Bye Bye Howard Hello Nordic

[keys e does it]

After exhaustive searching for the perfect deck boat (New or Used) for my wife and I, we hands down decided the New Nordic 29 is the one for us. Went to the LA Boat show this weekend and absolutely fell in love and made a deal on the spot for the 29'. Thane is awesome and their philosophy of not producing a bare bones boat and then nickel and diming customers with every extra, made the final decision easy. Ended up with a bigger Engine, the 565, a truly loaded boat with tons of extras for 20K less than the Howard's, that only had a 540 engine (exhaust extra LOL). We were pretty set on the 288 Howard since our last two boats were Howard's, but once we met with Gene to finalize and sign on the dotted, I felt during the process like I needed a rape kit . Don't get me wrong, Howard boats are awesome and I will never talk ill of the product, but if Gene was out of the equation and it was just his kid working the front office, we would have been in a 288 deck by now. Here is a couple examples of what we dealt with; He quoted us a $ stating all his hulls are manufactured "Loaded" yet when we got there, He attempted to charge $5K extra for the 1/4 capping if we choose Stainless rub rail because he said stainless will not wrap around the sponsons. Under his standard equipment for the boat, (up until last week) there was a choice of either aluminum or stainless rub rail. When I brought that to his attention, he went off on me just like every story I heard of him, and he told me "this is my price (8K over what he quoted us) if you don't like it go buy a different boat". We did! I printed out the standard equipment from his site when I brought this to his attention, which I still retain, but he has since changed it. Also he wanted to charge us $2K for CMI headers for the 540 which come with the package for Mercury Racing. What a guy! Cant wait to get started on this 29 Nordic. 100% composite construction with great lines!!!! If you have not seen the Nordic and are looking for a DB, you will not be disappointed. We will post pics as things progress. Think of this a YELP for boats!!!

 

[RitcheyRch]

Congrats on the new purchase

 

[HavaToon]

Congrats on your new boat! You won't be disappointed with your choice and the guys at Nordic will take great care of you.

 

[28Eliminator]

Congrats on the boat.... I guess [emoji15]

 

[throttle]

Congrats!!! I have to say, I was pretty impressed with it.

 

[JNS]

I agree about Thane and Nordic.
My first heat was 2 years old and had an issue with the wood seat base releasing something from the plywood.
Sent seat in out of warranty and they replaced it no charge with pvc base.
On my latest order which we have not finalized colors on yet I forgot to negotiate into the price a drive shower.
I asked thane to price it after we inked the deal and he still threw it in at no charge.
Even after he had the deal.
Never met anyone there yet but look forward to it!
Help others get what they want, and what you want, will follow!

 

[TCHB]

Sounds like you made the right decision. Good luck with the build. If you need pics of the build let the Havasu guys know and we send them to you.

 

[Bucketlist]

Congratulations on purchasing a great quality boat! I am the guy that was in the blue and white show boat with you as we both asked John a ton of questions. Since this is the boat I too want to get, I'm gonna be your new best friend. Awesome engine package! I hope you consider starting a detailed build thread that has a ton of pictures with all of details on options, specials, etc. I agree with you that both John and Thane are straight up guys that are passionate about delivering an outstanding product, and I have no doubt that you will be treated like gold. I hope I get to ride in it after you take delivery. Congrats again, Nordic has rally stepped up their game with the boats they are now building. Impressive indeed. If you are interested, email me and I will share some thoughts on the specials I want to include into my 29 DB.

 

[underpressure]

Absolutely love mine!

 

[OldSchoolBoats]

Absolutely love mine!

Pictures don't do your boat justice.

 

[hungrybb]

Congratulations! I thought Nordic had the best DB by a long shot at the LA Boat Show. Hopefully, I can get a ride when you're out on the water.

 

[crzy2bealive]

Nice

 

[TBulger]

Aw, we all have bad days, some like me have 2-3 a/wk.

 

[CampbellCarl]

Gene told me that he has builds scheduled thru September - October so maybe he doesn't need the business right now...I dunno...

 

[Iman]

Congrats. Nordic has gone out of their way for us and our boat many times. You won't be disappointed.

