Island Rx 1 stars rating. - Reviews of Island Packet and Seaward Yachts on Manufacturers Near Me

Island Packet and Seaward Yachts Reviews

Submitted by Island Rx on 01/07/2018

Island Rx 1 stars rating.

Overall Rating

After a year at the factory and over $60,000 I had to deal with an eviction notice and a boat in pieces. The work that was 'completed' such as new watertanks was sub-par. The new tanks came complete with cracks, were plumbed incorrectly and had to be redone. The new finish on the teak and holly sole that was refinished comes off with blue painters tape. The list goes on. Be very careful who you give your money to. Both Bob Johnson and Bill Bolin will pocket it and leave you hanging. I have spent an equal amount of money with other people fixing and finishing everything I paid Island Packet to do the first time.

Do You Know Island Packet and Seaward Yachts? Write a Review

Wil Hale 5 stars rating.

Let me preface this by saying this is not a review of the quality of the vessels they build. I live in the area and have wanted to stop by for some time because I have seen the work they do and know that they employ a whole bunch of local folks (50+). I walked into the office and asked to speak to a manager or the owner and assured them I was not selling anything nor was I there to complain or look for a job.
A manager came out and talked to me for a few minutes and I asked if she had time to show me around. She did and I loved it. The place is bigger than it looks and the process of building the boats is so well established that no one has to ask what they will be doing for the day.
I was very impressed. The persons working were friendly, waiving and greeting me. The place was clean and free of what I would call trip hazards. Few owners and managers can ask for much more than a Happy crew and a clean place to work. I cannot afford one of their boats, and she knew that but still took the time to show me around.

Submitted by Wil Hale on 05/24/2022

Casual Uno 5 stars rating.

Submitted by Casual Uno on 05/11/2022

Jim Brumfield 5 stars rating.

Submitted by Jim Brumfield on 06/13/2020

Chris Morrison 5 stars rating.

Submitted by Chris Morrison on 11/03/2019

Mark 2 stars rating.

I own a Seaward 26RK and the retractable keel is binding up. I've called Island Packet and Hake Marine multiple times and can't get any service. Not even a return call......Surprising and disappointed. Maybe this should be considered before investing in one?

Submitted by Mark on 10/29/2019

Kristen Reilly 1 stars rating.

I'm guessing it might the owner that drives the big gray truck that tears through my neighborhood everyday. This company clearly has no concern for the neighborhood that it is located within. This man taligated me down my own residential street and up to ulmerton road where he weaved in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed,.......... Only to do a u-turn at the light so that he could pull into McDonald's for lunch. Enjoy! If this is the kind of business that suits your needs go for it! Otherwise I would recommend somebody that cares a little bit more about their community and their neighbors.

Submitted by Kristen Reilly on 08/08/2019

Bob Lopenske 5 stars rating.

IPY continues to provide excellent support to IP Owners! Our 1999 IP350 received damage when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017. Bill Bolin, through his Legacy Support Program, was able.to provide factory drawings for a replacement rudder keel strap and specifications for replacement stanchions. Adam Beattie, in Customer Support, did an excellent job in arranging fabrication and shipment of the parts to Puerto Rico. IPY deserves recognition not only for fine yachts but excellent owner support as well!

Submitted by Bob Lopenske on 08/02/2018

Mike G 5 stars rating.

We have been dealing with the folks who purchased Seaward Yachts and Island Packet for a couple of months now and they are really great! The plain fact is that they want to build awesome boats. Everything they do is geared toward the customer / end user. The level of service and their attitude is top notch. If you're in the market for a new boat, I highly recommend them.

Here's an update to my previous comment:

I want to give a big shout out to Adam, Nick and the rest of the crew at Island Packet/Seaward Yachts! We had a grounding and our keel stick broke, so we filed a claim with our insurance company. The folks at Island Packet / Seaward Yachts worked with us and our insurance company to come up with the best solution which was to replace the keel. We had some difficulty with the insurance company initially denying our claim due to their surveyor saying that our keel had a manufacturing defect, which was incorrect. Adam basically advocated for us to the insurance adjuster, explaining how the system works, what it was designed to do etc.. Once the adjuster understood everything from a more credible source, we ended up fully covered. The keel was replaced and now the boat will be back on the water soon to finish out the season. If it were not for Adam and the good folks at IPS Yachts, we would have been out of luck on our claim. Additionally, they are extremely busy with boat builds and getting ready for the upcoming boat shows. They really didn't have the time to help us, but did it anyway. That says a lot about a company and its philosophy. There is a lot more to this story, but I chose to keep it short and simple. Let's just say that Island Packet/Seaward Yachts is a terrific company and I would recommend them to anyone.

We have a business and really appreciate dealing with other businesses that align with our values. Island Packet/Seaward Yachts definitely believes in customer service and proves it daily.

Thank you Adam, Nick, and all the amazing folks at IPS. You guys are the best! We wish you Blessings and Success!

Submitted by Mike G on 08/01/2018

C Satterfield 5 stars rating.

We recently had the opportunity to visit the Island Packet facility. What an amazing experience. Everyone who works there are some of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. Adam Beattie the sales manager gave us a detailed tour of the factory,
where you can really see the pride and craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into every Island Packet yacht. At the end of the tour Adam introduced us to Bob Johnson who happened to be at the factory that day which was a super thrill for all of us!

One of the nicest things about Bob Johnson is that you can really tell he still cares about the boats he built. Bob asked how the hull on our Island Packet 31 had held up through the years, and had a super smile when we told him no blisters and that the 1985 hull still shined and was in excellent condition. We still get so many complements on our boat to this day.

