It's a buyers market

[Kettlewell]

Don't forget the aging demograpic problem! I see lots of boaters aging out, particularly sailors, and very few younger people in the boat yard and out cruising.

[MicHughV]

That's an interesting perspective.

Back in the 70's , early 80's, home built boat projects could be seen on many a driveway.
Builders were invariable son/father combo and other dreamers.
Those that weren't building, were buying.
A reasonable 30 something footer could be had for relatively little.
Sailors of that era were in their 20's and 30's and didn't require much, pretty much anything that floated would serve their purpose.
None had fridge/freezers, micro waves, a/c, solar panels and electronics was basically limited to a vhf. Those that travelled further aboard had ham radio. Charts were all paper, many copied.

Ambitions to sail around the world was alive and well.

All those sailors are in their 70's and 80's now and no youngsters have arrived to take their place.
A handful of well heeled people will still buy the odd new boat and outfit it with every gizmo money will buy, but most never leave the dock.

That's the pic I see. May not apply to everywhere, but is certainly the case as I see it.

Being a boat broker today would be a tough gig.

[Kettlewell]

U.S. boaters tend to be older than the average American as well as the overall U.S. median age. In 2022, the median age of U.S. boaters was 54, whereas the overall median age in the country was 48.

And, I bet amongst cruising sailors the average is more like 65 and up.

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/boat...r-demographics

[Nicholson58]

If you want to retire or work remotely (Starlink) boating on large boats is immensely less expensive than on land but you must get out of the US. We have just returned from 8 years, live aboard, in the Caribbean. Our monthly costs were about $1000, largely due to restaurants. Restaurants are also a bargain in the Caribbean. We stay exclusively on anchor where there are no fees. That’s not to say that there are occasional big ticket items. We pay no taxes, annual registration or other regular household fees. No vehicles with associated costs. Our total fuel consumption annually is about 100 gallons of diesel and 40 of gasoline. Roxy is for sale now in Annapolis and we are house hunting. What a sticker shock.

Compare new and old boats prices and used boats are a bargain.

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1984-camper-$-nicholsons-58-9168374/

[Schapera]

It may be a buyers market for boats, in general, but why is it that boats I want to buy are hard to find and their prices are robust? 😱

[gulfislandfred]

Here in BC, Canada, older boat prices have gone way down, and there are few buyers, even at low prices. Moorage is hard to find. Insurance can be hard to find.
A friend in Washington State just sent me an ad for a Newport 30: Roller furling, diesel engine, looks like decent condition - $3500 US. Moorage available at $600/mo.
I've had a Newport 30 from the 70s, listed for $5000, in BC, for a month. No one has come to look. Only serious phone call was a fellow on disability looking for a live aboard. He plans to anchor out, maybe drop a mooring (we can still do that, here in BC. Hard to find a good spot, but still possible).
A recent survey of homeowners in Canada found more than 80% say they could not afford to buy their home in today's market. Property taxes are another reason we don't have disposal income to spend on boats.

[KTP]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

If you want to retire or work remotely (Starlink) boating on large boats is immensely less expensive than on land but you must get out of the US.

I think you must get out of the city, but maybe you don't HAVE to get out of the US.

In eastern Washington state, in the mountains, you can live on $1000 a month, quite well. All you have to do is keep the boat mentality. No car, plan your purchases in bulk, control your use of electricity.

It can be cheap living on a boat and it can be expensive living on a boat, it all comes down to how you do it. Same applies to land living.

[Kettlewell]

I think you must get out of the city, but maybe you don't HAVE to get out of the US.

Actually, a lot of stuff in the US is a lot less expensive than in other parts of the world. Groceries, fuel, and boat parts come to mind. Sure, there are very cheap places to live outside the USA, but do you want to live there fulltime? And, if you are based in the USA what will it cost to go home to see your family? In any case, bottom line is that cruisers spend what they have, and you will run into people at all different economic levels.

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

That's an interesting perspective.

Back in the 70's , early 80's, home built boat projects could be seen on many a driveway.
Builders were invariable son/father combo and other dreamers.
Those that weren't building, were buying.
A reasonable 30 something footer could be had for relatively little.
Sailors of that era were in their 20's and 30's and didn't require much, pretty much anything that floated would serve their purpose.
None had fridge/freezers, micro waves, a/c, solar panels and electronics was basically limited to a vhf. Those that travelled further aboard had ham radio. Charts were all paper, many copied.