 

[Lunatic Fringe]

Congratulations on the purchase. We will look forward to your progress pics.
My wife wants us to buy a 28SS with twin whackers but I'm wondering about the 29 deck with a pair of Merc's new 400's.

 

[Bullhead bully]

After exhaustive searching for the perfect deck boat (New or Used) for my wife and I, we hands down decided the New Nordic 29 is the one for us. Went to the LA Boat show this weekend and absolutely fell in love and made a deal on the spot for the 29'. Thane is awesome and their philosophy of not producing a bare bones boat and then nickel and diming customers with every extra, made the final decision easy. Ended up with a bigger Engine, the 565, a truly loaded boat with tons of extras for 20K less than the Howard's, that only had a 540 engine (exhaust extra LOL). We were pretty set on the 288 Howard since our last two boats were Howard's, but once we met with Gene to finalize and sign on the dotted, I felt during the process like I needed a rape kit . Don't get me wrong, Howard boats are awesome and I will never talk ill of the product, but if Gene was out of the equation and it was just his kid working the front office, we would have been in a 288 deck by now. Here is a couple examples of what we dealt with; He quoted us a $ stating all his hulls are manufactured "Loaded" yet when we got there, He attempted to charge $5K extra for the 1/4 capping if we choose Stainless rub rail because he said stainless will not wrap around the sponsons. Under his standard equipment for the boat, (up until last week) there was a choice of either aluminum or stainless rub rail. When I brought that to his attention, he went off on me just like every story I heard of him, and he told me "this is my price (8K over what he quoted us) if you don't like it go buy a different boat". We did! I printed out the standard equipment from his site when I brought this to his attention, which I still retain, but he has since changed it. Also he wanted to charge us $2K for CMI headers for the 540 which come with the package for Mercury Racing. What a guy! Cant wait to get started on this 29 Nordic. 100% composite construction with great lines!!!! If you have not seen the Nordic and are looking for a DB, you will not be disappointed. We will post pics as things progress. Think of this a YELP for boats!!!

I totally hear what you're talking about. It's very frustrating when you sit down to order a boat and all the details come at you making the cost go completely out of sight ( or change orders later , I've seen none of that !!!! ) . I've been down this road many times , my friend bought a 26 foot Nordic deck boat in October and my new twin outboard is at the show now . ( can't wait to get it out and run it. ) it's been a pleasure dealing with all of them.

It's been a very enjoyable and easy process and I think you definitely made the right decision !!!!

 

[RodnJen]

Glad you got a new boat. Not sure why you went this route. Hope you enjoy your new ride.

 

[brandonl7c]

Congrats too you. That was my 29 Nordic DB at the show we are very happy so far. I shopped around with a couple other builders and i felt real good about Nordic .Thane is a great guy I'm even changing some thing's and they were really cool about it.I went with the Mercury 600 Engine.

 

[RiverDave]

Not sure banging on Gene was necessary, but congrats on the new boat. Look forward to watching the build.

 

[tkrrox]

I think discussing his encounter is good for the board. And possibly good for gene. Maybe an eye opener on what he can do better. Could also be an easy misinterpretation that can be cleared if necessary. Both products are great and I would be honored to own either.

 

[Wozencraft]

Huge Congrats on your new Deckboat purchase. I can't say enough positive about Thane & Company. My insurance agency insures many new Nordic owners and we consistently hear positive feedback from their experience. Beautiful boat and craftsmanship!

When the build is finished give my office a call and we'd be happy to offer you terms for insurance on the new Deckboat. Wozencraft Insurance is the preferred insurance provider for Nordic Boats. [end spam]

Devin

 

[BHC Vic]

I find it hard to believe a boat with a huge power upgrade can still be 20k less. U either got a great deal or someone was really trying to get u. Or maybe you are getting much less as far as lights stereo and other options?? I always read if so and so was out of the equation it would have been a deal.. When we built our boat we started w a base model and price. If I wanted an upgrade like the engine I was given a price and we said yea or no. There were no big surprises. but at any rates congrats it's your boat and your happiness is all that matters.

