pricepoint can’t be viable.

I love my new C-Dory she does exactly what I want. No more no less. And that’s the problem. You need to find us kooks to buy this boat and there ain’t many of us around and even less of us who even know C-Dory’s exist.

Ps Busses are awesome . My good friend across the street let me drive his once it was a blast. He caught the bug a couple years ago - he has 2 busses and a bug.

Hope some of this makes sense typing at 3 am on my phone (insomnia). Excuse any typos etc
 
There have been changes. The interior is completely different now. Molded fiberglass with teak trim. My 2007 is much "fancier" inside than the 2003 we owned previously. The cockpit is raised up, which drains the rainwater towards the aft bilge pump. That was a design flaw I felt, to have the pump below the cabin door and usually a big puddle sitting there in the cockpit. The latest have new storage compartments and LED lighting among other changes.

I might be beating a dead horse here, but there have been changes. Maybe subtle but still pretty substantial for such small build numbers. I see it in my own boat, they changed a lot in the 2000s, and the latest one I saw at the boat show had new improvements. There could be lots of things that they could do, but I don't know if it would be worth it economically.

Ya'll are talking about VWs and Ive always been a fan. I grew up with a father really into classic Porsche 911s, before they became unaffordable recently. They changed very little over decades but with small subtle changes. That today is part of why they are so iconic now.

I don't know what the future is for the company. Build cost is the biggest problem in my opinion. I hear from some of the early brats they could buy a new c-dory 22' for around 30k, enjoy it for years and sell it for what they bought it for. Hell you could have bought one 2 decades ago, sell it today and make a profit if it was well taken care of. The cost to produce these boats is set and cant be negotiated I suppose, but that is probably it's Achilles heal. They have become expensive to buy new, and as a used boat they are worth what someone is willing to spend. Most of us have watched plenty of sales and know what a used boat is worth.
 
I had a chance to look at the Cdory, SeaSport display on our recent visit to the SBS. I took the opportunity to talk with Ron Wright for a few minutes. I asked how many Cdory’s that were built in 2017. He told me 25. I think that is a very encouraging count. I also am happy to see the Cdory line continue.
 
Big Mac":qcdf829l said:
I had a chance to look at the Cdory, SeaSport display on our recent visit to the SBS. I took the opportunity to talk with Ron Wright for a few minutes. I asked how many Cdory’s that were built in 2017. He told me 25. I think that is a very encouraging count. I also am happy to see the Cdory line continue.
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Only 25? Cool! I like the fact that I don't see myself everywhere like most other boaters.
 
Big Mac":uq48ldib said:
I had a chance to look at the Cdory, SeaSport display on our recent visit to the SBS. I took the opportunity to talk with Ron Wright for a few minutes. I asked how many Cdory’s that were built in 2017. He told me 25. I think that is a very encouraging count. I also am happy to see the Cdory line continue.
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I think that’s a really respectable number, higher than I imagined.
 
Big Mac":1klia0g5 said:
I had a chance to look at the Cdory, SeaSport display on our recent visit to the SBS. I took the opportunity to talk with Ron Wright for a few minutes. I asked how many Cdory’s that were built in 2017. He told me 25. I think that is a very encouraging count. I also am happy to see the Cdory line continue.
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Encouraging yes, but the important number is how many were sold.
 
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