I can’t say enough about Adam Beattie, just a super guy, friendly, knowledgeable and super helpful. Adam went out of his way to make everyone feel very welcome and is just an all around great guy. Nick the plant manager also went out of his way to offer expert advice on repairs and maintenance. Everywhere we went people were so polite and friendly, and made us even more proud to own an Island Packet yacht.

Let me say this if you own an Island Packet or thinking about purchasing one you owe it to yourself to visit the factory. There you can get invaluable information advice you cannot get anywhere else, also you can get the right parts or supplies that retain the quality and value of your boat and do the job correctly.

After visiting the plant and so many fond experiences my wife and I are seriously considering now purchasing a new Island Packet when we retire.

Submitted by C Satterfield on 07/18/2018

Melissa Auman 5 stars rating.

This week my boyfriend and I toured the Island Packet facility. The tour was lead by sales manager Adam. He spent a lot of time explaining each step of the yacht building process. Additionally, he was patient as we took videos and photographs. We currently own a 1990 IP27 and Adam showed us how Island Packet has updated its technology and the differences in the building process since our boat was built almost 30 years ago.

The facility is laid out in four sections; fiberglass, hull and deck, wood shop, and assembly. Each area has employees handcrafting their respective part(s) in the yacht building process. Some of these employees have worked at the factory for decades. You can tell the pride of craftsmanship in the building of the boats and in the quality of the finished products. If you don’t own an Island Packet, you will want one after visiting the facility. If you own one already, you will leave with even more pride of ownership and may be tempted to upgrade after visiting.

Some highlights for current IP owners is the facility houses the original paper documentation on every sailboat built. They offer replacement parts, including emblems. You can also buy gelcoat and non-skid to repair small blemishes in your fiberglass while at the facility which you cannot get otherwise, because they aren’t able to ship that product.

Also to be noted, a few years back Island Packet merged with Seaward Yachts. Seaward Yachts are also made in the same shipyard. Throughout the tour we got to see the process of building the Seaward 26. The Seawards are really neat boats with a retractable keel and can be trailered.

If you have an opportunity to tour the facility it is well worth the time!

Submitted by Melissa Auman on 02/17/2018

CRAIG DEROY 5 stars rating.

Adam and the team at Hake Marine have been exceptional in assisting me with parts and advice for my 2003 IP 380. Thanks so much.

Submitted by Craig Deroy on 02/16/2018

Richard Stewart 5 stars rating.

This is a report on our visit to the IP factory On 1/30/2018.
Tom & Alice Schultz (Sehome; IP 370-57)
Rick & Valerie Stewart (Moon Eye; IP 370-21)

Our boats are on the hard in Maine, tucked under plastic to protect them from the ice and snow. We are taking a break from the cold in Palm Coast, Florida. Last Tuesday we took a quick trip over to Largo to tour the Island Packet factory and see how things are going. We were greatly encouraged by what we saw.

Darrell and Leslie Allen greeted us on our arrival. We'd met them six months before at the Maine IP Rendezvous. Darrell gave us an update on progress restarting the factory and reviving the brand. Sales of the IP379 are on track and they have an order for hull #001 of the new IP349 line. The factory is ramping up construction on new builds to meet the demand and they have plenty of work lined up. They're actively hiring new workers and rehiring many former members of the skilled IP assembly team. Darrell gave us a very optimistic report on both the IP and the Seaward sides of the business before we started our tour.

Adam Beattie is the new IP Sales Manager. He led our tour. First we saw the mold being made for the 349 interior pan. It is a labor intensive process that requires painstaking attention to detail. The crew was hand sanding the shell called an IGU (Interior Glass Unit) that would later be used to create the mold. The work is done an inch at a time.

Next we watched a crew laying up the hull for IP 349 #001. They were spreading out fiberglass mats and spraying resin. The deck for that boat was sitting nearby ready for hardware installation. Adam explained how the keel is made. Lead or cast iron ingots are carefully laid into the hull like a puzzle and encased in concrete. Resin is injected to fill the void and seal the keel package. Unlike a bolted on fin, you know it's not going anywhere.

In the next building we saw a IP379 that is nearing completion. A large crew was installing all the wiring, plumbing and cabinetry that go into the interior. It was an eye opener getting to see the cutaway version of our IP 370s. There were what looked like miles of wires neatly bundled and ready for connection. We were impressed to see how thick the hull and deck are and how these are tied into the bulkheads. IPs are stout and you can see why when you look down from above the hull. That first 379 will roll out soon.

Adam showed us the wood shop and varnish stations. You could see the famous IP build quality in the cabinetry and joinery pieces we saw laid out for assembly.

Seeing how it's done was great fun for us. We learned a lot about our boats on the tour and we were very encouraged by Darrell, Leslie and Adam's view of the future. They are looking forward to the Factory Rendezvous in March. Island Packet is making a strong comeback and the future is

Submitted by Richard Stewart on 02/09/2018

mike adkins 5 stars rating.

we were concerned that tech support would be curtailed for older boats like our IP38 when hake marine purchased island packet yachts. however it appears hake marine is continuing the great tradition and quality of island packet's sailboat line. plus we have had excellent tech support for our boat.

Submitted by Mike Adkins on 09/02/2017

Will W 4 stars rating.

Best Yacht builders ever !
If you are looking to buy a custom built yacht , this is the place to go !!!

Submitted by Will W on 06/26/2017

Kathryn Hansen 5 stars rating.

Submitted by Kathryn Hansen on 06/03/2017

Connie Thomas 2 stars rating.

Very disappointed in our boat. You would think for $500,000 it would be perfect. There were many problems - mainly with the way the sail functioned. It would continuously get caught as we were letting it out or in. They "fixed" the problem several times, but still it happened. If you do purchase an Island Packet Yacht, be sure that everything is in writing and do not make a final payment until all has been tested by you.

Submitted by Connie Thomas on 02/09/2016