 

[HavaToon]

Congratulations on the purchase. We will look forward to your progress pics.
My wife wants us to buy a 28SS with twin whackers but I'm wondering about the 29 deck with a pair of Merc's new 400's.

Love my 29 deck with twin 300xs's. One with 400's should be awesome and probably capable of triple digits. Both mine and the one with 350's run high 80's. Limiting factor for mine is power to weight ratio and the limiting factor for the 350 version was the gear case sucked. Now that the 400 has a sport master it should be a perfect choice for the heavy deck boats.

 

[Backlash]

Congratulations on your new purchase. Like many have said, I look forward to following a build thread too. Nordic seems to have stepped up their game and I think a lot of people are noticing that (Just look at the 27' Schiada restoration).

Talked with Mike from Howard while at the show yesterday and he said they were going to be really busy for the next 8 months. That's great news for any builder in this economy. Congratulations to them and their success.

I have nothing but good things to say about Gene and Mike. They manufacture amazing boats and their products speak for themselves. I'm sorry to hear you were dissatisfied with how you were treated. Was Gene being cranky because he was tired from working the show? Did he just have an off day? Who knows. Maybe he did feel like they had enough business and building one more boat wasn't "Necessary" since they are booked for the next 8 months. I don't know, I wasn't there with you. I find it hard to believe that a builder would essentially "Shove" a paying customer aside like it seems in your post. But that's just me.

Anyhow, congratulations on your new purchase and me along with others look forward to watching your build. Keep us up to speed! I'D

Henry

 

[riverroyal]

I find it hard to believe a boat with a huge power upgrade can still be 20k less. U either got a great deal or someone was really trying to get u. Or maybe you are getting much less as far as lights stereo and other options?? I always read if so and so was out of the equation it would have been a deal.. When we built our boat we started w a base model and price. If I wanted an upgrade like the engine I was given a price and we said yea or no. There were no big surprises. but at any rates congrats it's your boat and your happiness is all that matters.

I have looked at every DB there is in the last 6 months. Nordic is a well oiled machine. They have the entire production line fine tuned. Ive seen it, walked the entire process, it is just more efficient. It could also be a Arizona factor, a small factor. Its just cheaper doing BIZ outside of California. Thane and Randy have priced it less and hoped to sell more and its working. The flip side is they will make money by repeat customers and service. More Nordics, more service

 

[BHC Vic]

I have looked at every DB there is in the last 6 months. Nordic is a well oiled machine. They have the entire production line fine tuned. Ive seen it, walked the entire process, it is just more efficient. It could also be a Arizona factor, a small factor. Its just cheaper doing BIZ outside of California. Thane and Randy have priced it less and hoped to sell more and its working. The flip side is they will make money by repeat customers and service. More Nordics, more service

That's what I was thinking as I've been seeing so many cranked out maybe they are playing a different number game. Sell more for less and make money w quantity rather than try to make it all on that one sale. I just think 20k is a big big number but my boat was under triple digits and maybe these aren't so that probably also plays a big part. I just know that no one could have put a 525 in my boat for 20k less than I paid for the 502. If u said Nordic can build same boat same power 20k less I could easily believe it

 

[McRib]

Not sure banging on Gene was necessary, but congrats on the new boat. Look forward to watching the build.

I didn't see it as banging on gene. All I see is an honest write up about a boat purchasing endeavor. If gene and his son lost a 140k sale cause of their attitude or ego maybe they need to read stuff like this. Gene told me he has builds through September right now. Maybe he doesn't need another 140k?

In past conversations you've said how you hated the way boat reviews were done. One sided in the builders favor cause the builder paid for that review. You wanted to change that. Boat build fit, finish, and design is only half the build. The sales team and the owner of the company arr the other half. We never see reviews of that side of it. From other posts here it looks like this is not an isolated incident. A good boat buy starts with a good sales team. Anyone can be DCB clean with rigging if they want to take the time.

 

[Bucketlist]

Question to those who currently own a Nordic 29 DB with a Merc 565 package............. I am assuming that maybe up to half a dozen with this new engine package have been delivered so far? What kind of GPH fuel consumption have you experienced with this hull and weight. Assume boat is loaded with full tank of gas, normal amount of gear on board, 6 people, summer heat, run at Havasu and the engine is driven MODERATELY. I ask because I am trying to figure out if the 80 gallon tanks are large enough for the large number of hours i typically use the boat and trips to Powell. I run the heck out of all of my boats. They are never beached for long.

 

[rivergames]

Great post and I appreciate the write up! Congrats on the new boat!

 

[JD D05]

I find it hard to believe a boat with a huge power upgrade can still be 20k less. U either got a great deal or someone was really trying to get u. Or maybe you are getting much less as far as lights stereo and other options?? I always read if so and so was out of the equation it would have been a deal.. When we built our boat we started w a base model and price. If I wanted an upgrade like the engine I was given a price and we said yea or no. There were no big surprises. but at any rates congrats it's your boat and your happiness is all that matters.

I purchased my SS for less than what a V hull no blower 28 cost....And I got a windshield.

 

[FreeBird236]

As much as we think we know these owners and builders because we're hobbyist and we go to their shops and hang out, they are still trying to make money. Depending who you are and who you know, boats in the $100,000 to $150,000 can easily fluctuate 20 grand or more from the same manufacture, it may not be fair but that's the way it is. The difference is even greater when you're talking half a million to million dollar boats. It seems as though Nordic has become very aggressive on pricing and is a good buy, while others start high, and it's up to you to work for a deal. :rolleyes

 

[BasilHayden]

Sounds like Howard is doing well, as such perhaps Gene wanted to test the market and the OP wasnt impressed enough to pay the extra asked.

Anyone who knows Gene knows his deal. At times he might just be the most knowledgeable person re: subject at hand :rolleyes, jk. I dont get the impression he will change, that said, I want a bullett anyways. Pretty sure there will be one soon.

 

[RiverDave]

I find it hard to believe a boat with a huge power upgrade can still be 20k less. U either got a great deal or someone was really trying to get u. Or maybe you are getting much less as far as lights stereo and other options?? I always read if so and so was out of the equation it would have been a deal.. When we built our boat we started w a base model and price. If I wanted an upgrade like the engine I was given a price and we said yea or no. There were no big surprises. but at any rates congrats it's your boat and your happiness is all that matters.

It's pretty easy to believe in the custom boat market.. Pricing is kind of all over the board in this business and fluctuates on everything from reputation to build quality, to how many builds are in process, and yes even to sometimes the owners mood. (which isn't the case here)

I didn't see it as banging on gene. All I see is an honest write up about a boat purchasing endeavor. If gene and his son lost a 140k sale cause of their attitude or ego maybe they need to read stuff like this. Gene told me he has builds through September right now. Maybe he doesn't need another 140k?

Well to be clear when someone places an order the mfg doesn't get 100% of the dough..

In past conversations you've said how you hated the way boat reviews were done. One sided in the builders favor cause the builder paid for that review. You wanted to change that. Boat build fit, finish, and design is only half the build. The sales team and the owner of the company arr the other half. We never see reviews of that side of it. From other posts here it looks like this is not an isolated incident. A good boat buy starts with a good sales team. Anyone can be DCB clean with rigging if they want to take the time.

Oh I disagree completely.. That was pretty much all the boards were after every boat show and event back in the mid 2000's. Let me summarize it for ya.

Before the show
"I hate pushy sales people, and trying to get us to purchase their boats.. Don't they just know we are here to look? If we want something we will ask."

After Show
"Those arrogant pricks at (insert top tier mfg here) thought we were to broke to afford their boats and didn't even come up and talk to us."

Or the other side
"I never even got a chance to check out the boat with the sales guy breathing down my neck."

No bullshit Andrew, I used to read this stuff and contemplate how I would sell them.. and I was in technical sales at the time!

As much as we think we know these owners and builders because we're hobbyist and we go to their shops and hang out, they are still trying to make money.

A lot of people forget that.. I recently heard a story about myself regarding a Desert Storm where I didn't spend enough time talking to someone at a street fair, and now they dislike me for it. Makes me kinda sad that the guy came away feeling like that, but there isn't much I can do about it now.

Depending who you are and who you know, boats in the $100,000 to $150,000 can easily fluctuate 20 grand or more from the same manufacture, it may not be fair but that's the way it is. The difference is even greater when you're talking half a million to million dollar boats. It seems as though Nordic has become very aggressive on pricing and is a good buy, while others start high, and it's up to you to work for a deal. :rolleyes

Well said.

RD

 

[Liberated]

Question to those who currently own a Nordic 29 DB with a Merc 565 package............. I am assuming that maybe up to half a dozen with this new engine package have been delivered so far? What kind of GPH fuel consumption have you experienced with this hull and weight. Assume boat is loaded with full tank of gas, normal amount of gear on board, 6 people, summer heat, run at Havasu and the engine is driven MODERATELY. I ask because I am trying to figure out if the 80 gallon tanks are large enough for the large number of hours i typically use the boat and trips to Powell. I run the heck out of all of my boats. They are never beached for long.

If you would like larger fuel tanks then just let us know. We can easily accommodate you on that.

 

[RiverDave]

If you would like larger fuel tanks then just let us know. We can easily accommodate you on that.

Jesus do you ever get a day off?

RD

 

[JNS]

If you would like larger fuel tanks then just let us know. We can easily accommodate you on that.

Can you do this in a Heat?

 

[CanadianNordic28SS]

Congrats on the new boat..............
You can't go wrong buying from Nordic and I'm sure you will be VERY happy, they continue to build awesome boats.
I've owned several Nordics in the past and Thane / John continue to treat me above and beyond what I could ever expect.
These guys know all about Customer Service and build a first class boat with all the bells and whistles.
Look forward to seeing pictures of your build.

 

[Outdrive1]

I'm a big fan of Nordics program. Their build quality with John running the production is top notch. That being said I love the Howard deck boats, I love the styling and I think the pricing is extremely fair. I saw Gene late Sunday and he seemed extremely worn out. He's no spring chicken and I'm sure 4 days on his feet wore him down.

Either boat would be a good choice. Congrats on the purchase.

 

[Liberated]

Jesus do you ever get a day off?

RD

Nope! waiting for the crane to get to our booth!

 

[Englewood]

Although I didn't finalize the deal like you did, I had a VERY similar experience at the show on Thursday.

The old guy I spoke to at Howard wanted $20k for a full cap, $7,700 for hydraulic steering, etc. Everything was 5k more it seemed. Its obvious he could care less about getting new customers.

I walked across the walkway to Nordic and what a better experience. The salesman went over the differences between the 26 and 29 Deck Boat, engine upgrades (Hydraulic Incl w/ 520Merc), weights, stereo, etc. I didn't feel like I was wasting his time at all. My next boat will be a Nordic, hands down. Their quote was about 20% cheaper than Howard. I couldn't see a drop-off of quality from Howard to Nordic.

Howard may make a beautiful boat, but for me, giving my money to someone who appreciates me as a customer is just as important.

 

[River Lynchmob]

That's what I was thinking as I've been seeing so many cranked out maybe they are playing a different number game. Sell more for less and make money w quantity rather than try to make it all on that one sale. I just think 20k is a big big number but my boat was under triple digits and maybe these aren't so that probably also plays a big part. I just know that no one could have put a 525 in my boat for 20k less than I paid for the 502. If u said Nordic can build same boat same power 20k less I could easily believe it

To me it seems that Nordic puts out a boat much faster and more efficiently. If they use a lot less labor because they are more efficient then they will save money on labor hour and can subsequently pass that on to the customer.

 

[G. Faulk]

To me it seems that Nordic puts out a boat much faster and more efficiently. If they use a lot less labor because they are more efficient then they will save money on labor hour and can subsequently pass that on to the customer.

Yep, I got to say that IMO that 28SS is on of the nicest single 28s I've seen in a long time. That whacker 28SS at the LA show was beautiful. I sat in it and what great lay out and driver friendly boat feel it had.

