Info-Link: February boat sales continue growth trend

Powerboat sales continued their upward climb in February, according to the latest data from Info-Link.

February sales were up almost 10 percent year-over-year on a rolling 12 month basis, putting some data behind the anecdotal reports of a strong start to boat show season.

The Bellwether report tracks boat sales across the country based on new U.S. boat registrations. Bellwether states are geographically dispersed states representing roughly half of the US boat market (varies by market segment and time of year).

By market segment, there was little change, with every segment with the exception of sterndrives showing year-over-year gains from 2014.

As they have since early 2014, PWC lead the charge, with sales up more than 20 percent in the latest report. The segment has been posting double-digit growth since April 2014.

The ski boat and outboard sportfish segments also continue to be strong, with sales up by about 15 percent in both.

Overall outboard sales were up just over 10 percent, while sterndrive/jet sales were down about 4 percent year-over-year.