Chicago Boat Show

[Hollywood]

Here are a few pictures. It was hard to get decent shots of whole boats because of all the people. I don't know where these salesmen were from, but they sure didn't know their *** from their elbow when it came down to Nautique specifics.

[skinautique]

I like the colors on the super air. very clean looking. What specifics do you want to know?

[Hollywood]

Nothing I didn't already know, but they just sucked.

"If you like wakeboarding the best wakeboarding boat is the 210." They obviously concentrated on sales pitches rather than actual boat knowledge.

[AbunDiga909]

Hollywood, in your last pic of the blue 210...theres a small portion of a black and white Nautique that looks like a 206 or even more like a 216. Do you remmeber off the top of your head what it is like? Or do you have any pics of that? I'd like to see a nice pic of that boat if you have one! Thanks.

[Frost]

The black one looks like a 216, it has a tower on it. I put my money on the 216 :)

[AbunDiga909]

Thats what i thought...

[Onthewater]

Yes, it was a 216.

[M3Fan]

I have to agree with the salesmen not knowing anything. I asked one of them (a younger guy, blondish hair) a few questions about the 206 as if I was a prospective buyer and got totally generic answers. For example, I asked how he would compare it to an RLXi and his answer was "well, it's a better built boat, the windshield doesn't extend past the driver so you can still pick up skis and drive, and it rides way smoother". As a nautique owner and fan, his schtick was pretty dissappointing. Our local Malibu dealer has a salesman I have been talking to on and off and he knows EVERYTHING about inboards. He even knew all the stats on my 1990, including beam, draft, etc. I would almost buy a malibu as my next boat just because this guy is so super knowledgable and nice. Then again, my BMW dealer's salesmen are total morons/jerks, so maybe it goes with the territory- the top-of-the line boats should sell themselves. I will say that red 206 they had on the floor was the sexiest boat at the show. The bigger NAUTIQUE lettering on the side is awesome in person.

[skinautique]

Do you have a picture of that 206? Also, if you are looking for that comparison, let me know and I will fill you in.

[Onthewater]

M3Fan, I'll agree the 206 was the best looking inboard boat at the show, it almost made me want an open bow as my next boat. :P The sammy duvall MC was quite impressive as well.

These boats sell themselves.

[skinautique]

to an extent they sell themselves

[AbunDiga909]

to an extent they sell themselves

definately true...think about it, how many people actually go through every ski boat company to find out the REAL best boat for them? compared to how many people buy from the same company they just had a boat from, or company they just have heard the most about? I know there was a topic about this, but i cant find it now.

When you considered your current nautique...how many boat manufactors did you look at? (I'll admit, CC was my family's only boat company we considered...)

[Hollywood]

Since I can remember I was a CC fan. Onthewater used to be all about MC, but I helped him see the light. Yes, that black/gray white boat was an Air 216. I only have 2 pictures with it in them, so here ya go.

Also, just to clarify the fellow we talked to was NOT from Rockford Marine & Watersports. These jerk offs said they were from the Indiana/Michigan border. Oh, and the guy also said that if you wanted a tower on your boat you should get an "Air" version because if has ballast tanks. Gee, thanks for the insight....

[Onthewater]

to an extent they sell themselvesi'll elaborate, i firmly believe that most boat buyers in a niche market (inboard tow boat for example) educate themselves the most and listen to other owners rather than a sales pitch. They know what they want and look at the hard facts first, then the "fluff" from joe salesperson last. Atleast that is how I approach it and I hope most people do as well.

AbunDiga, I know when we were looking we knew our budget would only allow a mid to late 80s inboard. And from that "era" the only two worth looking at for us was MC and CC. Sure there were Malibus, Supras, and Centurions but they were primitive compared to Correct Craft. So far I have noticed most people stick with whatever they have, don't jump from manufacturer to manufacturer. I have no plans on changing, don't fix it if it isn't broken.

the folks from Rockford Marina very polite and honest, more knowledgable than the rest too.

[skinautique]

I have seen many people switch from one brand to another. I see people switching to Nautiques quite often from a Malibu, MC or even Tige. It just all depends on the situation.

[Hollywood]

It just all depends on the situation.

Uhhh, If you you take pride in your boat and your skiing (sure, boarding too!), you should get in a Nautique. That the situation you're talking about?

