Is there a lack of trendy, posh, luxury boats?

Hi, I'm an amateur product designer, and I've been doing some research into small luxury power boats.
The longer I searched, the more I began to understand that this entire sector is faced with a lack of creative design, and a lack of courage in using new materials, new styles and entirely new concepts. Of course, that's my personal opinion. And I'm looking forward to reading your point of view!
I also found out that there's a serious market segment, consisting of young wealthy individuals who want a more unique style, and newer designs for show boats. Just imagine a young "new money" millionaire who wants to have his own show boat to be seen with in a Southern European marina. He needs a dandy boat. And he doesn't have a lot of options: either it's a race-car like power boat, or a luxury yacht (which is not what he wants, for yachts are for old people), or a dull white power boat of which there are hundreds which all look the same.

Hence, my proposal to design a posh boat for dandies, which breaks with the dullness of the average luxury boat. Our dandy wants to make a ride just to show himself to others as he serves champagne to his girlfriends on board.

Some conceptual features which set this dandy boat apart from others:

-an entirely translucent/transparent hull, made of polycarbonate sheet, encased in bare aluminium.
-a shape vaguely resembling a BMW Z4
-one fat salmon pink leather sofa

I'm working on a 3D file right now, which I will post soon. I hope to get your comments and suggestions. I really think the sector of luxury boats needs some fresh air!

 

it makes the world go round

Seems as though you're in a viscious circle. Either the rich young poeple have the money to burn on an original, one-off design - ergo no problem.

If they don't, they have no choice but to go for the mass-production market. God forbid we should end up the same as the car market - you either spend alot of money on a decent flashy car (lambo, ferarri, aston etc.) yet still have the same as someone else, or you buy a normal one (ford, vauxhall, renault etc.) and "sex it up" with spoilers and big useless exhausts! Stilll, a production boat is always the same as another.

The design features you talk of sound like a bit of fun (however impractical), however, to bring you smack down to earth, what is the point if it is not going to be commercially viable? What you are proposing is basically of the first type mentioned. Costs more money than sense to get it made, and when you do, who else would want it? If they do, it's just gonna turn inta a production boat, so there's nothing original out there.

Sorry if I'm too realistic, but that's the world we live in..

 

That's exactly the problem with all luxury products. Make too much of the same, and they're no longer luxury items.

However, we're talking here about a limited edition of a designer boat. I'm sure there's always a market for this. And often it's a profitable one.

Anyway, does anyone know of any transparent polycarbon hulls? I've never seen any.

 

If they're transparent, that would explain it...

Realistically, however, polycarb is the wrong material for a boat. too flexy for one thing, and the structure required to hold it all together would detract from the whole "transparent" thing.
The problem with "designers" as in "designer boat" or "designer clothes" is that they have little knowledge of the practical problems involved with putting boats together, or in why a boat needs (important word) to look "like a boat", not like a BMW.

Steve

 

Luxury, Performance, Eye catcher, to DROOL over, PRICEY,Riva's "Aquariva".

 

Aust

Like Steve said, BMW's look like cars, handle like cars and drive on roads. Boats are a little different.

I think the structure required to hold a polycarbonate boat together would make it look like a pile of broken glass. And where's the privacy when rich boy gets his ladies. I guess people could then see that they don't want to get disturbed...

 

Dandy,

Good for you, keep going. The Z4 poly boat sounds cool. Don't pay any attention to those who raise endless practical reasons as to why it "can't be done".

I think efforts like this should be supported by the industry, and they are to a certain extent. But if Designers only design what they think will sell, we end up in an ever tightening spiral down to the generic white boat. It is the designer's task to point this out, by producing concepts that push the boundary. Look at all the wild concept cars that are never built, but are certainly taken very seriously but the industry.

One problem with the production yacht industry is that new boats are designed by "focus groups" that only see what already exists. Rather than by an individual with a vision for the future. These focus groups are made up of sales people and potential owners. They are asked what sells and what do they want in a new boat. They point out a diverse bunch of features from various other boats, and all the "designer" is asked for is to pull these together into one "new" boat. The only thing he can do to put his stamp on this thing is to add some funny shaped windows.

Be careful, your poly Z4 could well end up as another boat with funny shaped windows.

I don't think designers lack either courage or vision, but builder's and marketing people have become very conservative. There are reasons for this. Twenty years ago there was great diversity in the designs offered by production builders. Tooling and marketing costs were low, thus there were many small builders trying to break into the market with something different. Now we see a few large, well funded builders, who are doing very well selling what they have always sold. Why change that? The few small builders looking to make a splash can't afford to blow it on a dud product. So they build just what everybody else builds.

But it is funny to see trends come and go; picnic boats, trawler yachts, now it's retro daysailors. Everybody jump on that bandwagon!! Perhaps the Z4 poly boat is the next fad, who knows?


Tad

 

More pumped up plastic boats on steroids for the non nautical.

Quality is an elusive thing these days

just my opinion

 

You build it...

Hello...

And I will come up with some new miracle chemicals to keep all the green goop from sticking to it...

YUP...

SH.

 

Small luxury power boats: www.strand-craft.com As you will see, their boats are the most beautiful boats in this size, in the world today. The Retro runabouts are designed around a vision how to conect the old classic beauty with modern technology and functionality. This is Bentley, Ferarri and Harley-Davidson all over again, in a boat this time.

 

I am a sucker for the old vertical bow style. So I will build one. Only change is to maintain the 24 degree V from the foward 5 th. frame to the transom, so the ride is comfortable in busy 2' chop. Vertical bows ONLY, go thru a wave, they do not jump or angle up. Wind shields MUST be able to to take crest of a wave if necessary. It happens.

 

Thumbs up to Bo Zolland, But How does the girl in the Bikini swim & get back on board? Tricky.

 

Hopefully the girls boyfriend be strong enough to pull her up
I think there will be retractable swimplatform, for not killing the classic clean look. :idea:

 

I don't know much about power craft, but there have been examples of a similar approach in sailboats. For example, the Alerion Express. It exploits well-established marketing concepts that go back at least as far as the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company: best possible pedigree, percieved high quality of construction, percieved high performance, "less is more" approach to features. Styling is conservative, modern, with traditional heritage.

I suppose the Hinckley Picnic Boat is an example in power.

So I think it's doable, but as pointed out, someone has to risk their money to get started, and it usually is not the people who have the established name to convey the pedigree, the high quality, etc. One thing that you have going for you is that less need to compete on price; these are Louis Vitton & Prada shoppers.

 

Here is the solution for hidden swimplatform
I think there are a huge market for small luxury runabouts produced in limited series, exotic materials, hi-performance and super finish. For the booming superyacht business, as tender/toys or in new
markets with a lot of "new rich" people like the Middel East,
Russia and Asia. They also want to pay for "exclusivity".