New powerboat registrations in January were up 2.9 percent in the main segments over January 2017, which had an increase of 9.5 percent over the previous year, according to new data released by Statistical Surveys.
This story by Reagan Haynes originally appeared in Trade Only Today.
Registrations of outboard-powered fiberglass boats were up 4.5 percent to 1,917 units versus 1,834 last year; that was on top of a 6 percent increase last year, SSI sales director Ryan Kloppe told Trade Only Today.
Though January is one among the three slowest months of the year, the upward momentum is positive, Kloppe said.
The yacht and cruiser market saw the largest increases last month. The 31- to 40-foot segment rose 28.2 percent, from 39 to 50 units, and the 41- to 65-foot segment grew 64.7 percent, from 34 to 56 units.
Semi-custom and custom yachts over 66 feet grew 50 percent, from six to nine units.
Even the sterndrive segment, which declined 14.2 percent in the 14- to 30-foot range, saw growth on the larger side, with registration of sterndrives in the 25- to 40-foot range up 5 percent in January versus last year, Kloppe said.
People who traditionally bought sterndrive-powered runabouts less than 25 feet long continued the migration to outboard power – outboard-powered runabouts were up 25 percent, Kloppe said.