#1. Brunswick (company who owns Bayliner, Sea ray, Hatteras, Sealine, Maxum, Boston Whaler, Cabo, Mercruiser, plus many other boat lines AND now even Cummins diesel) discontinued the Bayliner series of Motoryachts and Pilothouse Yachts in Spring of 2002 and they were "reborn" as Meridians for the 2003 model years at a much higher price for exactly the same boats. The BIG (49 - 58) Meridians are built from the same molds in the same factory by the same people that the Bayliner were. Brunswick has dropped the Meridian 54' model. NEWS FLASH as of 1/08- Meridian has built the LAST 490. This extremely popular model has been discontinued. The inventory that is at dealers (There are 5 new 490's still on the market) is all that will ever be built. The Dealers are now not as flexible with their pricing as they were several months ago as what they have is all they will ever have. The 490 at the 2008 Miami International Boat Show had a sign saying "boat show special $599,000"- with list of $705k" for a pretty much "bare bones" boat. I was getting 100% conflicting reports as to IF there is a replacement for the 490 in the works. FACTUALLY a Meridian factory representative personally told me at 08 Miami International Boat Show that there is NO replacement in the works, but 3/15/08 -a Sales Manger from Marine Max in Pompano Beach told my clients and I that; "I've personally been on the 50'er that they are replacing it with". Considering that this guy told us about 10 other lies in 10 minutes- I have a very hard time believing him. 3/16/08 UPDATE...I just received PHONE CALL from West Coast Meridian Dealer close to factory- who connfirmed that the Marine Max Sales Manager was indeed a "big fat liar"-as there is NO replacement for the 490 on the drawing board, much less a demo model that he could ever had "been onboard". I figured as much but now it's been confirmed..NO REPLACEMENT Pilothouse for the 490.
What what other marque can you buy-that's comparable design wise, hang the cost, much less at the low prices of these yachts?
The Bayliner 47' and the Meridian 490 are both exactly 54' loa.
2. Some of the features that we all liked (such as port doors in the Pilothouse) on the Bayliners are no longer available on the Meridian 53' (no longer in production) or 58'(57') Meridians. FINALLY they had a Meridian 490 (SOLD for $500k CASH MONEY-Literally!) and 580 (sold)on display at the 2007 & 2008 Miami International Boat show for the first time since they were introduced in 2003. The 490 has the same features we all liked on the 4788's. In a huge improvement they put engine room access via a hatch in the salon sole BETWEEN the engines in addition to the standard entrance via the stairs. For some reason they couldn't explain, they eliminated the storage under the L-shaped settee(!!) There's nothing in there, they just installed seats that do not open up. I'm sure a good upholstery shop can rectify this. The 58' Meridian blew me away- WOW, what a nice yacht!!! The fit & finish was exquiste and I have this yacht for sale. This New 07 580 has the looks a real YACHT with the fit & finish that one expects when paying over a million dollars for a new boat. They've really "dialed it in" nicely! Excellent fabrics & wood work. Teak looking material on aft-deck & swim platform and dingy area is beautiful. The flybridge seating is beautiful and the helm and companion seat is very high quality. The new designed one piece salon windows really 'pop the boats off', but I don't like where they put the salon TV, which eliminated a great napping couch on the 5788- for a loveseat to make the TV fit, which really wasn't necessary in this day and age of pop-up and "hidden" Plasma screens. Flat Screen tvs in master & guest staterooms are sharp looking. Engine room is so much larger with the Cummin Diesels versus the older MAN diesels. My ONLY complaint I have about the new Meridian 580 is the elimination of the port side pilothouse door. Other than that- this yacht is one sharp boat. This is where being owned by the same company as Sea Ray has paid off as the interior is contemporary & sharp just like the oh so popular Sea Ray designs.
NOTE: the salon superstructures, doors, window frames, pilasters are made of Aluminum. This is another reason the boats have a low center of gravity, and as everybody knows, Aluminum is very strong, but light. Pretty high tech huh? This is also the reason why the salon windows don't leak or crack on the pilothouse models. The window frames are not supporting the weight of the flybridge - the actual structure is- unlike many other marques that keep getting cracked windows in their salons and pilothouses because the window frames themselves are what's structurally supporting the flybridge above.
Other changes on 4788 model from 45': A curved dash that allowed helm seat to be moved forward allowing more spacious seating to port and aft. The settee in the main salon, along with the aft-deck ladder to the flybridge was flip flopped from port side in the 45' to starboard in the 47' and the popular desk in the 3rd stateroom (in the 4588) was eliminated for a hanging locker with drawer storage. The television in the 4788s was moved under the galley counters facing the settee.
In 1997 the 47's interiors were upgraded with the addition of Corian in the galley and main salon, "leather" look upholstery in main and pilothouse. The Pilothouse has Burlwood inlay in the dash (very sharp), The appliances in the galley are all white thru-2001. The 2002 models have wood grained appliances to match the salon.
