In the second half of May, the recreational boating industry rode a small wave of positivity that could be attributed in part to the arrival of summerlike weather and to the traditional start of the season, Memorial Day.

Sales were off by 3.8% compared with the same month in 2022, with 19,000 units this year compared with 19,748, but that’s closer than the industry has seen in recent memory. The same goes for year-to-date numbers of 65,180 new-boat registrations in 2023 versus 76,521, a difference of 14.8%.

“April was a concerning month, so May was better for us,” says Chad Lyon, managing director of marine and RV for Wells Fargo. “It felt like the last week of the month was especially strong.”

Aluminum fish continued its run on the positive side with 4,088 new boats registered in May, up 7.6% from 3,800 the previous year. Yachts from 41 to 65 feet were up 7.7%, with 56 registered this May versus 52 in 2022. The biggest jump came from the other end of the size spectrum, personal watercraft. This segment saw 11,095 units registered in May, a 34.4% jump from 8,254 last year.

The data was provided by Statistical Surveys, a Michigan-based firm that compiled information from 37 states, representing about 77.45% of the U.S. recreational boating market.

“For our numbers specifically, runabouts and yachts were the best performing,” Lyon says. “Salt fish was good, premium runabouts were strong, and the yachts were incredibly strong.” This is an indicator that the people who have the money are spending the money.

Pontoon boats took a step toward previous popularity levels with 7,459 new models registered in May, a 4.8% difference from 2022’s 7,833. Outboard-powered fiberglass boats also closed the gap from previous months to a 4% difference with 5,233 units in May compared with 5,449 last year. Bowriders and deckboats had 705 new registrations this year, a 10.6% drop compared with 789 in 2022.

Ski and wake, a category that rode a wave of popularity during the pandemic, has normalized, with 1,361 sold in May, a 20.5% drop from 1,711 the previous year.

Following PWC’s lead, jetboats were up this May with 596 registered, a 13.1% increase compared with 2022’s 527. Electric boats were also on the plus side, with 29 registered in May, a 20.8% boost over 24 in the previous year. Sailboats were down 37.7%, with 119 sold in May compared with 191 the same month a year prior. The All Others category posted positive numbers with 2,570 registered in May, a 26.4% jump from 2022’s 2,034.

Looking at overall registrations, there were 33,992 new boats nationwide in May. Florida led the way with 4,677, followed by Minnesota at 2,648, Michigan’s 2,644, Texas with 2,245 and New York at 1,877. 

This article was originally published in the August 2023 issue.