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Author Topic:   DEFIANCE 34 and 350 Defiance

lhg posted 02-08-2003 04:02 PM ET (US)
What happened to the DEFIANCE 34 (also known as the 350 DEFIANCE)? It is not shown or mentioned at all in the 2003 catalog.
I think we can all assume sales were slow because of the high price, but did Whaler discontinue it only after two years? That would seen like a huge R & D loss.
Jimm posted 02-09-2003 10:15 AM ET (US)
Larry, according to the calalog they still make it-
http://bostonwhaler.com/Rec/defiance.shtm
My dealer still has a 2000 model for sale...Jim
11 footer posted 02-09-2003 10:38 AM ET (US)
The boat was priced to high. Whaler pretty much priced everyone out of the market. I doubt they sold more then a hand full in the last two years.
11
dgp posted 02-09-2003 10:45 AM ET (US)
Based upon local (statewide) advertising, not every BW dealer is authorized to sell the Defiance model. If you can believe this advertising, ironically, the only dealer in TX selling the Defiance is located inland near Austin.
rbyrd posted 02-09-2003 02:24 PM ET (US)
Some dealer in Florida had a ton of them.
There is some money in the Ft. Lauderdale area and Palm Beach and etc.
They buy stuff like that like Michael Jackson buys decorations for his second house.
Heck I auctioned off my 74 Jaguar convertible E-Type (sweet car) in Ft. Lauderdale and every street corner was a Ferrari, Porsche, Rolls Royce dealership. It was crazy.
Pretty neat all the houses in the canals having large Yachts docked beside them.
Crazy wealth!
Clark Roberts posted 02-10-2003 08:06 AM ET (US)
I talked to a local Whaler employee yesterday and was told that the Defiance is no longer in production. He mentioned that the new 32 Outrage will be made in several colors. Clark
Louie Kokinis posted 02-12-2003 11:34 AM ET (US)
I feel for the consumer.
Yes, the poor bastard (ok, not that poor) who just took a bath gets my sympathy!
Imagine purchasing a boat for 1//2 million, your ‘pride and joy’, Whalers ‘flagship’, only to find out that it’s another discontinued POS :(
The selling features of Whalers best models where always workboat related - tough, very seaworthy, unsinkable, with the ability to serve many masters. It seems that EVERY attempt to get out of the ‘workboat’ market has failed - this is just another example.
Maybe a better use of all the R&D dollars would have been to focus on making their core customers wanting to upgrade :)
lhg posted 02-12-2003 12:01 PM ET (US)
Regarding the new 32 center console that Clark mentioned, is it using the Defiance hull system of foamed stringers, or the conventional Whaler full foamed hull, now with interior liner shell?
I just can't imagine the bottom line loss from the cost of developing the Defiance.
A few must have a lost their jobs on that one.
rbyrd posted 02-12-2003 03:50 PM ET (US)
Anyone who buys a boat for $350,000.00 probably isn't a poor sap. If they like the boat what is the difference that they stopped making the boat as long as it has support.
I would call its demise due to timing. This is not the time to build a boat like that. Development of the DEFIANCE 34 probably started when the market was booming, and then it fell out from under them--and a ton of other businesses. I will say Bost Whaler sure did wanted a premium for that boat.
Also, no matter what it was an expensive boat, but it sold for $350,000.00 not half a million. That's a $150,000 price jump there.
Concerning the beloved classic Boston Whalers the wood center counsole looks nice and all, but I do not want to deal with varnishing it all the time. Hey let's bring back the Woody Wagon’s from the late 40's. So every three years we can strip the wood and varnish it. I bet that would sell like hot cakes. Also, cheap, too, because we all know mahogany, teak and holly is so inexpensive that it would make the cost of boats so much more reasonable.

jaccoserv posted 02-12-2003 10:01 PM ET (US)
The difference is that when you go to sell a 34/35 Defiance, you're gonna wish you were selling a 31 Cabo or the like. I think it's safe to assume the resale market for the boat will be less than desireable. I'm a Boston Whaler guy through and through--I live in Braintree, Massachusetts, site of the first Boston Whaler plant--but I was on the DEFIANCE a couple of times and...WOOF.
JC
rbyrd posted 02-13-2003 01:25 AM ET (US)
Explain WOOF?