The interior is basically unchanged from 97 to 2002 models except the 2002 models offered a beautiful & VERY DESIRABLE high gloss Cherry wood option ($7,370.00). Every year there was a different fabric decor package offered.
Interior woods were either Teak with Ash or Maple options($1,600.00)prior to 02. Starting in 99 stainless steel rub rails became a standard and MUCH DESIRED feature. If choosing between a 98 and 99 model, this feature alone is worth the difference in cost.
These boats came from the factory pretty well equipped with standard items that most manufacturers would call options such as 330hp Cummins, 8kw gen, 4 electric heaters, electric davit, w/icemaker in main salon, fully equipped galley w/trash compactor, microwave, etc, canvas covers, electronics package w/Autopilot, Gps, radar, Vhf, TV/Vcr, stereos, electric windlass,etc. ALSO, all have Bronze shaft struts and rudders, Bronze Seacocks, dripless shaft seals, color coded wiring, Racor filters and top of the line appliances, machinery and equipment.
The Cummins diesels come with a major component warranty of 6 years or 1800 hrs, and Bayliner warranted the Hulls for structural for 5 years pre 01 models, 6 for the 2001 models, and 7 years for the 02 models. All warranties are transferable.
Bayliner 4788 EAST coast MARKET updates as of 2/08; Due to the weak US Dollar- The Lion's share of yachts being sold are going to Canada and Overseas. These buyers are paying cash while American buyers seem to be standing on the side line as these very popular boats are now going a LONG way away and will probably never be returning to the United States due to the high cost of shipping. It's a "supply and demand" economy.
BAYLINER 5288s introduced for the 99 model year: 14 inches wider than the 4788's, and 17,500lbs more weight PLUS draft pushing 5' (if not more) loaded, these larger yachts give a real "yacht feel and ride". The engine rooms are accessed from the cockpit via hinged stairs to the flybridge. The headroom and space in these engine rooms is excellent.
Layout: Two bar stool chairs were standard at the breakfast bar of the galley instead of two free standing chairs to port. IN 2000 models this was changed and they have two free standing chairs on the port side the same as the 4788's as apparently they moved the galley forward enought to allow this improvement. The master stateroom is full width amidship. The VIP stateroom is forward with an ensuite head. A guest stateroom with fixed upper and lower berths. The house size washer and dryer are located in this stateroom. The first engines were MAN diesels. 500hp in the early models were replaced with 610hp engines rather quickly as the rather anemic 500hp MANS had a hard time giving a 17 knot cruise with a medium load. The 610hp MANS will cruise at 20 knots. The 02 year models had Cummins 660hp Diesel engines. The dealer cost on the 5288s were almost $300k more than the 4788s. This much higher price, plus the deep draft, and the lack of a dinette, did not make the 5288 a particularly popular seller when new. Many buyers preferred to just pay "a little more" and get a WHOLE LOT more with the 5788 model. I've seen different variations of the galley on the 5288 models and sold a 99 new in 2000 that the buyer spent $28k making the galley similar to the 4788 which they traded in to me. On the brokerage market today. 2000-2002 models seem to be the ones in demand. You can't beat the engine room access and the master staterooms in comparison to a 4788! These boats can be bought RIGHT!!! Some great buys out there compared to several years ago. Not many 5288's were built and Meridian has dropped it from their new models as of 2006.
5788s- NOW we're talking! These Yachts have the size, fit and finish of a true yacht and she can 'hold her own' with yachts that cost twice as much, in this size range. Her beam is 17'02", which is over a foot wider than the 5288s, but her draft is the same. 49,000lbs and TEN DEGREE deadrise gives a good ride. Her main salon has a LARGE dinette directly across from the galley and a large settee in the salon. The entertainment center is huge. A large pilothouse with great seating for guests behind the helmsman allows excelent viewing as you cruise. The flybridge is very spacious with ample seating along with a wetbar and room for big tenders, not just RIBs. Several 5788's also have davits on the swim platform. Down below the ample beams allows for very spacious staterooms throughout, with large heads and vanities. The engine room is reached from the aft-deck and is very spacious. Some have 2 generators instead of the standard one. Usually the AC compressors are located here too. All in all, very nice yachts which have proven themselves in some serious off-shore cruising. These yachts have held their value quite well, while also representing some of the best buys on the brokerage market. I sold a gorgeous 'as new' 01 with two gens, two davits, top knotch electronics with very low hours for mid $700s and she ran on her bottom from Mexico to Alaska and survived a harrowing bar crossing (huge waves stood her on end, then while in trough, waves broke on top of her, pushing her WAY under the surface-yet all windows held and she survived only breaking loose flybridge seats, tender, etc.) in Washington State that would had sunk many another yacht, which proved for a fact that these yachts HAVE WHAT IT TAKES! There are several really nice 5788's on the market now (2/08) and the prices are falling hard.
Meridians;
490 market update as of 2/08: There are 4 never sold brand new 490's available for sale. 2 - 07's and 2 - 08's (all built in 2007)on East Coast. Probably two on West Coast. No more will ever be constructed. The run is done and there are NO plans for a replacement contrary the "rumors".
