I think Bryant is compensating for something.

[d_coyne1984]

I like Bryant boats a lot, but I think the the "sport porch" is taking the transom lounge trend a little to much to an extreme in my opinion. Kind of looks ridiculous. I still think Yamaha does the trasom lounge best!

http//www.boattest.com/boats/boat_video.aspx?ID=3350

 

[Scottintexas]

wow, 3 extra feet, you don't have to worry about jumping on the prop on that one, definitely and extreme version of a swim deck,

13 different bowrider models and 16 different engine/drive options must be a lot of stuff to keep in stock to mfg,

 

[GiddYupJoe]

That would be neat IF you could hit a button and it would all disappear when under way. Pull up to the sand bar... hit a button, boom, time to party. That's atleast what I thought of when I saw it. Neat idea, just seems out of place.

 

[GTBRMC]

Looks very easy to damage with anything more than a gentle kiss on a pier.

I do like the manufacturing employees signing the stretch wrap on the shipping boat - nice touch.

 

[MikeyL]

I like Bryant boats a lot, but I think the the "sport porch" is taking the transom lounge trend a little to much to an extreme in my opinion. Kind of looks ridiculous. I still think Yamaha does the trasom lounge best!

http//www.boattest.com/boats/boat_video.aspx?ID=3350

Nice find.
But for $55,500, a 2015 24-foot Yamaha gives you a whole lot more boat. Overall.
And this price for the Bryant is for the smallest engine choice, a 4.3L MerCruiser.
'Jes sayin' .... Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[Glassman]

Interesting ideas. I like new ideas. This one might be a little too much of a good thing. And bad things can happen when people, especially small children feel too comfortable hanging out on a transom platform and stay there while the boat is under way.

The only observation I have that would make it questionable for me is the size of the fuel tank. A 31 gallon tank just doesn't cut it for me. I certainly don't want to spend more time than necessary at the gas docks and even a quick getaway weekend can suck up a full tank on my boat (58 gal). Last weekend gas was $4.65 a gallon on the water. $2.45 at the station. With a smaller tank I'd be forced to hit the gas dock.

Typically I'll fill the boat before launching and I have the option of leaving it in the water over night or dragging it up the ramp and to the hotel, but I don't usually have to fill every day unless we are doing long distances or non-stop water play.

But it does look like a nice craft for it's intended purpose.

 

[OperationROL]

Wont last...............

 

[Julian]

Looks very similar, only larger, to the deck on my old Yamaha LX210. We loved it. I bet this will be a hit with their owners too. Looks to be well laid out and functional.

 

[Dough]

I like the boat! Doesn't cobalt do something similar?

 

[Speedling]

looks like a nice boat except for the swim platform!

 

[MikeyL]

Kinda interesting facts I discovered about Bryant Boats (Sweetwater, TN):
Back in 1990, Bryant Boats started life as a small family company. From the start, the goal was to stay small and keep volume low so that focus could remain on putting quality into each and every model produced. It was also to be a business that the entire Bryant family was a part of.

In 2012, John Dorton, formerly the head of MasterCraft and a veteran of the boating industry, purchased the company from the Bryant family on the condition that they stay on in key positions. Now, with Bryant under new ownership, but still employing the original family members, Dorton set his sights on building a sportboat that could compete toe-to-toe with the fit-and-finish and quality of specialty inboard ski/wake boats – to say nothing of traditional sterndrive sportboats.

2 things I found particularly interesting:

1) Long Hull Cure Time. Many of the quality aspects of Bryant sportboats will be hard for anyone, except connoisseurs of boats and fiberglass boat building, to appreciate. One of the biggest differences in how Bryant builds its boats is that the hull and deck are left to cure for a full three days in the mold, as opposed to the industry standard of one day – and some builders leave the hull and deck in the mold only a few hours after the polyester and catalyst chemical reaction kicks off.

Why is this important? Simply because if a hull or deck are taken out of the mold while the catalytic exothermal process is still in progress, without the support of the mold the fiberglass part can lose its intended shape to some degree. It can warp or ripple and the roving pattern print through can be exacerbated. (To check hull fairness, observe a hull and look for ripples in the reflected light. Is there a “washboard” effect? If so, it could be because the hull was not allowed to cure fully in its mold.)

2) Wood Not. And no wood is used anywhere in order to eliminate any chance of rot. Even today, many builders still use wood in their transoms, stringers and bulkheads because the material is easy to cut and install, and once covered in fiberglass is no longer visible.

Once the hull and deck are removed from the mold, another important process is started. All openings for mounts and drives are cut by hand. No robotic arms are used.

The Bryant Warranty

John Dorton says Bryant’s business plan is pretty straightforward. Take the most talented craftspeople, give them superior materials and build the best boats possible. Then stand behind the product. Bryant offers a lifetime structural warranty, a 5-year gelcoat blister warranty, and a 2-year stem-to-stern component warranty that covers everything but the engine, which falls under its own warranty.

Hoping this makes things a little more clear. I actually was very impressed learning about the company. Hey Have a GREAT day... It's turned cold(er) down here on Lake OConee ..... Mikey Lulejian

 

[rkluck]

Interesting information. I don't like the looks of the swim deck but the better built boat is a plus.