If the owner is on here don't worry I took my shoes off. :thumbup::thumbup:

 

[Bpracing1127]

In my dads boat, (one pictured on first page) he has a blown 540 in it and we dont beach long either. We use about 50-60 gallons in 3 full days of boating. Thats going to pirates down to the spings and all in between. Maybe about 10 hours of use or so. We cruise around 45-50 mph and touch 90+ from time to time. Correct me if I am wrong dad

 

[Sbarry]

I find it hard to believe a boat with a huge power upgrade can still be 20k less. U either got a great deal or someone was really trying to get u. Or maybe you are getting much less as far as lights stereo and other options?? I always read if so and so was out of the equation it would have been a deal.. When we built our boat we started w a base model and price. If I wanted an upgrade like the engine I was given a price and we said yea or no. There were no big surprises. but at any rates congrats it's your boat and your happiness is all that matters.

Ever heard of a nearly $20k price increase on the SAME boat a year after one is completed? (Literally the same boat, and same options) Because I have, and that's why we ended up spending our money elsewhere! Rant over! LOL

Back on topic, congrats on the new boat! [emoji106][emoji106]

 

[BHC Vic]

Ever heard of a nearly $20k price increase on the SAME boat a year after one is completed? (Literally the same boat, and same options) Because I have, and that's why we ended up spending our money elsewhere! Rant over! LOL

Back on topic, congrats on the new boat! [emoji106][emoji106]

Sadly yes [emoji13]

 

[Bucketlist]

Excellent post sd broker. I completely agree with everything you said and had the very same experience!

 

[RiverDave]

Ever heard of a nearly $20k price increase on the SAME boat a year after one is completed? (Literally the same boat, and same options) Because I have, and that's why we ended up spending our money elsewhere! Rant over! LOL

Back on topic, congrats on the new boat! [emoji106][emoji106]

Absolutely..

When Magic was first coming out with their deckboat, I had one offered to me at so cheap I could've ran it for a season and sold it for 45K more then I would've bought it for. (One of my big regrets in life actually was not doing that when I had the chance)

Your tapping into a very interesting conversation about boats, but none of which I'd get mad at the mfg over. Hell for years you could buy an Ultra run it for a season or two and John West would give you full price for the boat back and sell it used for exactly what you paid for it new!

There's two reasons for that deal.. One it's either a new model and you are going to be the guinea pig and it's either gonna pay off in spades, or you are going to get burned. Or the second which is different being the rising costs of boats with the economy and mfg price increases.

RD

 

[BHC Vic]

Absolutely..

When Magic was first coming out with their deckboat, I had one offered to me at so cheap I could've ran it for a season and sold it for 45K more then I would've bought it for. (One of my big regrets in life actually was not doing that when I had the chance)

Your tapping into a very interesting conversation about boats, but none of which I'd get mad at the mfg over. Hell for years you could buy an Ultra run it for a season or two and John West would give you full price for the boat back and sell it used for exactly what you paid for it new!

There's two reasons for that deal.. One it's either a new model and you are going to be the guinea pig and it's either gonna pay off in spades, or you are going to get burned. Or the second which is different being the rising costs of boats with the economy and mfg price increases.

RD

If be very very interested in those conversations[emoji2]. I'd bet during some of the bad years some people got some crazy deals. I've seen boats builders built for themselves and had to let those go at a fraction of the cost

 

[Outdrive1]

Talking to Gene at the show he said he couldn't even deliver a new boat until after October. He couldn't build the new 36 Bullett, right now if he sold one. He just doesn't have the man power. He also told me that every new order he was increasing the price by 5k because of the high demand. I think that's smart business and growing the company like everyone did in the early 2000's ended up bankrupting a bunch of companies including Magic.

DCB is looking at building a boat or so month.

Talking to Lee at Schiada, the 43 owner asked them to build a 65 footer. He said he'd rather just sell them the company then do another build like that. He will be lucky to turn out ten boats this year.

Nordic is really the only company with enough backing, facility and employees, to turn out boats and keep the quality up. Seems like everyone else is being cautious and staying within their means as far as expanding.

I think Gene would really like to get out of CA and build boats in Havasu if he could get his son and workers to relocate. Which isn't ever going happen.