Yacht Sales drop in June 2012 – Yacht Brokerage Report

Yacht brokers in the United States sold 3,402 boats in June after selling a 5-year high of 3,518 in May. June’s total also was 1.3% lower than in the same month last year, when 3,448 boats changed hands, according to reports from YachtWorld.com member brokerages in their proprietary database, SoldBoats.com,

The total value of all boats sold in June was $309 million, a decline from May 2012, when the total valuation was $330 million, and from June 2011, when it was $410 million. Most of the difference from 2011 can be attributed to $78 million less value from sales in the superyacht (over 80′) category.

Overall powerboat sales in June were nearly flat, compared with sales in June 2011, as 2,838 boats were sold, versus 2,842 a year earlier. Sailboat sales fell by 6.9 percent, as 564 boats were sold, compared with 606 a year earlier. However, the value of sailboat sales stayed level at $45 million and the month’s large decline was seen in the value of powerboat sales.

For the first half of the year, U.S. yacht brokerage sales volume remained ahead of 2011, with 16,028 boats sold, up 4.2 percent from 15,381 last year. The total value of boats sold was down 6.7%, to $1.74 billion, from $1.86 billion.

— John Burnham, Dominion Marine Media editorial director