Boating Industry Top Boat Brands

[skolbe]

I didn't realize until just now that Bayliner got out of the cruiser business. Just looked at their site.

 

[Woody]

I didn't realize until just now that Bayliner got out of the cruiser business. Just looked at their site.

Ya they did....outside of South America. A little exaggerated maybe but where we heading, boatwise if you buy one it'll either be a big bucks yacht or a notch above a rowboat.:huh:

 

[giff1]

It's the new boating industry. The cruiser days are over.
Somewhere about 2007 the gas prices started to go up. 2008 the economy failed. 2009 a lot of boat companies folded. Eight years of hard times have driven boaters to a more affordable type of boat.
Around here most boat dealers have changed from cruisers to center consoles, pontoons and deckboats, because that is what sells.

There is hope. If gas prices fall more due to U.S. and Canadian oil. Our economy keeps growing ( hopefully faster ). The changing of government leaders with pro wealth growth platforms. We could see cruisers being built again.

 

[KnotEasy]

Outboard powered boats still dominate all sales categories of new boat sales. Most pontoon boats have outboard power, so that is a large part
of why the 3 toon brands are in the top of the list.

 

[SeaAyeOwe]

It's the new boating industry. The cruiser days are over.
Somewhere about 2007 the gas prices started to go up. 2008 the economy failed. 2009 a lot of boat companies folded. Eight years of hard times have driven boaters to a more affordable type of boat.
Around here most boat dealers have changed from cruisers to center consoles, pontoons and deckboats, because that is what sells.

There is hope. If gas prices fall more due to U.S. and Canadian oil. Our economy keeps growing ( hopefully faster ). The changing of government leaders with pro wealth growth platforms. We could see cruisers being built again.

Interesting - do we really think this change in boat type is correlated to fuel costs, or disposable income and the the GFC? I have a feeling that just like cars (until they started to almost give them away for a while to move product) - part of the challenge was the depreciation so most people just were not buying new at all.

Remember oil barrel prices was $150 Q1 2007 and dropped to under $40 in 2008 before slowly creeping up to $100 the last year or two.

I have to say i have not seen the same change in buying patterns in the PNW in that time - though I will be honest and was not looking hard. For boat owners in PNW the 2009 to 2012 period was a fantastic time to move up the scale, terrible time to move down given residual values - always assuming you were not buying new of course. And btw if you were not using your own cash but banks - really great rates.

 

[jeffw]

When we goto the boat show in Minneapolis, the pontoon guys cannot write sales orders fast enough. Usually they are writing while someone is tapping on their shoulder to buy the next one. This summer I had a big 3 pontoon Bennington go out in front of me a ways and he was going as fast or faster than my 190 sport goes. Pulled up to where he stopped, big 300hp Merc on the back, gorgeous pontoon.