Registration numbers for the 15-foot-and-over U.S. powerboat market stayed on a four-month trend through November, with a slight uptick in numbers for freshwater fishboats. New-boat registrations were down 8.7% in November from the 12-month rolling average, marking a sustained four-month leveling of declines. Industry experts have suggested that such a trend would occur in most categories and rolling averages.
The data for new-boat registrations was provided by Info-Link, a Florida-based company that compiles registration numbers from the Coast Guard and individual states.
“The market is still tracking toward a slight recovery,” says Russell Baqir, senior vice president at Northpoint Commercial Finance. “If sales levels remain equal to last year or down only slightly, it will deplete aged inventory at the dealerships.”
This month, good numbers again came from the freshwater fishboat segment. That category was up 1.9% on a 12-month rolling average, and total units registered were 53,715. For November, unit sales were 2,235, up 2% from the previous year. It was the only category with improved monthly sales year-over-year.
On the downside, PWC, pontoon, runabout and towboat categories continued to suffer year-over-year, with drops of 15.5%, 12.8%, 13.4% and 10.9%, respectively, in their 12-month rolling averages. Each category also saw declines in monthly sales in November from last year’s numbers, the steepest in numbers of pontoons sold, down 18.8% in the month from November 2023 sales units.
“This recession hit the freshwater segment and the credit buyer hardest, evidenced by the 12-month trend, which looks daunting. However, as deals are made at boat shows and throughout the selling season and the aged inventory begins to sell off, the excess inventory capacity will continue to decline.”
Saltwater fishboat numbers have had a falling trendline, down 10.2% from their 12-month average. In November, before boat-show season got going, saltwater fishboats tallied sales of 1,118 units, down 12.1% from the same month in 2023. The category has yet to show signs of an uptrend.
For state figures, some markets are showing strength. In numbers of units, Texas led the way nationwide with 701 boats registered, marking a 13% increase over the same month in 2023. California had 399 new boats registered for a 57% increase for the month from the prior year. Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Washington, among a few other states, also posted positive year-over-year growth. Florida’s big market continues to be weak, with 1,543 units sold in the month, down 16% from the prior year’s numbers.
“The short-term economic situation is challenging, with credit-card debt now soaring to more than $1 trillion for the first time in U.S. history,” Baqir said. “The combination of having the election behind us, drops in the interest rate, continued reduction in inventory, and positive dealer and consumer sentiment at the boat shows should collectively position the marine industry for a solid 2026 model year ahead.”