Meridian History & Updates; The first year (2003) these vessels were introduced they actually were just 2002 4788's models with new HIN numbers and some decals that said Meridian on them. I had clients attempt to purchase them back in 03, and the dealers stood firm at $530k no matter how hard they tried. Interestly enough -none had the high gloss Cherry Wood interiors everybody loved about the 02 4788's and as of 2007 still don't! The salon TV's no longer have a cover, so you always have a "glass eye" looking at you all the time. Their prices were substantially ($150k) more than what the 02 Bayliners sold for. Brunswick did a major dealer "sweep" and eliminated many long time Bayliner dealers from selling the "new" line of Meridian instead allowing many Sea Ray dealers to market these vessels instead. As you can imagine this threw the market in disarray as most Sea Ray dealers who had been selling Sea Rays sometimes literally across the street from Bayliner Dealers now, all of a sudden were being instructed to promote a boat they had spent years selling against. It's safe to say it caused a lot of confusion in the boat market and sales were sporadic as there was buyer reluctance to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars more for basically the exact same boat, so it appeared (minus standard features)it replaced only months earlier. In 2007 the Meridians are very popular boats and are selling at prices that make them true values on the brokerage market. There are 4 brand new never sold 490's on the East Coast.
Meridian construction features:
These really are quite high-tech built yachts as Bayliner was one of the first boat builders to use Cam controled laser maching tools. All models use a unitized construction process, load-bearing bulkheads are bonded to the hull and deck to provide a yacht that is stronger and more durable than most boats today. Longitudinal hull stiffners give additional strength on the hull sides give additional strength on the hull sides, absorbing stress that would otherwise continue to move through the boat.
Every Meridian features a precision-overlap, bonded hull deck and joint that forms a tight seal against the elements. Stainless-steel through-bolts further strengthen the joint.
MOST importantly they use a Vinylester barrier coat which prevents water from penetrating the laminate, minimizing the risk of blisters forming on the hull.
During their fiberglass construction process, each part is hand laid by skilled craftsmen using heavy-grade 24 ounce woven roving and biaxial stitched fabric, hand rolled and finished between alternating layers of strand. This ensures superior strength while providing a mirror-like exterior finish. It also allows them to offer a 10 year structural hull and deck limited warranty on their new boats.
They use the finest pre-cured gel coats for a uniform, high-gloss finish that stands up to the toughest elements. Their boot stripes outlast convential taped stripes because they are incorporated in the gel-coat.
Engine beds with transverse crossbeams reduce vibration and add strength. These structural engine mounting transfer the weight, torque and thrust of the propulsion system to the structural components of the hull.
The radar arches are now fiberglass which will not corrode as the older Aluminum ones would. The Rail stanchions are welded inside and out to provide maximum strength. All exterior welds on rail systems are ground and polished to minimize surface corrosion. All molds are created by a five-axis milling machine. This process allows molds to be constructed to minimal tolerances for unparalled consistency in the final product.
If you have any questions about these boats, please don't hesitate to call me. I will be happy to talk to you. I don't expect everybody to be a buyer this year.
Non-Florida residents can legally leave their purchase here in Florida for 90 days without Florida sales tax being due. So-fly here, cruise the Bahama's (48 miles away),& the Keys (30 miles away)and experience crystal clear water while enjoying your new yacht before taking her home! California has re-instated their 91 day rule before sales tax is due- so leave her here for 90 days instead of going through the ridiculously expensive hassle of doing an offshore delivery and leaving her in Mexico.
Photo of the nicest helms to be found. Note; the dash wood inlay is found starting in late 97 models through the 2002 year.
The 4788 has proven to be a very successful and popular yacht. I have NEVER lost a 98 or newer model 4788 Pilothouse on a survey- I wish I could say the same about so-called "quality yachts" that cost double the price! This is but ONE reason I specialize in these Pilothouse yachts- the deals always go through- they are holding their value well and they are literally to be found all around the world. Folks with more common sense than a need to impress the 'Jones' realize they can buy a late model yacht with warranties for the same price of a much older so-called quality yacht that have NO warranties -that will eat them alive with upkeep and refits. So, smart people buy these Pilothouses and enjoy cruising them. Talk to a Bayliner Pilothouse owner yourself while dockwalking some day and you will soon understand their popularity. It's simple, they are GREAT designs!
I know this market and can TRULY tell you what they sold for NEW, as I also sold them new. If you have one for sell- I would like to know about her- I have buyers literally all over the world ready to buy.
I have sold several 4788's sight unseen to buyers. A fellow from New Zealand who purchased from me sight unseen stated when asked upon his first inspection if he was satisfied stated:. "I got more than I expected, this yacht is totally equipped and in condition better than one could had hoped for". He cruised her from Miami to Canada and back, then put her on the Dock Express and she is now in Auckland New Zeland. Another HAPPY buyer!
TRANSPORTING THESE BOATS:
