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Bavaria Yachts
Jack:
Bavaria Yachts are reportedly the largest builder in Europe. They are the classic ''price boat'' builder, which is to say they develop a marketing goal - e.g. a new 35 foot fractionally rigged sloop that will cost less than 80K Euros - and then they make a series of manufacturing decisions to deliver the boat accordingly. Some of their cost efficiencies come from automation (which may/may not be a good thing re: build quality) while other cost savings are simply due to modest fit-out, light scantlings and an emphasis on speed over thoroughness WRT production. When Practical Boat Owner in the UK recently did a review of the factory and its product (vs. any specific boat) they observed that the one laborer in the plant who seemed to enjoy job security was the fellow with the caulking gun who could fill all the unclosed seams and joinerwork gaps. That certainly sums up my impression of how they look, and I find the functionality of their cockpit, layout and such to be disappointing.
But...if all this is fair, how come they build and sell so many boats? You have to visit Europe to appreciate how active are their sailing clubs and training schools over here. Legislation requires course completion for any amount of sailing, and many folks can''t afford to own their own boat. Thus, charters and sailing schools are huge buying groups...and as you would suspect, schools and for-profit businesses appreciate the low entry price point. In truth, so do most buyers. Given the limited use most of us make of our sailboats, perhaps a Bavaria is a more suitable choice than it deserves to be more many buyers.
Jack
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