Sea Craft history?

[Gibson]

Can anyone tell me why the classic Sea Craft boats stopped being made?

[Dilligaf]

because it was unfair to the rest of the boating industry.....

[Gibson]

I guess I phrased that wrong. Classic Sea Crafts were made before 1980. The boats that were made in the 80s onward are not considered classics. Is this because they changed the design, stopped building them? What makes a classic a classic?

[McGillicuddy]

clas·sic (as taken from some arbitrary online dictionary)
adj.
1.
a. Belonging to the highest rank or class.
b. Serving as the established model or standard: a classic example of colonial architecture.
c. Having lasting significance or worth; enduring.

I would venture to say that any SeaCraft built to the quality standards established by Moesley's original designs or Potters era of influence are worthy of being deemed "classic." That's not to say that the SeaCrafts of later years were any less classic. Some would argue the 23' of the early '80s was as good as any. A $95000 23TT from 2006 s is no slouch. On the other hand a $95K price tag may be what buried many great small boat brands including the well respected SeaCraft.

Effectively, the economic meltdown brought on by the real estate/lending debacle is was brought down Seacraft and so many fine builders of luxury items. Locally, for example, Callaway Golf are a shell of what they were 5 years ago. Stock is still less than half of its better days.

Sure, some companies were mismanaged but probably more importantly, after Black Friday, disposable income became no longer disposable as many in the income bracket that could afford a $100K boat, were forced to postpone retirement and started scrambling to hang on to their jobs as their IRAs had been cut in half virtually overnight.

By the time SeaCraft, Mako, et., al., closed the factory doors, their dealers couldn't even sell boats at a substantial loss...people simply weren't willing to take on more debt.

It's a bad economy when you can buy a 39 foot Tiara for $25000 or a decent classic SeaCraft SF23 with twin 225s for $5k.

I'm sure a lot of the guys more familiar with the industry can chime in with a better answer.

[Gibson]

I am looking at one of the new 23 Master Anglers. I am not sure if the newer boats have the old hull. I did some research on your site and it appears they were manufactured from 1975 to 1978 but I see no mention of them again until the late 1990s.

[ScottM]

The MAs of the 70s were 20ft, not 23. I believe Tracker/Mako reused the MA name on later 20, 23, 25 and 32 footers. Regardless, the hull design has remained the same since Moesley designed the first VDH in the 60s.

[Snookerd]

The new 23TE and the 26MA are the same size boat, developed around 3-4 yrs ago. The beam is wider and from the posts from a member who helped develop the boat, it was the most effort Tracker made to offer something really new( besides the 32)............too bad they came on-line when they did with the demand soooo low. Great looking boat

[Blackfin26]

I'll be running a 23TE this spring...I'll some pics and reports once the shrinkwrap comes off and it's splashed. They only built these as '09 models...just as the economy tanked. Great fishing layout with flush deck all around.