Is Jeanneau in lockdown?

[ryanlion]

As per the title I wonder if Jeanneau are still building boats in Europe due to Covid (nothing on their website).  A dealer told me last month that there was an 11 month wait for a newly ordered boat from Jeanneau (to the UK) so they are certainly very popular.  Does anyone know if production is as normal?

[stephenm27]

Jan 9, 2021 12:29:09 GMT ryanlion said:

As per the title I wonder if Jeanneau are still building boats in Europe due to Covid (nothing on their website).  A dealer told me last month that there was an 11 month wait for a newly ordered boat from Jeanneau (to the UK) so they are certainly very popular.  Does anyone know if production is as normal?

My dealer (East coast of US) informed me that our 2021 is now en route.  She quoted mid-January when we originally placed a deposit back in September.  Assuming she is being entirely transparent, this would suggest Jeanneau (Ostroda shipyard in Ostroda, Poland) has been operating as normal through the recent C19 surge. 

For additional insight, I have been occasionally reading the local Ostroda Poland newspaper (Google Translate) and haven’t seen any apparent mandated shutdown by local governmental agencies.  Not entirely scientific, but is an additional data point. 

Could it be that your dealer has simply sold their production allocation for the next 11 months?  Unless they are a very high volume dealer, this could as few as 2 or 3 hulls...

[ryanlion]

Jan 9, 2021 19:28:44 GMT stephenm27 said:

Jan 9, 2021 12:29:09 GMT ryanlion said:

My dealer (East coast of US) informed me that our 2021 is now en route.  She quoted mid-January when we originally placed a deposit back in September.  Assuming she is being entirely transparent, this would suggest Jeanneau (Ostroda shipyard in Ostroda, Poland) has been operating as normal through the recent C19 surge. 

For additional insight, I have been occasionally reading the local Ostroda Poland newspaper (Google Translate) and haven’t seen any apparent mandated shutdown by local governmental agencies.  Not entirely scientific, but is an additional data point. 

Could it be that your dealer has simply sold their production allocation for the next 11 months?  Unless they are a very high volume dealer, this could as few as 2 or 3 hulls...

Thanks for the reply/info and good to know production hasn't hopefully stopped.  I already have my boat on order but the dealer said new boat orders have an 11 month wait due to high demand.  The UK dealer said that there is apparently no limit how many boats each dealer can order?

[stephenm27]

Jan 10, 2021 12:58:55 GMT ryanlion said:

Jan 9, 2021 19:28:44 GMT stephenm27 said:

Thanks for the reply/info and good to know production hasn't hopefully stopped.  I already have my boat on order but the dealer said new boat orders have an 11 month wait due to high demand.  The UK dealer said that there is apparently no limit how many boats each dealer can order?

First, a disclaimer: I am uncertain as to how the Jeanneau dealer allocation actually works.  This is conjecture on my behalf.

I spoke separately to 2 dealers and they both steered me to pending non-optioned production allotments they had in the pipeline.  Both said that final option specifications must be finalized at 10-12 weeks prior to projected completion—which to me suggests options must be known at the start of production.  

I think your dealer is probably accurate in their statement but due to apparent current factory capacity issues, I would guess that additional “custom” orders from a dealer must be somehow weighed against existing production slated for dealer stock.  Surely there is some basis for how it’s done, but I have no info to indicate how. 

Alas, I’m being told Jeanneau is now also having issues acquiring the Yamaha outboards to commission the boat with...

[ryanlion]

Thanks Stephenm27, I guess Covid is increasing demand from most boat builders and I believe there have always been many months of wait for a newly ordered Jeanneau boat but this must be unprecedented to wait almost a year.

interesting about the Yamaha engine shortages and not sure if that's also the case in the UK.  I understood that the actual dealers fit the motors and not Jeanneau as the UK dealers give customers a choice of engine sizes and makes.

[stephenm27]

Jan 11, 2021 7:18:17 GMT ryanlion said:

interesting about the Yamaha engine shortages and not sure if that's also the case in the UK.  I understood that the actual dealers fit the motors and not Jeanneau as the UK dealers give customers a choice of engine sizes and makes.

Dealers in the US also fit the propulsion systems upon delivery but, I think, since I chose Yamaha (and that’s the Jeanneau “default” engine in the US), it’s probably the responsibility of the corporate folks in some way to source/procure them?  I’m not clear what role Jeanneau would really play in this unless it’s due to a pricing program extended to them in exchange for the designation of the brand as the default—something a local Yamaha shop wouldn’t necessarily be able to access perhaps?  

My backup plan is that if I (as an individual) can source the engines somewhere without delay, I’ll simply ask Jeanneau to finalize/deliver the boat without them—and I’ll personally have a Yamaha dealer install them.  Nothing is more disappointing than needless delays brought on solely by corporate bureaucracy.  

I’m trying to stay optimistic and hopefully I don’t have to worry about this...we’ll see :-). 

[Capt’n Ron]

Jeanneau does source the engines for their boats, but the dealer typically rig them. I had a chance to check in with Nick Harvey with Jeanneau tonight and I asked him about the engine situation.  He confirmed they are having challenges getting engines in and provided some good insight to the issues. No surprise, Covid is having a big impact and given Yamaha is not made in the US they are facing shipping and supply chain issues caused by Covid. Airfreight has been deeply impacted so much is coming over on freighters and the ports are severely backed up and dealing with Covid impact to the workers. He shared with me the NY and LA port backlog and it’s pretty ugly, but they are managing and monitoring closely.  

They do have a group Yamaha agreement in NA across several of the Beneteau brands made at the factory, so they are shifting some engines around to help with delivery schedules. He assured me they are doing everything they can under the circumstances to get boats out to owners. I know that doesn’t help much when you are waiting for your pride and joy to arrive, but having some information is better than none.  

I wish you all speedy delivery.

Cheers, 
Ron

[stephenm27]

The following slide summarizes the problem. Yamaha’s Q3 2020 ended 12/31/2020.  The slide below is from the CEO’s presentation given to investors last week.  The entire presentation is here: global.yamaha-motor.com/ir/library/report/pdf/2020/2020explain-q3-e.pdf. 

In short, approximately 15k+ more units were sold than manufactured in the three months ending 12/31/20.  That, combined with the company’s marine manufacturing operating at 80% the previous quarter and amplified consumer demand due to C19, gets us to where we are now. 

I have heard nothing just yet from my dealer regarding estimate of the delay.  She did say she has multiple hulls affected by this.  A west coast dealer has also offered similar for their operation at this time.