Is sailing dying?

[DanHowitt]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Displays of wealth is why, same for most any expensive automobile etc.
It’s what is popular with the wealthy this year, in a couple of years it will be something else. Used to be exotic sports cars, now it’s Mercedes G wagons etc.
Interesting to me is that what used to be popular with the wealthy was anything that you had a paid professional to operate, your Yacht, helicopter, airplane even your automobile if you were rich was driven by an employee

Ok. Now yes. We're getting somewhere.


True!

[valhalla360]

Another thing in terms of cruising size sailboats...they are typically owned by the 45-65yr old crowd...particularly new boats.
- Younger than that and most never could afford one even back in the day and/or they are too busy working and raising a family to dedicate the time to the hobby.
- Older and they start losing the physical ability to manage one, so they eventually sell.

Depending on the years you assume...babyboomers are 55-73 and there was a very strong spike right at the beginning of the boom, so the oldest boomers are the biggest group of boomers...net result, they are quickly aging out of the hobby. GenX filling in behind but are a much smaller population segment.

[cortezsailor]

PNW and area I operate a marina I see a huge increase in younger people getting into sailing as a lifestyle and as homes , live aboard . Personally the less people into it the better I feel I also love remote ness over the party scene

[rstevens4816]

https://trends.google.com/trends/exp...q=%2Fm%2F06wrt

[Greg Mason]

Interesting post indeed! What is the difference between a mariner and a mariner? Twice in my sailing life I requested assistance, both time a power boat came.

[Trimaran Ken]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

I seriously doubt anyone who would prefer sailing has been lured away in the last 5 yrs.

I've been involved with 3 different sailing clubs with shrinking membership.

What I have seen is that older members stick around for a long time until they are just too old or their life style changes. The problem is that there are very few young people joining up to replace the attrition of the older members. None of the three clubs has found a solution to this situation.

Ken
===

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Chotu

What really baffles me are these 44' dinghies with 2000HP in outboards on the stern.

I can't, for the life of me, understand why someone would want this.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1gLSb7n...=1l2gt0lu0rj1d

If it’s for fishing, why not a sport fisher?

Because a SF costs about ten times more, burns 2x or 3x the fuel and is 1/2-1/3 the speed of an open, center console boat. Fishing for a day the fast center console wins. For overnight and far offshore the SF.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by DanHowitt

Hello. I miss Wind. My friend Wind.


Wind? Hello!

Heinz Baked Beans are good for that.. also Chick Peas.

[pcmm]

Cost is definitely a factor We see $120k pontoon boats now (which I think turns people away) slip fees around Toronto that are getting close to $100 per foot for a very short season. Even the boat show is reflecting this. Its becoming more of a lifestyle show with some boats to look at too. Back in the 80's when I was a kid the main hall was full of 30+' sailboats from a dozen Canadian manufacturers with the powerboats in another (smaller) building. I remember seeing: C&C, CS, Catalina, Hunter, Bayfield, Beneteau, macgregor, Tanzer, Halman, J boats, Nonsuch, Niagara,Tartan, Dephia even Corbin... (not all at the same time)

Now all of them are gone except Catalina and Beneteau

Last year there were 5 cruising sailboats on display for the entire show! all from one dealer too!

[john61ct]

Gone back to being a wealthy person game, the x% is the only market profitable enough to sustain a business.

As with the rest of late-stage capitalism, the "middle" class is pushed down to the low end, the glutted secondhand market and DIYers.

If you can't afford a boat there, you're living hand to mouth.

The biggest issue is time to actually use it, most people can't voluntarily "retire" anymore.

[ben2go]

Originally Posted by DanHowitt

Have people become lured away from the art with gas boats, fumes, and pollution? How awful to be on the blue and breathe in a mass of cancerous neurotoxic gas fumes.

Dan Howitt Schooners.

I can sail small boats from a seated position without much discomfort. I can't sail a boat that requires me to hop around like a rabbit on meth. My boat of choice is a 45' Teign (Dutch styled Luxe Motor) motor barge that I'm building. As romantic as sailing is, I can't do it due to some physical limitations. I also suffer from balance problems after under going treatment to remove a tumor from my pituitary gland that attached itself to my brain stem.

[Gtstricky]

I learned to sail at a summer camp a few decades ago. My preteens now go to the same camp and where sailing use to be the major draw, not one of them picked it as an activity. In addition to my failure as a father they seem lured to cooking, sports, ga-ga ball (don't ask).


A nice round of golf, a day trip on the water, a weekend in the mountains... all seem to compete with many other activities that fill the days (especially with kids). However… diminishing maybe... dying never.

[Dave9111]

I think that boating in general around the Great Lakes is having a lot of issues.
Alcohol free gas is near $4.00/gallon at my marina. Diesel is a lot less. But if you can't afford to pay for gas, you will likely not be able to afford to buy a diesel boat.

Sailing is quite technical. Anyone with half a brain can operate a powerboat. Not so with a sailboat. At least twice as complex.


In the Great Lakes area (except Chicago and likely Toronto areas) the money generator was made by manufacturing. Manufacturing has been declining for years. Back when I was a kid growing up on the west side of Detroit, a skilled trades guy working at GM could afford to buy a new Cadillac every year, and their wife usually did not work. Compare that to today.



The younger crowd goes to school, takes out big loans to get a good education so they can get a good job, then works for years to pay off the loans. So they aren't buying houses in many areas and they aren't having kids since they are too busy working and paying off loans. Health care costs have soared, so if you are young and you have health issues, your money is gone.



The marinas I'm familiar with are doing OK at best. Some are not doing well at all and have been bought and sold a few times. Many look like boat graveyards. Everyone is paying rent, but most of the boats never go in the water.



The resurgence in Lake Erie Walleye might be the saving grace for Lake Erie Marinas.



Its tough out there and it seems to be getting tougher.



There are tons of used boats out there that you can get for close to free.

[ben2go]

Who wants to sit around on their hands waiting for the wind when you can turn a key, toss the lines, and go have fun.

[ontherocks83]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Gee

Seconded