IF YOU’VE TRIED to buy a boat in the last few years, only to watch your summer plans sink to the bottom of a 12-month wait list, take heart: 2023 is looking like a more normal year for boat markets. We spoke with boat dealers and industry experts across the country to get the scoop on availability, pricing, and what’s hot in 2023.
The boating boom
“When the pandemic landed on our shores, and we suddenly couldn’t gather, we saw gangbusters interest in boating,” says Jim Wielgosz, the interim executive director at the National Marine Manufacturers Association Canada (NMMA Canada), a trade association for boat, engine, and accessory manufacturers. “Many of those people were first-time boaters.”
“No one could have predicted the surge of demand,” says Chris (a boat listings site) and (boating news and information). “It created a supply issue, particularly for new boat builders. They could build part of a boat, but then seats, cleats, steering wheels, and parts became an issue. Dealers went from selling boats to basically taking orders.”
