Jeff Bezos isn’t the only one spending big on a new boat.
Boat sales and rentals spiked in 2020 as Americans searched for pandemic-friendly summer activities, and it doesn’t look like interest has fallen off yet this year.
Charity Garey, co-owner of Lakeshore Marina in Chattanooga, Tennessee, told WRCB-TV that they’ve been completely booked with boat renters all weekend.
“All the dealerships are sold out of boats, there’s not many left,” Garey told the outlet. “If you can get one, buy one.”
The National Marine Manufacturers Association says powerboat sales hit a 13-year high in 2020, with 310,000 new vessels sold, up 12 percent from the previous year. Sales have waned slightly this year, but remain higher than pre-pandemic levels, the NMMA said.
As of February, shipments of new powerboats were up 23 percent compared with the 2020 average, and up 9 percent compared with the 2019 average. Pontoon boats, wake sport boats and jet boats were among the most popular types sold in February.
The National Marine Manufacturers Association reported that powerboat sales hit a 13-year high in the year 2020 amid the pandemic.Getty Images/iStockphoto
With demand surging for new boats, manufacturers can’t keep up. NMMA’s senior director of
