CONTINUOUSWAVE

Here on Cape Cod, the [NAUSET MARINE] dealer's stock of new Boston Whalers is basically zero, sold out, ain’t got none.

I find this amazing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I’ll need to check out Cataumet Marine (the top Grady White dealership in the US), and Bosun Marine (top Edgewater dealer in the US) to see if this phenomenon is across the board.

I share dock space with another Boston Whaler owner who had NAUSET MARINE's mobile Service tech on his boat last week. The tech mentioned the non-existent inventory. The NAUSET MARINE website confirmed.

Supply may be constrained by limited production. Perhaps the Boston Whaler plant stopped producing boats during the pandemic.

Boat sales have increased substantially in most categories throughout the US since the pandemic started. My view is people are staying closer to home, not spending money on travel, and boating is a good alternative. RV sales are following a similar pattern.

I was driving through Baldwin County, Alabama, when the pandemic first started. All boat dealers had to close. Their lots were stacked up with boats, and I thought to myself that their business will tank this year. Boy, was I wrong. Once the boat dealers opened folks started buying like crazy. Dealers are saying this is their best year ever.
There may be some good deals on used boats in two years.

The local Boston Whaler dealer (MarineMax) is virtually out-of-stock. Not just of Boston Whalers but of all brands they sell including Grady White and other less notable lines. The market is hot.

I was not aware of Boston Whaler dealers having an "inventory" of boats for sale, rather only having floor models of certain models, (skewed to the larger modesl) with all sales being factory orders. This approach has been a result of the end to floor financing years ago.

If anything, Covid has extended the typical wait time for factory orders by a certain number of weeks. Boston Whaler did shut down production for a period of time back in March and April.

Knowing Boston Whaler does not divulge sales figures, it should be expected they will not share the amount of any delay. They may even deny there is one in the first place.

I think H Chalk in Alexandria Bay, New York, may have three MONTAUK boats in stock.

The new-boat market right now is very interesting. I checked one of my favorite Boston Whaler dealer’s inventory. They have six new Boston Whalers in stock, but three are are noted as sale-pending. The three remaining for sale left are a 190 Outrage, a 210 Dauntless, and a 285 Conquest.

Phil has a good point:I wonder if [limited inventory] would be considered somewhat normal at this time of year anyway?

The dealers I saw were not Boston Whaler dealers. They were dealers that sold mid-tier boats like Robalo, Tidewater, Sportsman. Boats of 20 to 30-feet are selling like hot cakes. Loan durations for 15 to 20-years make [a new boat purchase] easy for the Everyman.

Phil - I believe the size of the dealership has a bearing on inventory. Large mega-dealers such as MarineMax have the resources to buy and stock several boats. They trade boats around their various locations to meet demand. If I go to my local dealer and want to buy a 150 Montauk they will make one available from their Miami store or a New Jersey store or wherever the closest one is located. They just put it on a truck and deliver it.

I will guess the few remaining mom & pop dealerships lack the resources and perhaps the floor space to maintain a wide selection of boats.

Is MarineMax the only Boston Whaler mega-dealer?

I recently talked with a gentleman at The Outboard Motor Shop, a long time Whaler dealer in Oakland California. He said May was their busiest month ever in over 40 years of business. All boats they had were sold, and they are swamped with re-power jobs and other work.

Also The Outboard Motor Shop talked about what a great match the F70 Yamaha is on the classic 16. I'm guessing they learn from the ‘wave.

Here in Nova Scotia the [new boat sales and inventory] are the same [as reported above for the U.S.A]. I thought boat and RV sales would fall off a cliff, but the dealers at are busier than they have ever been.

And the Same for building supplies and concrete sales.

I think the scale of government payouts is the biggest factor, as well as people being unable to take an expensive vacation this spring.

I don’t mean the following statement as political, I just mean it as a fact and observation. Governments this time around also gave money more directly to people who spend it on goods and services. Prior bailouts went to corporations who paid down debt, which had no direct cash impact on the economy.

A television morning newscast from a Boston station had a segment confirming that new boat sales increased by 25-percent [compared to some other unspecified time].

With retail stores like new boat dealers forced to close for as long as two months in some big boating states, even normal demand would tend to result in a surge of sales once those retailers were allowed to re-open.

Brunswick CEO was interviewed recently on CNBC network. He stated after initial dip in sales, sales skyrocketed in April. I see a similar trend in my neighborhood with in-ground pool construction.

In Ontario, Canada, boat and RV sales are at an all time high. My marina owner has sold more boats already this year than he ever has in one year. It is worth noting that they also were forced to open two months later than normal by the government.

My father-in-law bought a larger trailer this year and was told the same thing by his RV sales place.

People are buying things they can use with their families as they are all staying together at this time and many things they would normally do are not available to them.