Just as repowering your existing boat with new engines costs less than building a new one with the same fresh horses, adding a few new goodies to your current is interior is less spendy than an entire interior renovation. And aftermarket product upgrades can go a long way toward renewing your enthusiasm for your current ride.
Don’t get me wrong. Only high-performance powerboat builders want you to buy a new boat more than I do. Their advertising dollars keep my businesses alive. No secret there.
But a few weeks back, my friends Tim and Cyndee Hill—the hardworking couple behind the thriving Fort Myers Offshore Group—added new a Isotta Carlotta steering wheel to the helm of their 2000 model-year Skater 32B catamaran. And purchased through Hardin Marine for roughly $500, the wheels dresses up the dash of the 32-footer powered in a big way.
“The impact-to-cost ratio was through the roof,” Tim Hill said and grinned. “The new wheel provided the greatest amount of impact for the least amount of cost of anything we’ve done to the boat so far,” Tim Hill said as he broke into a broad smile. “One, it is the most popular steering wheel in the high-performance boating market right now. Two, the carbon fiber material on it matches our dashboard perfectly.
“And the gray leather in the carbon really ties it together,” he added.
When the Hills purchased the coveted vintage catamaran it had two cupholders, which made zero sense as they often have friends above their five-seater. Now it has five aftermarket cupholders. Each one cost $12.
The Hills also have a four-carbon-fiber-pole-supported Bimini top coming. They’ve sourced what they need from Amazon and elsewhere for less than $600, whereas complete kits for such items—no slight on them—can cost upward of $3,000.
If you’re in the market for a new catamaran, center console or V-bottom—or ready to step up to total renovation of your current baby including repower—by all means have it. Power to you.
But if you’re not, there’s still plenty you can do to reinvent your boat without breaking the bank.