 

[octavio3311]

There's a Bryant/MasterCraft dealer down the road from me. I've spent considerable time hangin out in 1 and crawling around in them at the dealer. Bryant boats are fantastic boats. You can feel the quality in them - very comparable to a Cobalt. That particular swim platform extension does look awkward, but other versions look much better - here's a pic of their surf platform, which looks much better without those huge armrests. 1 thing Bryant does differently from others - they install their fuel tanks up in the bow area for better weight distribution. And it does make them plane faster compared to other I/O's.

Nice find.
But for $55,500, a 2015 24-foot Yamaha gives you a whole lot more boat. Overall.
And this price for the Bryant is for the smallest engine choice, a 4.3L MerCruiser.
'Jes sayin' .... Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

@MikeyL - you can't go by the MSRP. That 21' Bryant will probably sell for low $40's. For example - their bad ass 233X has an MSRP (loaded the way I like it) of over $82k - but I see 1 in the showroom for $63k.
They are gorgeous boats!

 

[MikeyL]

...........

@MikeyL - you can't go by the MSRP. That 21' Bryant will probably sell for low $40's. For example - their bad ass 233X has an MSRP (loaded the way I like it) of over $82k - but I see 1 in the showroom for $63k.

That might be true. However, before posting that:

FIRST: I called and spoke to three (3) Bryant dealers, in the midwest. I tried to BUY a 2015, and wanted pricing. These 3 are ACTIVE Bryant dealers. They did not have 2015's in yet. But all three had 2014's. And they each wanted in the HIGH 40's for the same model, in model year 2014 ~!!!!
SECOND: The 2015 price I did get, came from 2 different Bryant dealers. I spoke in DETAIL to them about the price. And asked for a DRIVE-OUT price.
I was quoted $ 55,500. Or there abouts, extremely close to that number, not including sales tax.
So possibly I am the unluckiest boat buyer in America and cannot negotiate a good deal, or maybe you have magic powers I do not possess, but just wanted you to know I did not go "get" some random number and just post it here.
Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[octavio3311]

@MikeyL - I wasn't trying to call you out or nothing. My apologies if you took it that way.
All I'm saying is that MSRP prices and out the door prices on those particular boats vary greatly from the time of year you're shopping and I guess location plays a big factor as well.
I remember Lashburn shopping for a MasterCraft X20 and he was getting prices in the $100k+ range, meanwhile we had 1 in the same Bryant/Mastercraft showroom for $88k. He even called the dealer to confirm.
And no - I do not posses any magical buying powers - those are the prices posted on the boats in the showroom.

 

[MikeyL]

@octavio3311 ....... It's all good, my Friend. Nice of you to write however.
I just wanted you and others to know there appears to be a large disproportionate difference in Bryant pricing across the US, much like with Chaparral and others. Hey ! Let's all have a FANTASTIC FRIDAY ! Best Wishes, Mikey

 

[Seadeals]

The back end of that thing makes me think it is a Transformer!

 

[SCSTWG]

I fell in love with a Bryant Calandra at the last boat show. I agree that the quality is comparable to Cobalt, but the price point is much better. If I were to leave Yamaha, the Calandra would probably be the boat of choice for me. The quality is so apparent that you realize Yamaha is int he "value" business. That said, I primarily make purchases based on value, so I am happy where I am at right now.

 

[jwells]

That might be true. However, before posting that:

FIRST: I called and spoke to three (3) Bryant dealers, in the midwest. I tried to BUY a 2015, and wanted pricing. These 3 are ACTIVE Bryant dealers. They did not have 2015's in yet. But all three had 2014's. And they each wanted in the HIGH 40's for the same model, in model year 2014 ~!!!!
SECOND: The 2015 price I did get, came from 2 different Bryant dealers. I spoke in DETAIL to them about the price. And asked for a DRIVE-OUT price.
I was quoted $ 55,500. Or there abouts, extremely close to that number, not including sales tax.
So possibly I am the unluckiest boat buyer in America and cannot negotiate a good deal, or maybe you have magic powers I do not possess, but just wanted you to know I did not go "get" some random number and just post it here.
Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

I fell in love with a Bryant Calandra at the last boat show. I agree that the quality is comparable to Cobalt, but the price point is much better. If I were to leave Yamaha, the Calandra would probably be the boat of choice for me. The quality is so apparent that you realize Yamaha is int he "value" business. That said, I primarily make purchases based on value, so I am happy where I am at right now.

I agree that calandra is an awesome layout at a great price I wasn't crazy about the look of the exterior but they give you all kinds of color options and one of them was black brown and white and it was sharp and with a black tower. We really looked at these hard before we bought the yamaha

 

[SCSTWG]

The fit and finish of the Calandra is really second to none. As you mentioned, there are a ton of interior and exterior color options and highlights. The thing that stand out to me is that it felt SO MUCH BIGGER that 23' 6". I literally did not believe it at first. Since I have three young daughters, the head on our boat gets a lot of use. The head on that boat looks like what you would expect on a 27' boat.