There’s Been A Surge In Boating, But Are Stormier Waters Ahead?

Clear blue skies, a nice summertime breeze and cruising down the Severn River have become a weekly and even daily occurrence for many residents of Severna Park in recent months. With people stuck inside their houses for days on end due to the ongoing pandemic, new safe ways to have fun outside were sought, and many people turned to boating.

Indeed, the boating industry has been experiencing an increase in popularity not seen in years. Nationwide, over 318,000 new boats were sold in 2020, a 13-year high for the industry. Alex Hazel, general manager of Atlantic Marinas, which operates the Ferry Point Marina on the Magothy River, said that the boom in the industry has been great, not just in selling more boats, but also bringing in an entirely new generation of boaters.

“The boating industry itself was becoming filled with a bunch of old-timers like myself,” he said. “What we’ve seen over the past couple of years is that this younger generation that wasn’t interested in boating has had all of their activities cut short and now they’ve dived into boating.”

Hazel explained that all three marinas Atlantic operates have had no problems filling docking slips since the pandemic started. And while many people have considered getting their own boats, boating clubs have become a popular alternative. The general manager of the Annapolis Boat Club, Dan Somerville, said that compared to 2019, he had to double the number of club spots in 2020 due to the increase in demand to go boating. “There was so much pent-up desire to get out in 2020 and that continues now,” Somerville explained.

However, both Hazel and Somerville stated that boating, like many other industries, is suffering through its own shortages of items. “Wear and tear on the equipment is up and it makes you evaluate your equipment inventory and think about whether you have enough to satisfy your customers,” Hazel explained. “The last thing you want to do is make these folks [wait] for prolonged periods of time to get these boats back in working order and on the water.”

Somerville added, “Right now we’re suffering through incredible supply chain issues, be it boats or engines, particularly engines with the chip shortage going on. For anyone who owns their own boat, if they have one little problem, they’re out for the season. If you placed an order at the Bay Bridge boat show back in April, you probably haven’t gotten your boat yet. Some people will be lucky to even be going out on the water on their new boat at the beginning of next season.”

But that isn’t the only concern Somerville feels the boating industry might be facing in the future, even once the pandemic ends. “My feeling is that there is going to be a huge amount of used boats available on the market and it will demolish prices,” he stated. “It’ll be a total reconfiguration of the industry because it’s a question of how long can the market sustain itself. Add to that, the potential for an increase in gas prices. No one’s going to be boating when gas is $6 a gallon.”

But for now, the market is soaring, and more people are spending their time out on the water. Only time will tell if choppier waters lay ahead for the industry.