Ambitions to sail around the world was alive and well.

All those sailors are in their 70's and 80's now and no youngsters have arrived to take their place.
A handful of well heeled people will still buy the odd new boat and outfit it with every gizmo money will buy, but most never leave the dock.

That's the pic I see. May not apply to everywhere, but is certainly the case as I see it.

So the younger generations aren't interested in boating. They're not interested in their grandparent's country club either. They are interested in different things. They travel more and eat out at much finer restaurants than we did at their age. The young generations are about 'experiences' not 'possessing' things.

This generation is also carrying massive tuition debt and being told they need 3-5 yrs experience for an entry level job. They're also facing outrageous real estate prices too.

But at the end to the day, who cares whether the younger generation is into what we (you) like?

[rslifkin]

It's been a very slow spring launch season here too. Lots of empty slips and plenty of boats that just aren't in the water yet. Some of it is people getting a late start due to screwy weather this year, but not all of it. Seems like money is a bit tight for everyone this year, plus everyone has a million things going on this year too.

There are definitely more boats for sale locally, but it's not on the order of a mass exodus or anything. Particularly with sailors it's an aging boating population, but I am seeing some effort from local yacht clubs, etc. to draw in new, younger sailors. And there are definitely some around at this point. We're in the group of younger boaters as well (early 30s).

[Mike OReilly]

Certainly there is a combination of factors with regard to younger generations getting into cruising-level boats. By all metrics, the generations after the Baby Boomers have become progressively poorer. It seems the Gen-X have largely caught up, but it took longer. Millenials are measurably poorer at this stage of their lives vs BBs. Mostly this is due to housing, education and retirement costs, all of which have far outpaced inflation and wage growth.

Perhaps more importantly, they also work in more precarious conditions. Fewer work as employees, with all the legal and financial benefits that entails. An increasing number of “jobs” have been shifted to contract, part-time, or “gig”. This allows companies to avoid the responsibilities associated with hiring people, which is great for shareholders, but sucks for workers, at least from a security perspective.

The only bright light here is that the BBers are increasingly sailing off into the final sunset, so inheritance wealth is being transferred down. But this is a slow process.

Add in the other factors like changing recreational desires (which may be more effect than cause), along with the turn in inflation and interest rates, and it all adds up to trends that work against large boat ownership.

[MicHughV]

My 2c of the situation as I see it...and I'm guilty as anyone.....kids today are " spoiled" by parents. They havn't had to scrounge for much of anything as it gets given to them in one fashion or another.
Their lives revolve around their cell phones and the gazillion of their friends on there.
Not quite sure what they do on there, but from what I can see, it never leaves their hand.
There seems to be little motivation to do much of anything else.
Buying a boat is as remote from their minds as anything.

From where I stand, the boating industry is all but dead. At my local marina are several dozen high end fishing boats....quad engines, etc, but they never go out and many have been sold. Skyhigh marina charges and fuel costs cause even the well heeled to rethink their boating ambition.
Sailboats are also rare to see. Where have they gone ? I don't know, but they aren't around here anymore.

Part of this, is getting a boat insured, and even if you do get insurance. cruising is limited to seasons, etc.
Not much fun if you can't go anywhere.

Not sure how this will all play out, but for now, for sure...it's a "buyer's " market and a dubious one at that.

[Iron E]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

The only bright light here is that the BBers are increasingly sailing off into the final sunset...

Note to self: Don't go into the bright light

[Auklet]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

Some years ago, some bright spark in the Florida Guv'mint enacted a "luxury" tax on boats.
Virtually overnight, the bottom fell out of the boat market, which took years to bounce back.
I see the ongoing exorbitant marina, fuel, restrictive anchorage spots, and insurance costs, etc in the same light.
Boating has become a very expensive hobby, affordable only by a few, who are also now saying...'nuff is 'nuff"

I believe that was a federal luxury tax of the early 1990’s. Drove most of US boat manufacturers out of business. After it was too late to repair the damage, it was repealed. Those are some of the same clowns that brought us the housing/mortgage loan melt down in the early 2000’s. And now, global inflation and consequently high interest rates. Just one continuing clown show it seems.

[Kettlewell]

Bottom line on this topic is "It's a buyers market" if you're looking for an older used boat. Don't go by the asking prices--make an offer that makes sense to you, not whatever the seller wants. Also, be flexible. The minute you focus in on a particular boat, in a particular place, in a certain condition, with certain equipment you vastly increase the price you must be willing to pay.