MBA Project on Seacraft

[captbone]

Hey guys, I am long time reader of the forum and would like your opinion on Seacrafts in general. I am doing a project on Marketing for Bass Pro Shops for my MBA and wish to concentrate on the quality of Seacraft (tracker) vs Potter built hulls. Also any info on when Bass Pro started to sell them and quality of service at PBS from people that have dealt with them. Thank you

[Finster]

Captbone,

That's way too profound for the likes of us. Our cutoff date is around '80. If you do some searching around the site you may find some of your answers.
Good luck with your endeavours.

BTW, In your own words:

The 23 regulator is a Much much better boat in my view, you should look at one. My 2 cents!

[FELLOW-SHIP]

That’s kind of like comparing a 1970 Ford F-150 and a 2005 Ford F-150 although they are the same company and both are Pickups I don’t know how to Compare Objectively regarding your question especially since the corp. has been sold a few times to boot. Most of the guys here have been committed to restoration of the old SeaCrafts instead of comparing with the new ones our opinions would be pretty subjective at best. If I were you I would concentrate more on the things that are still common in SeaCrafts which is the Hull Design. I would also concentrate on maybe the newer materials used in boats now a days and try to hammer out Trackers NEW COMMITMENTS towards quality and service which was stated in written form 6-12 months ago. Maybe even talk about the new manufacturing location and its newer technology and possible newer boat models that were alluded to a few months ago. I hope you get enough $$$ out of them to buy your own SeaCraft.

P. S. Even Finster edited his comments. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

FellowShip [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[elpez]

you can also concentrate on why the boat sales staff has no idea on what they are selling and are the surliest individuals to deal with. This has been my experience on a few trips to BPS stores and in does not neccessarily reflect the opinion of this board or other members.

[fishstu]

Captbones
This is my post in the VHD thread.

"My boat of choice has always been "Potter-built" SeaCraft. Still is. All that said, the Sailfish, on casual inspection, appears to be the best SeaCraft clone I have ever seen. It appears to be MUCH, MUCH better built than current SeaCrafts being produced by Tracker."

IN GENERAL I AGREE, HOWEVEVER I LOOKED FOR A TURN KEY "AFORDABLE" POTTER 20 MA FOR TWO YEARS, IN THE END I BOUGHT A TRACKER BUILT 2001 SC 20MA WHICH SO FAR HAS BEEN GREAT. HOPEFULLY I GOT A GOOD ONE.

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In this case, Sailfish has flattered SeaCraft very highly, to the point of trying to imitate the "Potter-built" quality. High praise, if you ask me. How about if we applaud Sailfish's efforts to build a worthy copy, as so many SC copies have been poorly built. We can hang on to the originals, while admire the very best copies."

SEACRAFT / TRACKER NEEDS TO GET THE MESSAGE THAT EVERY BOAT THAT LEAVES THIER SHOP IS OF THE HIGHTEST BUILD QUALITY - EVERY BOAT! THEY ALREADY INSTAIL HIGH QUALLITY FITTINGS, ITS THE WORKMANSHIP AND ATTENTION TO STRUCTUAL / FINISH DETAIL THAT CAN SUCK.

FOR ME NOTHING COMPARES TO A SC FOR THE COMBINATION OF LOOKS AND RIDE. EVEN MY TRACKER 20MA GETS ADMIRING COMMENTS AT THE DOCK OR CUTTING THROUGHT THE CHOP.

I LIKE TO HEAR COMPARISIONS AND OPINIONS OF CLASSIC SC, TRACKER SC AND THE KNOCKOFFS ON THIS SITE. WE ALL PAID FOR THE BOAT’S WE WANTED, I AM VERY HAPY WITH MINE.

BOTTOM LINE - All Tracker has to do is build every single boat to match the higest structural, detail and finish level of the other high quality brands.
After that Seacrafts sell them selfs.

[dcobbett]

FELLOW-SHIP

If I were you I would concentrate more on the things that are still common in SeaCrafts which is the Hull Design.

