Wish I could read minds. What's new, these threads tend to stray all over the map.
There seem to be a couple of opposite view arguments and a bunch of people, including me spending too much thought on this. Some that think the costs are outrageous, and some that think the costs, while high, are supported. A bunch of different opinions trying to support one side or the other, sometimes with innacurate comparisons, or emotional frustrations.
1. Dan threw out that inflation has little to do with how manufacturers price luxury items. Probably true as evidenced by Gucci, Ferrari, and others. The disagreement, I think, is whether our boats fall in that category. I don't think the public financials support that our boats are in that category, even though they are expensive.
2. The original video presents a simplistic view. Boats are twice as big, of course they cost twice as much. My guess is that some people look at that and say really? I don't think fiberglass cost twice as much. I don't think upholstery costs twice as much. Still only has one engine. I don't think it takes twice as long to mold a 25 foot boat as it did to mold a 20 foot boat. I call bullshit, the manufacturers are just greedy.
There is so much that goes into the cost of making a boat - yes, basic materials; but also bigger engines raise cost more; labor has gone up everywhere, but particulary in Tennessee and Florida where there are huge building booms; gasoline for the company vehicles, electricity, water; cost of disposing of toxic substances; local taxes; increased medical costs for employees; electronic component costs have actually gone up in the last few years (rare in that industry) and we are putting more and more complex electronics in these boats; cost of lawyers and payouts on lawsuits have gone up; on and on and on.
I have not seen full breakdown of all the costs, and how much each has gone up. But, again, public financial reports show that margins are about the same as they were ten years ago. I think those that read the numbers understand that the manufacturers are not gouging us, despite the fact that we don't like the high cost of boats.
3. There are still many that believe that the manufacturers could make a low cost boat if they wanted to. Even if true, these are businesses, not charities. And two of the big three are publicly traded business. They are obligated to provide best returns to their shareholders.
If the marketplace supported the low cost builds, or if the margins could meet or exceed what the manufacturers make on the more expensive boats, they would make them. Obviously, the boat companies don't believe the low cost boats meet these criteria.
Again, just one guy's interpretation of this thread.