Hendrickson posted 02-13-2003 07:32 AM ET (US)
The boat must be a "dog"?
rbyrd posted 02-13-2003 10:43 AM ET (US)
But in what ways is it a Dog
jaccoserv posted 02-13-2003 02:56 PM ET (US)
The boat is a dog for the simple reason that in a few years nobody will even remember them and you won't be able to see it. It just lacks the "yacht" feel that you'd expect in a boat in that class. Take for instance the transom door...these things were put on fishing boats to bring tuna into your cockpit....the tuna you catch better have a good vertical jump to get over that threshold(they must have gotten a deal on the doors from brother Sea-Ray's parts bin and design team). And is that supposed to be a swim platform? Lets hope you don't have anything bigger than a size 6 foot, or else....HOLD ON!!!!
Louie Kokinis posted 02-13-2003 05:06 PM ET (US)
Rbyrd
Load one up, add electronics, the ‘mandatory’ tuna tower, and then add some tax; I’m sure you will agree that I’m not far off the mark.
I could be mistaking, but either way it’s not a cheap boat. My comment about the poor SOB was loaded with sarcasm – I still feel for him though.
I agree with Jaccoserv’s comments about resale value, and have met others who can’t sell (smaller) discontinued models. I’m sure the economy didn’t help, but the fact that there are other much better hulls out there (which are still selling) probably had more to do with it.
rbyrd posted 02-14-2003 02:00 AM ET (US)
Louie Kokinis,
You are probably correct.
FCH posted 01-21-2006 08:47 PM ET (US)
Is 34 defiance unsinkable or not?... please help me in this matter
Chuck Tribolet posted 01-22-2006 09:12 AM ET (US)
Whaler had an advert that showed the Defiance hull, with
ballast to simulate the motors, plugs out, and bunch of
people in it, and not sinking.

Chuck
COINJAM posted 01-22-2006 11:40 AM ET (US)
Whaler dealers in the Northwest give no support to the diesel Whalers (31'/34'). Might be a few on the East coast that know anything about these boats. Only support we get, is if you know someone in the factory that remembers where the drawings or schematics are filed. Can't knock the boats, just the support.
tully_mars posted 01-22-2006 10:25 PM ET (US)
The Defiance is unsikable, if you email me I can email you a copy of the Defiance with the "plug pulled" 3 miles offshore.
One of my favorite pics!
Capt. Tully Mars

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Author	Topic: DEFIANCE 34 and 350 Defiance
lhg	posted 02-08-2003 04:02 PM ET (US) What happened to the DEFIANCE 34 (also known as the 350 DEFIANCE)? It is not shown or mentioned at all in the 2003 catalog. I think we can all assume sales were slow because of the high price, but did Whaler discontinue it only after two years? That would seen like a huge R & D loss.
Jimm	posted 02-09-2003 10:15 AM ET (US) Larry, according to the calalog they still make it- http://bostonwhaler.com/Rec/defiance.shtm My dealer still has a 2000 model for sale...Jim
11 footer	posted 02-09-2003 10:38 AM ET (US) The boat was priced to high. Whaler pretty much priced everyone out of the market. I doubt they sold more then a hand full in the last two years. 11
dgp	posted 02-09-2003 10:45 AM ET (US) Based upon local (statewide) advertising, not every BW dealer is authorized to sell the Defiance model. If you can believe this advertising, ironically, the only dealer in TX selling the Defiance is located inland near Austin.
rbyrd	posted 02-09-2003 02:24 PM ET (US) Some dealer in Florida had a ton of them. There is some money in the Ft. Lauderdale area and Palm Beach and etc. They buy stuff like that like Michael Jackson buys decorations for his second house. Heck I auctioned off my 74 Jaguar convertible E-Type (sweet car) in Ft. Lauderdale and every street corner was a Ferrari, Porsche, Rolls Royce dealership. It was crazy. Pretty neat all the houses in the canals having large Yachts docked beside them. Crazy wealth!
