Boat sales growth still slow in May

Boat sales grew in May, albeit at a slower rate, according to the latest Info-Link Bellwether report.

According to Info-Link, the Bellwether report tracks sales of powerboats across the country based on new U.S. boat registrations on a rolling 12-month basis. Bellwether states are geographically dispersed states representing roughly half of the US boat market (varies by market segment and time of year).

Powerboat sales were up about 5 percent across all categories on a rolling basis for the 12 months ending in May, down slightly from over 5 percent growth in April and 6 percent growth in March. The growth rate has been mostly declining since its peak of 11 percent last year.

PWC sales were the strongest for the period, with sales up about 10 percent over the previous year. The sportfish segment was up just under 10 percent in May and the tow boat segment was up about 8 percent.

The outboard segment overall was up a little more than 6 percent for the period, on track with April’s growth. The sterndrive/jet segment was the only category to decline, with sales down about 2 percent from last year.