The pandemic has created a boom in demand for boats and yachts

Today, many consumers avoid crowded planes, hotels and cruise ships, preferring to spend their holidays on board their own ship.

Total watercraft sales from jet skis to yachts were the highest in a decade in May, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, based on the latest market data it has. Sales in June, although no longer breaking records, were also very strong.

If we talk only about new powerboats, then 115,000 units were sold in May and June, which is 30% more than in the same months of 2019. And sales of used boats have grown so much that there is a shortage in this market. There is also a shortage of berths.

According to sellers, there is a real boom in the market, bordering on insanity. So, according to the statement of some companies specializing in the sale of boats, sales this year reached 11 units per month, instead of the usual 3-4. At the same time, the demand for used boats is simply huge and consumers take everything in a row - from small fishing boats to hydrofoils.

According to Paul Flannery, chief executive of the International Association of Yacht Brokers, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, about half of recent boat buyers are newbies. Many of them have long dreamed of their own boat, and now that the need for social distancing has deprived them of their usual forms of recreation, they finally decided to make a purchase.

At the same time, not everyone was ready to fulfill their cherished dream. After all, you need to learn how to drive a boat, its delivery to the water requires a sufficiently powerful car capable of pulling a trailer (by the way, driving a car with a trailer also requires obtaining one more additional skill), there are difficulties with moorings and other problems that beginners even did not think. however, most consumers are still satisfied.