Since 2013 Bedford Boats have been building Naples Sabots – truly a labor of love as the Sabot is what my kids grew up sailing, what I grew up sailing, and what my parents grew up sailing. Now, after fifty-some boats I have been thinking of moving on…
Well, so much for that! I think others have looked at boat building and decided it is no way to make a living… Sabot building has been getting expensive. Back in 2013 a five gallon pale of vinylester resin was $266, now in 2022 it is $435 – a 40% increase. Gel coat was $77 per gallon, now it is $152 – an increase of nearly 100%. And the Sabot sales price has increased from $5500 to $6500 or %18.
All that said, I’ll be continuing-on until someone steps up to take over – that, and I will need to increase prices to keep this from becoming a non-profit venture. From what I figure, a price of $6875 will just keep me up with overall inflation. And so, I carry on…