Ski Proud, Ski Nautique!

[skinautique]

No the situation comes down to price. Sure anyone can want the most expensive boat but can they afford it? Not always. Therefore, if it is borderline, the salesman has to do his job to "open the eyes" of the buyer and show them where the real differences come in to make the buyer better justify his/her decision to spend the extra money.

[brianhuels]

The 206 is in my inventory and looking for a new home. . . . anyways, thanks for the kind words about my marina.

Not sure who you spoke with in the Nautique booth . . . but it can be very difficult when selling a boat. It really sounds like the person talking with you didn't qualify what motiviates you as a potential buyer. Perhaps safety of skiing might be what you were looking for and then the windshield might come into play, along with the reverse pulling the Nautique left, versus right, etc. Perhaps knowing you had the best construction and devices on your boat might have been what you were looking for (keyless entry, comparison of sound suppression technologies. . .novidamp versus the malibu dampening box, ame 5000 versus poly blend, etc., size differences, etc.).

If we ran across eachother M3Fan I think I would be looking to know what features of the malibu sold you on it and then go from there. I would really say that my biggest nightmare is when the customer comes in and says. . . "tell me why your boat is the best on the market"? Of course we all love Nautiques so this simple question could be a two week seminar. Then if the salesperson doesn't ask questions to help lead the conversation they end up guessing as in windshield safety, or tanks with Air package, etc. that leave the potential buyer aggrevated that the salesperson was of no help. Anyways. . . . just some things I run into and try to share with my sales people.

. . .. as I started with however. . . patriot and titainum 206 looking for a good home. . .any takers. . . .

[AbunDiga909]

skinautique & onthewater...I agree with you both. I have seen, or heard, of many people switching to CC from company X, not so many vice versa. However, I dont think they do this so they can find out what another boat company is like, I would assume that it is because their previous company had a large problem.

onthewater...were you at the chicago boat show? how does everbody know that most of the reason i was asking about that 216 was related to Rockford? wow i guess i gotta shut up sometimes...lol...its kinda weird when people answer your questions in posts that they know you are gonna ask or wonder about...lol....I guess it really is a community here...lol...

If only this topic was posted earlier, i would have had numerous pics of the NYC Intl. Boat show...One thing i found strange about it was that none of the boats there had any ZR6's. I would expect that that would be the best and most profitable time to show off thier hottest engine! Was there a boat with the ZR6 at Chicago? When I was there, I for a change found some guys that really knew what they were talking about. When i asked a question, they actually gave me an answer oppose to saying what whatever i was asking about called....There was a guy there from like the NorthEast division or something. He wasn't from any dealer in specific but i think he had to do with the northeast in some specific way. Becides our local guy, he really was helpful and knew everything about anything, esp. with the 211, because it was new to everyone.

[skinautique]

Abundiga,
Alot of times, dealers don't have a market for a motor as big as the ZR6 so they don't order one to have at the show. They still have to sell the boat after the show. They can't just ship it back to the factory and tell them that it didn't sell during the show. They have to be somewhat conservative about what they order.

[AbunDiga909]

ski...true, true....but its not like no one buys ZR6's...I mean my family isn't looking for one without one! There are those guys out there where money isn't really in the picture for them right now. those are the guys that may be interested in the ZR6. It is a hotter engine. They must be selling, i mean they dropped the python, if they dont drop this, its gotta be doing okay. I know theres a dealer in AZ that orders most of his in-stock nautiques with ZR6's. He actually has a nice looking SAN with a python! He claims to have sold most of them, as if they are not a problem. And also, no one is ever gonna buy one if they dont hear about it and the word doesn't spread...the boat show is the time to do that and let the dealers try to promote the engine so maybe this season its not as unpopular as it is know. What i mean to say is how do the dealers expect to sell this engine if they dont even have ONE at the boat show?!

[AbunDiga909]

Also skinautique...I like the sig!!!
My dad wanted to tie a ski handle to our dogs leash and write "you never stop feeling the pull." I said it was clever, but for the wrong family...lol...

[M3Fan]

Also skinautique...I like the sig!!!
My dad wanted to tie a ski handle to our dogs leash and write "you never stop feeling the pull." I said it was clever, but for the wrong family...lol...

Accurate lines does make a dog leash that is a mini ski rope/handle. A must have for the dog owner!

