posted 02-11-2009 05:45 PM ET (US)        

The Outboard Motor Shop is now able to get select new Boston Whalers without a Mercury outboard. For the next 90 days, we have worked a deal to buy select Boston Whalers with a blank transom.

We have struggled to get loans for customer these days for any boats powered with anything but an Evinrude or Honda motor. Evinrude E-tec and Honda have certain agreements with banks to continue lending on boat packages.

If you are interested in a new Boston Whaler with a motor choice, please give craig a call and we can discuss motor options. I can be reached at (510) 533-9290 or emailed at craig@outboardmotorshop.com You can also visit our web page at www.outboardmotorshop.com
Craig Jacobsen
President, The Outboard Motor Shop

posted 02-11-2009 08:52 PM ET (US)            

Tony

It's going to be very, very interesting to compare the prices of Whalers without Mercury motors with the same models with their usual motors, just to find out how BW/Brunswick/Mercury values their outboards. Very interesting indeed...Watch Larry and a couple of others here do some amazing intellectual gymnastics when these data become available ;-)

posted 02-11-2009 10:51 PM ET (US)            

All I would say is that giving buyers opportunities to pick and choose different motor manufacturers is a plus for every buyer who has longed for more choices in spending their hard earned cash on Boston WHalers.

I think its a fantastic opportunity for buyers all around.

It will be interesting to see how this goes for them, if they get the performance specs they need to determine the best possibilities for the boats they do sell.

posted 02-12-2009 03:38 PM ET (US)            

In any case, this is good for consumers since they have a choice of motors. Those who prefer Mercury could still have the Whaler of their choice with a Merc on the back, while Evinrude and Honda fans will be able to purchase some boats from the Whaler line with their favorite motor. The dealer is able to sell a boat/motor package to a customer that might otherwise go elsewhere. In the end, everybody wins. I am curious why Honda and Evinrude seem to be able to line up credit for these packages where evidently Mercury/Brunswick can not.

posted 02-12-2009 03:57 PM ET (US)            

"Peter; I have double checked with my Boston Whaler factory rep and as of two days ago they implemented a plan that for the first time you can order either the Montauk or Dauntless without a motor, so looks like you have the jump on this information as this is news to all of us here at the dealership. My factory rep is forwarding me all the information and said this is going to be a word of mouth only program as nothing will be published about it either online or in print. Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions and thanks for your questions. "

posted 02-12-2009 04:52 PM ET (US)         

You must be kidding about Honda. That company is a money machine, with a huge automobile backbone. The Japanese are loaded, with a huge trade surplus and money flowing in like crazy. They have billions to loan to US consumers and to the US treasury. Who do you think is going to partly finance the $800,000,000,000 Stimulus bill and $700,000,000,000 TARP?. They are rich from the world's purchases of their products, and we are poor and in debt, unfortunately. The sheer size of those numbers tells us how much bad debt this country's citizens have borrowed and recklessly spent, and now not able to pay back to the people who never should have loaned it to them in the first place. (and that includes boats, too)

posted 02-12-2009 06:37 PM ET (US)            

quote:

---

...so looks like you have the jump on this information as this is news to all of us here...

---

I was at a dealer this week and mentioned the Outrage 370. Only one sales guy heard of it but knew nothing about it. I gave them the IP address for the video and they watched it while I was there.

quote:

---

...Whaler's desire to keep it "word of mouth only"

---

These two statements are testaments to Whaler's PR department piss-poor ability to communicating product development and sales and marketing initiatives to their own dealer network.

posted 02-12-2009 10:29 PM ET (US)            

My question is also about cost. How much do they knock off, say a new Montauk 170, after removing the engine, controls, tach voltage and water pressure gauges? Do these guage holes now have to be cut? Or are they just "plugged"?

posted 02-13-2009 11:09 AM ET (US)            

In terms of Honda, are they a money machine because they are a Japanese company, or is it because they are a well run company? How about BRP? The last time I checked, Canada was not immune to the same financial crises that is plaguing the U.S. Perhaps it's more about the company than the country. If Brunswick (including Mercury) products are so superior, why is that company not a money machine like Honda?

posted 02-18-2009 03:52 PM ET (US)         

http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/1049/dsc01922my4.jpg

Actually I have never been so frustrated in trying to buy US boating products.

