"Correct Craft" out of business?

[Sephmu]

Wakeslayer took the words outta my mouth,

All boats break, it's just a matter of time. My riding buddy's 230 is constantly having an electro-glitch, if not the speed control then it's the radio, then its the ignition, and so on....he bought it brand new. So everytime this happens, he must find a way to get the boat all the way to the ramp (5 miles by river) from his lift, and take it all the way to the dealer. He is overwhelmed by the complexity and time it would take to track down a problem on his new "innovative" boat, so he has no option but to shell out wads of cash for the mechanics to "fix" it.

Subsequently we ride on my old clapped out sport most of the time, worry free and trouble free. And if there is a problem, out come the pliers and mexican speed wrench and we're back in action.

more gizmos does not always mean more fun, everything has it's pro's and con's, but in a marine environment, simpler is always better.

My boat also says, "made by Correct Craft" on the hull, dash, transom etc...ha

[Nautiquehunter]

I dont want to insult but I cant tell if you realy think a 99 is better or if you are just cheap. I too think the new boats are too expensive but dont even try to convince me they are too troublesome so we should just go back to 1999 technology. I dont know a lot about the older airs but if they are that much better than the new ones then you are truly blessed to own such a boat. Didn't the 230 come out in 2007 wouldn't so all those expensive repairs be covered under warranty? Here is what I know I put 120 hours on my 210 last year and the only problem I had was a locked up ballast pump on the first outing. I still have my bullet proof 89 with a carb , points, analog gauges and key start and yes it runs great every time. Last year I put 2 hours on it. Ill never cut down your older models please dont cut down my new model.

[WakeSlayer]

This is going to off and back on track NautiqueHunter, but:

Just for the sake of taking a potshot: Too cheap? How about wise enough to realize there is not an additional $45000+ worth of value in a newer, shinier. bigger version of a tried and true icon in the wakeboard boat world. If I wanted one, I would have one. That whole dialogue is irrelevant.

I am not disrespecting your boat at all, dude. I have a friend who has an 08 210 and I think the boat is amazing. I have driven it and surfed it a number of times and love it. Several other friends with 210's, SV211's, a Pro Air, a couple Sports, a SNOB, a couple Skis, I love them all. That part really is not the point of the discussion. It is about the identity of the company and what they are doing with the past version of it and the present version of it. I, like you, have newer boats and older boats. I assume for the same reasons. I love them. I have wanted one since I was 12. I knew that Ski Nautiques and Barefoot Nautiques were made by Correct Craft. Like my opinion or not, I am still an owner, a customer, and a Correct Craft loyalist through and through. They should listen to people who enjoy the history. It is history after all.


My last point about your statement.... I mean, it is great to have a good warranty.... especially when you need it. My blessed 99 has never seen a dealership or a shop since it left the first time. The more I mess with them, the more I like the older ones. I can actually repair one, restring one, and repower one.

Correct Craft. On the waters of the world, since 1925.

[Latonkaboarder]

i have no doubt in the build quality of your 08 either.

i guess my point was, the boats are not as nice (to me) as they used to be. no other boat used to compare. there was a uniqueness to them. exclusitivity. they were CLEARY a better boat that the competition, and they looked it. now, not so much. look about the same as everythign else.

as far as the bu, i dont think it superior at all. if so, id own one. but when i sit in a 247 lsv, nobody can tell ME it doesnt LOOK more plush and finished on the inside than a 230. all the crazy nooks and cranies and molding designs, grab rails, hinges, removable seat deals, etc. the nautiques are not as clean and classy as they used to be on the inside. My opinion is all.

between our small crew at the lake we have about 10-11 nautiques, all super airs. im not going to lie, the older ones (97-04ish, 05 maybe) seem to be holding up better than say the 06, 07, and 08s we ride. not bashing, just my observations. maybe its just me cause its mine, but i can swear my 01 is more solid than the 06s and above we ride. once again, my opinion based on my experiences.

Why do you assume any new technology is not going to work as well as dated technology? I haven't had it long, but my LINC system (which, by the way, is not a touch screen) is great!

I don't understand why you wouldn't want the company to continue to innovate. If they did not, they wouldn't be in business much longer. Can you imagine them trying to compete in today's market with a "brand new" 1999 Super Air Nautique?

Jimmyj you are not making any sense in what you are saying. How can you say "all the crazy nooks and cranies and molding designs, grab rails, hinges, removable seat deals, etc" in one sentence and the very next sentence say "the nautiques are not as clean and classy as they used to be on the inside." Not having all that stupid BS is what makes them MORE CLEAN and CLASSY! MY 08 210 has way more molded fiberglass on the inside than any BU or Mastercraft and anybody that knows anything about the skiing/ wakeboarding industry can easily identify a Correct Craft/ Nautique on or off the water. Years ago it may have been easier for you to identify a Correct Craft on the water but there also wasn't near as many manufacturers on the water back then. Also the sport wasn't near as big and growing as it is today.

I couldn't agree with NautiqueJeff & Nautiquehunter more about some of the opinions they share. If you and wakeslayer want old than that is just fine (you are entitled to your opinion) but like any company out there Nautiques by Correct Craft has to keep up with the competition to be an existing compay for 85+ more years. Do you guys have posts on other sites about how you wish they still made the 57 Chevy or the 68 GTO etc, etc....Why not keep making TV's like they used to, or better yet let's not evolve at anything we do. If you guys want to keep PARTYING LIKE IT'S 1999 than go right ahead but I think I will keep moving forward with the rest of this world! Sorry to come off so strong but I have been watching this post and biting my tongue as long as I could. Just like the rest of you these are just MY opinions.

