An article in US magazine Soundings Trade Only last week suggests that the market for brokerage powerboats and sailboats in the US continued to strengthen in July, surpassing unit sales for the same period a year ago and falling only a few percent in total value for all boats. These numbers are supported by the submissions made by YachtWorld members in BoatWizards’ Sold Boat database during July.
Another bit of good news was the fact that Florida, the primary engine for US brokerage sales, recorded 15% higher unit sales than a year ago.
The article states that the overall value of boats sold in the US this year has lagged well behind 2008 figures, but June this year saw the gap narrowed to a single-digit percentage and the difference in July was less than 4%.
Still, 2009 year-to-date sales in July stand at only $1.55 billion, 29% lower than 2008 sales of $2.18 billion. Florida brokerages have felt roughly half of that pain, with the value of boats sold down more than $300 million, or 34%. Despite the losses, brokerages in Florida still hold the largest market share in the country, with roughly a 1/3rd of all dollars spent on brokerage boats!
Nationally, small and midsize powerboats continue to be the strength of the current sales rebound, and Florida brokers were particularly effective at selling boats 26 to 35 feet – roughly 60 more boats than a year ago. So far, around 350 more powerboats have been sold in 2009 than in the first seven months of 2008. Sales of larger boats have remained depressed, which is a big reason why Florida sales are so far down year-to-date. Although yacht sales have remained stubbornly slow – 28% fewer units year to date – a slight improvement in valuation showed up in July, down only 21% as oppossed to 36% year to date.
Based on a five-year average of US monthly brokerage sales on SoldBoats.com, May is the high point for unit sales, with slight declines through August and a steeper decline in the Autumn. Because July unit sales held even with June, the number of boats sold is now only 6.3% less than the five-year average for July.
To search through data of sold boats, go to www.soldboats.com with your BoatWizard password, or use the button in the top corner of www.boatwizard.com.