Sales volume declined 7 percent for U.S. yacht brokerages in June from the same month a year earlier.
Sales fell from 3,522 boats to 3,262, according to YachtWorld member brokers reporting in SoldBoats, their proprietary database. It was the fourth consecutive month in which YachtWorld has reported lower sales figures.
However, late reports by brokers on April and May sales reduced the reported declines during those months, and the May sales numbers ended up even with the previous May. Sales volume for the quarter was off 3 percent as 9,434 boats were sold.
The total value of the boats that were sold in June was $394.6 million, down 1 percent from $398.9 million a year earlier. The average sold price for each vessel rose 7 percent to $120,956.
Most of the sales decline in June was on the power side of the market, where 2,696 boats were sold, 9 percent fewer than the 2,950 that were sold during the month last year. The sailboat market was off by six boats, as 566 were sold, a 1 percent drop.
Slumping sales of boats under 35 feet were mainly responsible for the monthly volume drop. A total of 1,006 boats under 26 feet were sold and 1,256 were sold in the 26- to 35-foot range, each a 9 percent decline from the previous June.
Big-boat sales were down, too, especially boats from 46 to 55 feet, where the decline was from 189 to 168.
The best-performing segment was 36 to 45 feet, where sales were off only 1 percent as 738 boats were sold.
At the end of June, overall U.S. sales were 1 percent behind 2016 as 15,147 boats had been sold. The total value of sales was $2.17 billion, up 10 percent from 2016.
Average prices were up 11 percent, at $143,348, and the average number of days required to sell a boat declined by 3 percent — more than a week — to 256 days.
John Burnham is the managing editor of Boats Group.
A more detailed report summarizing recent U.S. brokerage sales will appear in the August issue of Soundings Trade Only.
