May Boat Sales Hit 2017 Peak

May was the strongest month for boat sales this year last month as sales rose in all but two categories and some segments even posted double-digit gains, according to Trade Only Today.

Boat sales rose 8.5 percent, or by 1,159 boats, to 14,740 in the main powerboat segments and 8 percent, or 1,699, to 22,926 industrywide over last May in 23 states that make up about 56 percent of the U.S. boat market, Statistical Surveys reported today.

Percentagewise the increases were the biggest since January. May’s total sales exceeded any month this year, and they happened at the midpoint of the April-to-July boat selling season.

“It’s definitely our best month of the year, with strong growth in our major segments,” Ryan Kloppe, Statistical Surveys’ sales director, told Trade Only Today, citing gains in the aluminum fishing, pontoon and fiberglass outboard categories.

Although boat sales start started off slowly this year, Kloppe told Trade Only said Statistical Surveys had expected strong May results because of conversations it had with builders and dealers.

“I think it will be good for the industry to see these numbers,” he told the publication. “This is definitely going to put us on pace for 4 to 6 percent growth this year.”

For the year through May, sales are up 3.3 percent, or 2,105, at 65,020 in the main segments and 3.5 percent, or 3,198, at 93,735 industrywide in the early-reporting states.

Among the main segments, sales of 11- to 50-foot fiberglass outboards soared 10.5 percent, or 459, to 4,831, and sales of aluminum fishing boats climbed 9.8 percent, or 270, to 3,028. 

Within the top 10 states, nine reported higher numbers than in May 2016.

Florida, which typically is the top sales state, led with 3,647 (up from 3,620), but Michigan passed Texas, which is usually the second-place state, with 3,331 (up from 2,890). Texas was third, at 2,693 (up from 2,455); New York was fourth, at 2,071 (down slightly from 2,074); and North Carolina was fifth, at 1,564 (up from 1,446).

Rounding out the top 10 were Alabama, at 1,405 (up from 1,361); New Jersey, at 1,048 (up from 806); California, at 997 (up from 833); South Carolina, at 887 (up from 751); and Washington, at 761 (up from 732).

The Coast Guard was up to date in its reports on documented vessels, providing a complete report in the bigger-boat categories. Sales of 31- to 40-foot cruisers rose by 26, to 156; sales of 41- to 65-foot yachts rose by six, to 95; and sales of 66-foot and larger custom and semicustom yachts rose by 11, to 20.