[WakeSlayer]

Do you guys have posts on other sites about how you wish they still made the 57 Chevy or the 68 GTO

No, but do note that the auto companies are having trememdous success in doing something right along those lines. Camaro, Mustang, Challenger, Charger, Thunderbird, Mini Cooper, and more. Correct Craft could probably pull this off, unlike the other boat companies.
We can agree to disagree. I just wish they still openly identified with, and marketed themselves as Correct Craft. Which was the gist of this topic in the first place.

[swc5150]

Slayer makes a good point. I've already whined to CC about producing my beloved 196 again. They could brand brand a Correct Craft Ski Nautique Classic or something, and keep it priced near where the '09's left off. Perhaps the 200 will grow on me, and I'll get a big raise to purchase one, but until then, I'll have "Correct Craft World Record Ski Boat" proudly displayed on the back of my '07.

[Sephmu]

. If you guys want to keep PARTYING LIKE IT'S 1999 than go right ahead[/QUOTE]


Haha, that's good!

I'm cheap, no arguments here!

[chris196]

I have a 1998 ski nautique that I've owed for 4 years and until the 200 came out, I didn't want to change, at all.
If you are just slalom skiing and not worried about competitions requiring the latest speed control it works better in my opinion.
No trunk means you can take the back seat out and easily get to the swim platform. Also lots of room back there with no seat.
And I have the old analog guages which never break and a Gt-40 which I like.
So, for me, newer wasn't better for a number of years.

I would like a SN200.

[hourglass]

i say get it how you live. whether you can only afford an older boat or if you can afford a brand new 230 with a custom system from ear mark just enjoy what you have. i personally think the best update in years is the new v-drive seating configuration. it would be cool if there was a model like the axis brand. a no bs boat to me would be
1.pcm 343
2.a ballast system with impeller style pumps and no guages, more in the bow or no ballast at all and great places for fat sacs
3.perfect pass
4.bimini
5.tower with racks
6.plain courtesy lights
7.fairly simple gel coat
8.marine head unit and remote, one amp, no sub or tower speakers
9.a trailer with wheels and brakes
10.no coolers

the standard boat is an ugly example of what i'm talking about sort of

[migs]

Still nice to see Correct Craft on the butt of my SAN.

[BrennanK]

Slayer makes a good point. I've already whined to CC about producing my beloved 196 again. They could brand brand a Correct Craft Ski Nautique Classic or something, and keep it priced near where the '09's left off. Perhaps the 200 will grow on me, and I'll get a big raise to purchase one, but until then, I'll have "Correct Craft World Record Ski Boat" proudly displayed on the back of my '07.

I agree 100%. I just love how my 196, with the retro graphics, is clear and easy to tell it is a Nautique, a Nautique by Correct Craft. When you see it drive across the lake, people see you and think "Man, look at that inboard, wow." You can pick it out of a crowd, you know it is a Correct Craft. Now they just blend it with the rest. I'm only talking about the Ski series...
I'm 17, most people my age would look at a older retro Nautique and hate it. I look at a new SN 200, and want to go buy a used 196...

[WakeSlayer]

Awesome perspective Ati-Dude. That is exactly the feeling I had when I was 17. You could spot one a mile away.

[AbunDiga909]

Here's a factor that hasn't been brought up yet:

The boats have been changing in the last decade or so, but so have the buyers. I think people generally trash the boats more now. With wakeboarding overtaking slaloming, and events like Brostock getting bigger and appealing to a different (and wider?) crowd than the Masters, CC is attracting a different buyer. This is another factor in nautique deterioration.

For the record, I am a fan of new bells and whistles. If they don't work, than the company will deal with it (except for helm ballast control valves). I can't believe the time has come when my family's '04 is "old," it still seems new to me, but we've yet to have any major issues really. Even the speedos work perfectly and consistently. So when you're judging a boats condition, dont forget to judge the owner too. Anal owners rule!

[hourglass]

personally i would never take my boat to anything like bro stock or wakestock. that being said, i don't think it's cool to lump wakeboarders into the factor that the boats are of some kind of lesser quality or that they trash them. slaloming just seems to be an older guys sport these days. im not saying it's getting smaller or going away at all. i'm just saying that wakers are just as legit as any other

[DanielC]

I think the emphasis on the Correct Craft name started to be downplayed in the year 2000. That was the year they brought out the ugly "N" gelcoat pattern, and the Teleflex digital gauges. My opinion.
In spite of that, Correct Craft (the company) still did produce the best ski boat they could produce. A no compromise closed bow tournament ski boat.
Other boat companies gave up on this, and made an open bow ski boat. Now, Correct Craft had made a longer, wider open bow boat, that you can order with a closed bow if you want to, but it was still designed as an open bow boat.

What is so bad about an open bow boat, you are asking right about now?
Without a closed deck, the hull has to be made stronger to hold its shape, and not flex. This means more weight. More weight, more water displaced.
Another issue with an open bow boat is you have limited yourself on the drivers position, the engine position, and many other design characteristics of the boat.

I am not saying that the Ski Nautique 200 is a worse boat than a 196. What I am saying, is Correct Craft could take what they have learned in designing the 200, and apply those ideas to a 196 closed bow boat, and end up with a boat that is better to ski behind than the 200.

When Correct Craft was building the 196 closed bow boat, they were building the best boat for slalom they could. With the 200, they probably are building the best 2010 slalom boat available, but it is not the best slalom boat that Correct Craft could design. That idea is good enough for the maker of all the "M" boats out there, but it was not good enough for Correct Craft. But maybe it is good enough for Nautiques.