Clark Roberts	posted 02-10-2003 08:06 AM ET (US) I talked to a local Whaler employee yesterday and was told that the Defiance is no longer in production. He mentioned that the new 32 Outrage will be made in several colors. Clark
Louie Kokinis	posted 02-12-2003 11:34 AM ET (US) I feel for the consumer. Yes, the poor bastard (ok, not that poor) who just took a bath gets my sympathy! Imagine purchasing a boat for 1//2 million, your ‘pride and joy’, Whalers ‘flagship’, only to find out that it’s another discontinued POS :( The selling features of Whalers best models where always workboat related - tough, very seaworthy, unsinkable, with the ability to serve many masters. It seems that EVERY attempt to get out of the ‘workboat’ market has failed - this is just another example. Maybe a better use of all the R&D dollars would have been to focus on making their core customers wanting to upgrade :)
lhg	posted 02-12-2003 12:01 PM ET (US) Regarding the new 32 center console that Clark mentioned, is it using the Defiance hull system of foamed stringers, or the conventional Whaler full foamed hull, now with interior liner shell? I just can't imagine the bottom line loss from the cost of developing the Defiance. A few must have a lost their jobs on that one.
rbyrd	posted 02-12-2003 03:50 PM ET (US) Anyone who buys a boat for $350,000.00 probably isn't a poor sap. If they like the boat what is the difference that they stopped making the boat as long as it has support. I would call its demise due to timing. This is not the time to build a boat like that. Development of the DEFIANCE 34 probably started when the market was booming, and then it fell out from under them--and a ton of other businesses. I will say Bost Whaler sure did wanted a premium for that boat. Also, no matter what it was an expensive boat, but it sold for $350,000.00 not half a million. That's a $150,000 price jump there. Concerning the beloved classic Boston Whalers the wood center counsole looks nice and all, but I do not want to deal with varnishing it all the time. Hey let's bring back the Woody Wagon’s from the late 40's. So every three years we can strip the wood and varnish it. I bet that would sell like hot cakes. Also, cheap, too, because we all know mahogany, teak and holly is so inexpensive that it would make the cost of boats so much more reasonable.
jaccoserv	posted 02-12-2003 10:01 PM ET (US) The difference is that when you go to sell a 34/35 Defiance, you're gonna wish you were selling a 31 Cabo or the like. I think it's safe to assume the resale market for the boat will be less than desireable. I'm a Boston Whaler guy through and through--I live in Braintree, Massachusetts, site of the first Boston Whaler plant--but I was on the DEFIANCE a couple of times and...WOOF. JC
rbyrd	posted 02-13-2003 01:25 AM ET (US) Explain WOOF?
Hendrickson	posted 02-13-2003 07:32 AM ET (US) The boat must be a "dog"?
rbyrd	posted 02-13-2003 10:43 AM ET (US) But in what ways is it a Dog
jaccoserv	posted 02-13-2003 02:56 PM ET (US) The boat is a dog for the simple reason that in a few years nobody will even remember them and you won't be able to see it. It just lacks the "yacht" feel that you'd expect in a boat in that class. Take for instance the transom door...these things were put on fishing boats to bring tuna into your cockpit....the tuna you catch better have a good vertical jump to get over that threshold(they must have gotten a deal on the doors from brother Sea-Ray's parts bin and design team). And is that supposed to be a swim platform? Lets hope you don't have anything bigger than a size 6 foot, or else....HOLD ON!!!!
Louie Kokinis	posted 02-13-2003 05:06 PM ET (US) Rbyrd Load one up, add electronics, the ‘mandatory’ tuna tower, and then add some tax; I’m sure you will agree that I’m not far off the mark. I could be mistaking, but either way it’s not a cheap boat. My comment about the poor SOB was loaded with sarcasm – I still feel for him though. I agree with Jaccoserv’s comments about resale value, and have met others who can’t sell (smaller) discontinued models. I’m sure the economy didn’t help, but the fact that there are other much better hulls out there (which are still selling) probably had more to do with it.
rbyrd	posted 02-14-2003 02:00 AM ET (US) Louie Kokinis, You are probably correct.
FCH	posted 01-21-2006 08:47 PM ET (US) Is 34 defiance unsinkable or not?... please help me in this matter
Chuck Tribolet	posted 01-22-2006 09:12 AM ET (US) Whaler had an advert that showed the Defiance hull, with ballast to simulate the motors, plugs out, and bunch of people in it, and not sinking. Chuck
COINJAM	posted 01-22-2006 11:40 AM ET (US) Whaler dealers in the Northwest give no support to the diesel Whalers (31'/34'). Might be a few on the East coast that know anything about these boats. Only support we get, is if you know someone in the factory that remembers where the drawings or schematics are filed. Can't knock the boats, just the support.
tully_mars	posted 01-22-2006 10:25 PM ET (US) The Defiance is unsikable, if you email me I can email you a copy of the Defiance with the "plug pulled" 3 miles offshore. One of my favorite pics! Capt. Tully Mars