Humanity has long since had a close relationship with water, despite being a land species. For many thousands of years, civilizations around the world built wooden boats for fishing, trade, and war. Today, naval warfare is in the hands of national militaries and fishing boats are often commercialized in developed nations, so that leaves recreational use of boats. Many Americans today love to visit lakes or ocean coasts for leisurely boat riding, and this has grown into a large and robust industry by the modern age. Many Americans own their own speedboats or pontoon boats, and others simply rent boats for a race, fishing, or sight seeing. A person looking for new or used boats can find large retailers across the United States and browse the models available. In some ways, looking for used boats may feel similar to looking for used cars, making it more intuitive. Premier pontoon dealers may have fine new and used boats to offer, and pontoon boat parts may be purchased too, especially to tune up used boats. What is there to know about boating today?
The Size of the Industry
Many American households involve a boat, typically those with higher household incomes. Many models of boats are sold new and used every year, and in fact boat sales are climbing. As of 2016, for example, there are some numbers to show how strong this industry is. In that year, some 981,600 pre-owned boats had sold across the United States, which added up to nearly $9.2 billion in sales. At the same time, nearly 11.9 million registered boats could be found across the nation, and more and more younger buyers are owning boats now. Today, the Millennial generation (those born 1982-1995) has captured the attention of many industries and marketers, since these young adults are now old enough to afford major purchases. Millennials are buying more and more cars, houses, and boats, a fact that marketers are not going to ignore. More young boat owners in their late 20s or early 30s can be found in the United States, and this means that sales and ownership rates of boats are growing. From 2015 to 2016, for example, total recreational marine sales grew 3.5%, making for total sales of $36 billion.
Find A Great Boat
Someone looking for new or used boats can follow similar strategies as buying a car. A person can look up local dealers and find out where they are located, and what sort of boats they have in stock. A buyer may have a budget that excludes the purchase of larger boats, or they may want a pontoon boat for fishing or a power boat for wakeboarding. This can help narrow down the field or retailers and boat models, making the process easier. Then, on site, the buyer can look over new and used boats alike and ask questions to the sales associates.
A new boat will cost the most, but new boats share some of the same advantages as new cars or jets. A new boat will have no wear and tear or maintenance issues, and they will have modern standards for power and performance. New boats will also have modern features in them, and of course they will have their factory warranty in place.
For other buyers, used boats are a better call. Here again, buying a boat has some overlap with buying other types of used vehicles like cars. A used boat may offer some great savings and be bought at a discount price, but the buyer must look over and even test the boat first. A used boat may have some wear and tear, such as small cracks or holes in the hull, worn out electrical components, or even mussels or barnacles inside or on the boat. The buyer should also take the boat for a test drive to ensure that the motor is in fine working order, and the buyer can also get a feel for the boat’s steering and handling. Minor repairs can be done to patch up a boat, such as repainting it or replacing carpets. Boats have high-durability carpeting on them, and old carpeting can be torn up and replaced with new carpets bought at a marine supply store.