I'm new to SeaCraft, but I've been around small boats for many years and I'm not sure that what you said may be true today. Case in point; over the last several days, I've had an opportunity and pleasure to fish in from a 1974 20 SF and a 1979 20 MA. I thought both rides were great, and very similar. More recently, I had an opportunity to drive a 2000 20 SF. Totally different feel; less stable, more "bouncy".

A few days after the drive in the 2000 20 SF, I received a mailing from Tracker that contained an article in a tabloid type newspaper showing cross sections of the Mosely era, stepped, vairable deadrise hull compared to the current Tracker SeaCraft hull, plus a bow-on photo of one of the new hulls. In my opinion, there is no new to old comparision; they are different hulls (at least in their front ends), and I wonder if that is why I felt that the newer SeaCraft had a different feel on the water.

It's not my intention to steal this thread or start another new vs. old debate, but have other owners of Potter era SeaCrafts had an opportunity to ride in/drive the newer SeaCrafts, and do you think there is a difference in the overall ride?

[FELLOW-SHIP]

Ha Decobbit
I own a 1976 23CC Potter and there is no difference in the bottom hull design from the ones that are coming out of the mold this week at least that I am aware of. As for the other models may be some one that has followed the 21 could comment on them. As for the Mosely era there is where most of the evolution of these boats happened. There is a article posted on this sight in the front page which talked about Mosely’s being the first in many arrears of designing in these boats but it appears to me after Potter took over most of the design changes had already taken place and a emphasis on production went into gear which from a outsider’s point of view caused the friction between Mosely and Potter in their personal conflicts. As for owners of this company after Potter I don’t think design was much of a issue as much as profitability became the major driving force.
FellowShip

[Bigshrimpin]

De - Is the Literature comparing a 20CC vs. Mosley era 21? I'm pretty sure the Mosley 21 is a different boat.

Molds for the new 20's were pulled off an old seacraft 20sf from NJ . . . this was all over Seacraft's old PR stuff.

http://www.sportfishingmag.com/article.jsp?ID=21312

Design/Construction
It's hard to honestly refer to this as a center-console with the helm so far aft. But it sure makes for great fishing room forward and amidships. SeaCraft pulled a plug from a 30-year-old hull to make the mold for this boat. Fortunately, you won't find a single change made to the original hull; it's still the same classic 20 that proved itself so many years ago. Thanks to the experienced input of Lefty Kreh and Flip Pallot, the SeaCraft 20 serves as a monument to functionality. You'll be hard-pressed to find a cleaner or simpler boat.

[dcobbett]

Bigshrimpin,

The lit I am refereing to is from a tabloid size, 6 page newspaper called the Mako-SeaCarft "Headings". It is "...a Special Supplement from the Publishers of TRACKERWay". I had requested a catalog of the new SeaCrafts and the "Headings" was part of their mailing. On page 5, their is an article entitled "Boating's Most Famous Bottom", the last para of which reads as follows:

"Carl Moesly's variable dead rise hull remains as the core of every SeaCraft sport fishing boat we build today and it still astonishes serious fisherman with its speed, stability and tender ride. If you want to experience the most famous bottom in the world, call your local SeaCraft dealer for a test ride. Just be prepared to be amazed by these beautiful, limited production boats!".

There are graphics next to the article (sorry, I don't have a scanner). One is a section through a Mosely hull. Next to it is a bow-on picture of a SeaCraft bottom. The section and the picture are not the same. The picture does not look like any classic SeaCraft hull I've seen, and I just wonded if they have changed the hull and if that's why I thought the boat (a 2000, 20SF) I drove felt different from the classic era SeaCrafts been on several days earlier.

[FELLOW-SHIP]

You guys are starting to confuse me.

TRY GOING TO THESE REFERENCES

http://www.classicseacraft.com/

then click onto References

then click onto these three articles.

1. Carl Mosley article
2. Copy of the original SeaCraft Patterns.
3. Specifications then which ever model you want to look at.

FellowShip [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]