Re: my example of sellng a kayak for $1000

: That's asking much too little. A new wood strip kayak or canoe should
: command, at a minimum, $2500. Asking less is shooting your on marketing
: efforts in the foot. I higher asking price creates more pleasure for the
: buyer and that human trait shouldn't be under estimated in marketing these
: wood crafts. Wood kayaks aren't just a boat, they're a lifestyle and
: that's what a builder is selling.

This past summer (2007) I pulled into a rest area on a major interstate in the southern US, and saw a car with two wood kayaks on the top rack. Naturally I walked over to see what kind of boats they were and talk to the guy. It seems he did not make these boats, but (with a partner) had purchased about 100 from a builder in Vietnam. He was peddling them and carrying these as samples. They werre asking about $1000 for them, and he didn't know much about the design or paddling characteristics of either of the boats.

From what I could see of them, the construction and finish were above average. They were constructed with staples (I had to look for the holes, but I know where to look). I couldn't tell what designs they were.

We swapped business cards, but he never called me, and I can't find his card now, so I put this out of my mind until your post reminded me.

In this case, which is only 100 out of the many other cases, wood kayaks ARE just boats. And they have to compete with all other kayaks at all other price ranges.

For many people on this board a wood kayak is the only way to get the performance characteristics that an experienced kayaker wants at an affordable price. For some it is a matter of finding a kayak that fits properly. For others it is a matter of speed. For others still it is a work of art which is highly functional, and/or a statement of personal taste. For the people who are on this board, primarily it still remains something that they intend to build--not buy.

The people who want to build their own boats are not in the same marketplace as those who simply want to have a boat. The people who want to buy a boat are faced with materials choices (polyethylene, ABS, fiberglass, kevlar, carbon fiber, foam core, and also wood.) In that arena, there are so few boats built of wood, that their merits are rarely known. Comparison shopping for a wood boat is difficult as there are so few new wood boats on the market, and there is practically no money being spent to advertise new, already constructed, wood boats. Please don't confuse this with the marketing of boat kits, boatbuilding classes, or custom-made boats. If I walk into a general sporting goods store to buy a kayak, odds are they won't have a wood one for sale, nor will they have the top-line brands of fiberglass boats. If I walk into a kayak store I might find one used wood boat, but I'll find some expensive carbon fiber, kevlar and glass boats. With such choices as those, only the cognocenti are going to do the research to find a wood boat. Those few people will be willing to consider a wood boat, but they will expect their boat to be custom made, and such customers can be difficult to please.

I've seen plenty of wood rowing shells, SOF kayak frames, and canvas covered canoes (frequently without their canvas) used as wall decor in department stores and big-box "outdoors" stores. I'm afraid that when the general public thinks of a wood boat, this is the image that comes to mind. Something archaic and only suitable for a museum.

: I personally know several men that sell three to five boats a year as extra
: income in the $2500 to $5000 range. Last year, I sold a well used, and by
: that I mean holed, wooden kayak for $2000. Plus the plans I sold and had
: money donated to me for. Just saying.

: It can be done.

I only wish it was done more often. If wood boats comprised 1% of the sales of boats last year then it would be an impressive figure. Of course the sales of the remaining 99% of boats sold would be 99 times as impressive. There are a lot of boats sold each year. But I doubt that you would find that new wood boats were one percent of sales. I'm sure it would be much less than that, simply because the bulk of new wood boats built each year are not sold. They are used by their builders.

I've got probably 2 dozen sites bookmarked for builders of custom kayaks and canoes. Maybe there are 100 in the US, but probably it is less than that. Many seem to be part-time occupations. If each one built 2 to 5 boats a year the output would be only 200 to 500 boats commercially produced for sale. CLC alone sells more kits than that for homebuilders (according to info from their catalogs) Add on the other kit suppliers, and the boats being built from plans, and you have a lot of wood boats being made. But all these combined are still a drop in the bucket compared to factory built plastic boats.

Centuries ago, when you needed a pot or pan you went to the tinker or the blacksmith and had him pound out some metal into a usable shape. Nowadays you can buy cheap pots at dollar stores (for a dollar) or expensive pots and pans at boutique cookware departments in major department stores. Cheap or expensive, it is all available in the stores. But if you wanted something custom made? I don't know where you would go to find it--though I suspect I could search the internet and find someone. I think the market for small boats has gone in this direction.

The heyday for canoes was a century ago, and the only way at that time to meet the market demands was with factories filled with carpenters. Now we still have factories building boats, but they are mostly plastics workers, not wood workers, and the daily output is a lot higher.

When someone wants a custom boat they have to search to find a builder who can make their dreams into something they can paddle, or they have to build it themselves. More and more are chosing the second path. I think the books by Nick and others have simplified the construction process to the point where more people are chosing to build, rather than have a design built for them. That simply reduces the market demand for custom-built boats, and reduces the sales volume accordingly.

While custom built wood boats will continue to be built, their production numbers are off the radar, and not reported with industry figures. A thousand boats built by one company is something that can be counted and tabulated. One boat built by each a thousand companies is just to hard to gather stats on. Unless there is some kind of a group marketing message promoted by a coalition of builders of wood boats there will never be a major media presence for the finest boats available.

People won't ask for what they don't know to ask for. Circular logic at its worst.

Groups like the Wooden Boat Heritage Association do a good job in their field, but they are not specifically promoting the building, sales and marketing of new wood boats. I think it would be good for the industry, and ultimately for the home boat builder, if some of the industry giants (I won't mention names, the feuding seems to have died down, but sometimes they don't like being mentioned in the same sentence) would invite some of the smallest shops to get together and discuss ways they could work together to improve the market recognition of wood boats. It would help everyone to sell more, and the small shops who only produce a few boats a year would have a better image, and be able to demand a fair price for the boats they build. Should something like this come about, I hope they invite me. I'd love to give the opening address.

Just some thoughts on the state of the kayak market. Not sure where they are heading.

PGJ