[skinautique]

You are right to an extent that it is harder to sell something that isn't in front to show but it can be done if you are a knowledgeable salesperson. If you were to approach a dealer and say that you wanted that motor, they would tell you that it is available and can be ordered. No problem. At the same time, how many people REALLY need this motor? Not many. The 330 is plenty powerful for 90 some percent of the boaters. I have skied behind both engines and you can't tell a whole lot of difference. Where it really makes a difference is in a boat like the 226 that is pushing the extra weight. Also, a dealer may have ordered one last year and could still be sitting on it so he didn't order one again. It all depends on who the dealer is and where they are located.
Thanks for the compliment on the signature.

[M3Fan]

If we ran across eachother M3Fan I think I would be looking to know what features of the malibu sold you on it and then go from there. I would really say that my biggest nightmare is when the customer comes in and says. . . "tell me why your boat is the best on the market"?

I am not sold on any boat right now. It will be a few years before I actually buy a boat. The RLXi is the first boat Malibu has made IMO that they have really nailed down properly. It is really hard to criticize becaues it is so plush and sweet. It is an awesome rig for the money. As a footer, I also like that it can go 50 mph.

If I had infinite money right now, I would have a loaded 206. We'll see where I am in 3-4 years.

[brianhuels]

The only boat at the chicago show with the upgraded engine was the Air 226 - Red & White. Both engine covers are red so a man on a fast horse would not necessarily see the differene. . . . (unless you see the sticker price on the boat). Option price for the upgrade engine is $3,800 MSRP. I agree with skinautique. . . . putting the 6.0 in inventory limits the amount of buyers that would consider that as a boat for them.

[Onthewater]

Abun....yes I was there.

Brian, just curious as to how much I'd be out a month... what are the payments looking like on that 206? and how much for a tower?

[AbunDiga909]

Ya about a couple months ago, maybe in late sept or something, when the 04s were just comming in, our local guy just put one together and we were some of the frst people to look at it. We asked about where the amp is located, i know that was a big question of many for the 04s. Then while the guy was looking around puzzled just as much as we were, i decided to pop the "hood" and take a look, even though i was 99% sure it was a 330. Frst thing i saw was a red cover and then went Wow or something. Then i saw the sticker that said 330. When the salesman looked at the engine my dad and i could see for a sec that he was confused temporarily about the engine being a ZR6 or not. (BTW, his boat was a 206, colored to be identical to the one in the catalog...awesome!)

Anyway, ski, your right, most people dont need the extra hp. However, most people could do with a 275, maybe for teh 211,206,and 196 only, but all engines i hear are really good.

[Hollywood]

When asked about his new department, Warner had this to say “ I intend to help our dealers increase sales through product knowledge. It is my goal to help our dealers be even better ambassadors of the Nautique brand.”

This was taken from the "Meddock Announces Retirement" atricle on the home page. Hopefully it comes true in this case and many others. So far it's like dealerships either are really awesome with their Nautique knowledge or it doesn't exist.

[skinautique]

I am not sold on any boat right now. It will be a few years before I actually buy a boat. The RLXi is the first boat Malibu has made IMO that they have really nailed down properly. It is really hard to criticize becaues it is so plush and sweet. It is an awesome rig for the money. As a footer, I also like that it can go 50 mph.

If I had infinite money right now, I would have a loaded 206. We'll see where I am in 3-4 years.

M3Fan,
Do you like the new gelcoat design on the RLXi? I still haven't been able to warm up to that. I don't like how the stripe angles up so hard in the back half. It looks out of place to me. I also don't like the position of the windshield. The boat skis decent but I still don't think you can beat the Nautiques. Do you think that styling is going to look outdated or out of place in say 5-10 years?

[Kenw]

M3Fan, Have you footed behind a 206?
Do you find the footing wakes comparable to a RLXi?

Ken

[M3Fan]

Kenw- No, haven't footed on either boat. In fact, the newest nauty I have ever skiied behind is a 99.

Skinautique- I agree with you there. I asked the dealer if I could get the traditional striping with the logo in the center of the boat, etc, and it is no problem. The windshield is a tad long on the sides. Looks like you would have to get an angled boom for it to work on that rig. It almost looks like an I/O the way it comes from the factory. Custom gel on an RLXi is a MUST imo. You can't beat the look of the nautys.