You probably have the best selection of goodies at the best prices but trying to find someone to ship them is near impossible and the few that will only know how to via FED-EX/DHL etc which is totally cost prohibitive.

What’s wrong with air fright. Even US postal service is riddled with exceptions and freight forwarding is hard work to private addresses.

It's now cheaper to buy from UK that sells in pounds what costs in dollars in US, just because they are more flexible.

Amazon won’t even ship to UK let alone UAE so I can’t even get them hand carried out by friends/visitors to here.

A 110lb Yamaha 9.9hp costs 300USD air freighted yet a 40 USD engine tie bar weighing 6lb costs 80USD delivered and 13lb of engine gauges + binnacle cost over 200USD to be delivered etc ............

No wonder why companies are struggling these days, been spoilt by home market IMO

(Sorry in advance Jim, minor off topic ranting)

Regards
Steve

posted 02-19-2009 11:54 AM ET (US)            

It's simple really. Although the UAE has a rapidly growing economy, there is still limited demand for certain products. In order to make shipment of items over such a great distance economical, it has to be done in bulk. And while there is clearly a rediculous amount of money flowing in the UAE, much of it still does not reach the working poor. Without a middle class, demand for items that are out of the reach of the poor like outboard motors or 15-30' fishing boats is still relatively low. Thus, it is not economical to set up a distribution channel for these products and ship them container loads at a time. So, you are left with only the option of buying and shipping one unit at a time. This method of shipping is very expensive on a per-unit basis.

UAE is a nation in transition. I believe that in the coming years you will see an increasing number of these kinds of items become available at reasonable costs, but in the mean time, you just have to grin and bear it.

posted 02-19-2009 04:34 PM ET (US)         

The current BW policy regarding the optional installation
of non-mercury engines on BW boats is, for the present,
restricted to BW sales in the state of kalifornia only.

This policy has been enacted as a result of emissions
issues raised by the state legislature and as a deterent
to potential class action law suits.

posted 02-19-2009 04:45 PM ET (US)            

I wanted to install a taller BW console (maybe 18 dauntless console) and a Yamaha 4-stroke, not currently an option on the 170 Montauk.

posted 02-19-2009 09:25 PM ET (US)            

This policy has been enacted as a result of emissions
issues raised by the state legislature and as a deterent
to potential class action law suits.

This policy is not, for the foreseeable future, inclusive
of other remaining states.<<<

Have they recently changed the emission requirements in Ca?

posted 02-20-2009 12:07 AM ET (US)         

My findings seem to show that US chandlery merchants have been spoilt by the home market and are less flexible when it comes to international sales. Fed-ex-ing stuff around the US is cheap but to anywhere else it's ridiculous.

You would think given the current financial climate anyone would be glad of a sale and happy to find a cheaper solution to forward goods other than by well know couriers, is my gripe.
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To briefly answer on Middle class:
I live in the capital Abu Dhabi which is more reserved and financially stronger than Dubai, but generally there is a 3 tier system: 4M Asians Indian/Pakistani labours and Pilipino shop/office/tourism workers, 1M mixed well educated doctors/engineers etc which a 3rd are westerns and 1M locals. Only the westerns and another 3rd of the well paid plus the rich locals are the consumers as we understand it.

The middle class structure is very strange and transient in nature. If anything Dubai has overrated and over priced itself out IMO.
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Ritzyrags notes on colour options is quite valid IMO I certainly think there’s a hole left by Johnson for small outboards up to 50hp not available in white. Not so sure it would make a difference on bigger units, but a nice to have an option.

Quite a few would like to see the new 25/35 ETEC's in white and I would have bought anyone’s 9.9 in white.