Economic Climate of Yachting This Summer

Up in this area most of the independent captains are working other jobs and captaining on their days off. I'm lucky enough to be keeping fairly busy, but , where in previous years my summer would be mostly booked by January, this year it's mostly calls just a few days in advance. In May I had to get a summer slip for a 50 footer. Normally I'd expect to be laughed at. Instead I was given my choice of 3. I'm seeing a fair number of under 30' boats on the water, but few 30'-60'. The large yachts in Sag Harbor seem to be staying put or cruising local more.

I would say here in Annapolis that the big boat traffic has been busier than normal in June. The Yacht basin was pretty much full for big boats thru 4th of July. The difference I am seeing is in the smaller 30-60' transient groups. The slips for them never seem to be sold out, their traffic is a bit off. Most of the local big boats are business as usual.

From what I've seen, the big boats don't seem to be leaving the dock quite as much and the cruising seems more local although I don't spend my time keeping track of them. What are others seeing and how about the charter yachts?

I just drove by Rybovich this morning. There were only a handful of boats in the yard for work and most of the slips in the marina were vacant. Of course, summer is when boats sail.

I was in Lauderdale for the July 4th weekend. Cruised by Sunrise Harbor, Bahia Mar, Pier 66 and the Grande. The usual assortment of big boats were present (by summertime standards), but traffic on the waterway was way-off. Very few boats cruising the intracoastal. And I counted no more than 70 boats offshore to watch fireworks.

However, boating along the intracoastal in Palm Beach is bustling. Center-consoles rule and on any given weekend, you'll see 100's of them. Peanut Island remains a popular destination, as well as the sandbars in Jupiter, Tequesta and on up into Stuart.

Sea Ray had one of their Aqua-Palooza events in Lake Boca this past weekend. I heard the turnout was good, but I didn't attend. Overall, small boat traffic has increased noticeably over last year, which seems directly attributable to gas prices.

Considering that 30' to 60' is where the big sales and big money is, and center console owners tend to hang onto their boats much longer than cruisers I'd say the summer is shaping up just about as expected. It's a good time to be in a different business. The only rub is finding anywhere money is being made.
Although the large yacht market is still doing fair I have to wonder where they will be in say 5 years with workers in every area of the field leaving. This recession is going to have some long term effects.

The Hudson River has been extraordinarily quiet through the highlands. Am thinking of using an old laptop to host an AIS receiving station, but there really isn't enough traffic to make it anything other than a vanity project.

I'm south of Annapolis, Deale, and see the about the same here. Although I think we do have a lot more people using their boats than last year when fuel was over $4.00 a gallon. I was out with a friend today and he hadn't taken the boat out at all last year, he has had it out several times this year including a week cruise north with his wife. We are planning one for over Columbus day week-end and have been out about every other week end this year, but if I didn't own the boat I won't buy one in this climate.

From Sag Harbor, NY, we're OK. But here the destination is everything as the Hamptons are all within minutes of Sag and Sag itself is probably one of the best boating towns in the Northeast as far as being able to walk off the boat and enjoy yourself.

As such, all the marinas in Sag had waiting lists and all of them raised their prices this summer. Transients can look forward to the $5.50/ft/night rate, up from $5.25 last summer.

There has been a steady stream of big boats through and only an occasional empty slip as boats make jaunts out and about.

The moorings outside the breakwater are never full as they're more exposed to the weather, but there have been several larger boats anchored out pretty much full time.

I just brought a boat out from Brewer's Capri in Port Washington and they seemed full as well.

Newport was bustling last weekend with constant boat traffic to/from the docks and lots and lots of people out in the bay sailing/motoring around.