The housing bubble popped, the economy crashed, and the boating industry still doesn’t seem to have a clue. I say that while admitting that I don’t have much of a clue myself when it comes to the business end of boats. But check out some snippets from the latest NMMA press release:


-First quarter 2010 data shows a slowing in sales declines of new powerboats, down 12 percent compared to a decline of 35 percent in the first quarter of 2009.


-Sales of new aluminum powerboats in the 18 foot range increased 30 percent. The increase in aluminum boat sales provides an early indicator that a recovery in new boat sales is coming.


Hmmm… let’s see. How do I put this succinctly? NO. WRONG. OPEN YOUR EYES. This is the most dramatic misinterpretation (or willful spin) on the information I can possibly imagine.  The reason aluminum’s sales aren’t plummeting like other powerboats is the same reason that’s behind one more misinterpreted piece of information from the very same press release:


…reinforcing Americans’ passion for boating during times of economic downturn, sales of pre-owned powerboats increased 7.7 percent. 


The reason behind the aluminum’s popularity and the boost in pre-owned boats is quite simple: they’re affordable! We went through a boating bubble, just as the housing market did. The fact that dealers were able to sell 20-something boats for 80- or 90- or even 100-something thousand dollars is nothing short of astonishing. A 25-footer is simply not worth as much as a house, nor should it be.


Last year I bought a used boat myself, even though I have plenty of connections in the industry and could have gotten a sweet deal on a new boat. It’s a 22′ which cost me under $30,000 with new 2010 powerplants. The new model of this same boat currently goes for close to $90,000. The main difference between my boat and the new model? The new model is shinier. You can’t tell me this makes sense. More importantly, you can’t tell Joe Boatbuyer this makes sense. If we want our industry to rebound, we simply need to cut the cost of new boats. That may mean eliminating some of the goodies we got used to during the past few years (does a 24′ walkaround really need to have a TV and DVD player in the cabin?) It might mean more factory-direct sales. And it might mean smaller power options. I don’t know how to get that $90,000 price tag back to $50,000, but that’s what needs to happen if we ever expect people to buy new boats again. Hey, NMMA: sorry to pop your bubble. But it’s long past time we get a clue.


Written by: Lenny Rudow
With over two decades of experience in marine journalism, Lenny Rudow has contributed to publications including YachtWorld, boats.com, Boating Magazine, Marlin Magazine, Boating World, Saltwater Sportsman, Texas Fish & Game, and many others. Lenny is a graduate of the Westlawn School of Yacht Design, and he has won numerous BWI and OWAA writing awards.