Bryant boats?

[bigdog]

Does anyone know about Bryant boats, or anyone who may have owned this brand.

I am looking at a Bryant 214 Cuddy witrh a Volvo 5.0L as a possible purchase.
Looks like a really nice boat, and made well.

Any information about Bryant boats would be appreciated.

Thanks !

[Phantom]

I do not know this to be a fact, but I was told that Bryants have their fuel (gas) tank forward in the boat as opposed to the center back third area as most boats. This would have an effect of "keeping the nose in the water" even when trimmed up. A test drive of one (with a full tank) would be in order. Other than that, they look very much like a "knock off" Crownline hull design with a few interior differences.

As with any boat purchase -- it's all personal choice and budget. I think everyone here would echo the fact that you should avail yourself the opportunity to "test drive" all the different boats in your budget level. Thats one of the great things about Winni. It's amazing the subtle differences from one manufacturer to another. And don't be afraid to put the test drive through it's paces !!! When we did it years ago, I warned the salesguy to "hang on" as I was extrmely interested in how the boat took turns, trimmed & and handled chop at speed .

[Dave R]

They are a family owned company with a limited production run (I seem to recall they only build to order, like Cobalt and Regal) every year and a well thought out, high quality product. Would not surprise me if the company operated debt free, to me a necessity in this kind of business. They compare favorably in build quility to Cobalt, IMO. Styling is a little less sharp than Cobalt though. They have claimed to have wood-free construction for years. That's unusual in this style boat. I think you'd be well served for many years by a new or used Bryant.

[Woodsy]

BigDog...

Cost of Ownership... dont just let a good price dictate your purchase!

Look at the used boat market and study the models & manufacturers you like in your price range. This speaks volumes to how well a particular boat is constructed. All boats come with the same propulsion units, either Mercruiser or Volvo. Your worry isnt in the engine so much as it is with the installation and the build of the boat. Go to the boat show in Boston this winter and check out all the boats you like.

Boats like Formula, Cobalt & SeaRay have stood the test of time. The "buy in" is a bit more, but you get it back on the resale value, making the cost of ownership alot less.

Relatively unknown brands such as Bryant may make a great product, but if you cant sell it when your ready to move on....


Woodsy

[robmac]

Woodsy makes a great point. Anyone remember when Bombardier bought Celebtrity? They took a great boat line completely restyled it and stopped production after three years making them almost worthless. Best thing to do IMO is to look at values and try and find an owners forum through either the manufacturer or Google the brand.

[SJF]

I might be a bit biased since I own a Bryant but in the 3 years we have had this boat it has been fantastic. We have the 219. It rides great in rough water and we have had no issues at all with the boat. The fit and finish of the interior is excellent. We worked with Kory at Paugus Bay Marina where we keep our boat. He is great to work with and the entire staff there is friendly and helpful.

[Alton Bay Bob]

I first learned of Bryant boats about 5 years ago at the Boston boat show. They are small family-owned company in Sweetwater Tennessee. They do make individual boats to order and do not mass-produce them, usually only 400 a year. We actually met one of the owners there.They are better known in the South. We were thrilled when we discovered that Paugus Marine was the local dealership. After several years of exploring websites of various boats we finally made our purchase. After two full seasons on the water, I can say it was one of the best purchases I have ever made. As David R. said, they are known for having no wood products in their boat. I agree with SJF that Kory was very easy to work with. The boat is a beautifully engineered boat that is very easy to clean and to care for. The gas tank in the front gives an amazing stability in the choppy waters of Lake Wini.. It is easy to trim the boat and to get on plane very quickly. I can not comment on how well they take care of problems because I have never had one. You will enjoy your boat for a very long time.They have a bryantboats.com (http://bryantboats.com)website and a bryantboatowners.com (http://bryantboatowners.com)website that explains more.

Enjoy!

[sa meredith]

Not to hi-jack...but since it was mentioned...Kory and everyone else at Paugus Bay Marina is top notch, in my opinion. Reggie, great mechanic. Dave and Eric, always service with a smile, as they lower the boat into the water (valet service). Always very patient with all my foolish questions when I was a rookie. Dave actaully took the time one afternoon to teach me proper knots when tieing lines. Quite a gentleman.