Demand for boats in B.C. so high, dealers running out

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The itch for a getaway ahead of another long weekend in B.C. during the pandemic has many people turning to the water to stay close to home. So many people are in the market for boats right now, dealers have pre-sold a lot of their stock.

Bruce Hayne, executive director of the Boating BC Association says the demand started going up last year, which makes sense given the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They’re looking for ways to get outdoors, recreate with their family safely in isolation, and boating is the perfect way to do that,” he said.

According to Hayne, demand for all sorts of boats, including kayaks, paddle boats, and even pleasure crafts like sailboats and yachts has essentially continued, non-stop, even as the supply chain took a hit.

“There are dealers that have pre-sold all their inventory that’s coming in, for at least the first part of the year and perhaps the whole year, depending on the lines that they’re carrying,” he said.

Related story: Please be responsible if you can’t resist the call of the water during COVID-19: Boating BC

So, people are turning to the used boat market, which Hayne says is increasing the prices of second-hand vessels.

“It indicates that people want to be outdoors. They realize that they’re probably not going to Europe or Disneyland in the foreseeable future,” he explained.

While a second-hand boat could be a good option, Hayne recommends looking into a new one first.

“The retailers are only going to sell product that is mechanically sound and solid when they get out in the water,” he said.

Numbers from Transport Canada suggest there was a 67 per cent increase in the number of pleasure craft operator cards issued in 2020 compared to 2019.

As boat sales rise, space to store them is falling

Meanwhile, as dealers run out of boats to sell, marina managers also say they have no space for new owners to dock them.

Amber Robertson at Montague Harbour on Galiano says her waitlist currently has nearly 80 names on it.

“December 2019, I was at 46. So, just in the last year, that’s almost doubled. We’ve definitely noticed a lot of new faces on the water, new boats and lots more people asking where do we keep these boats?”

She says most of the current people using the marina are from the Lower Mainland, but a few are from the U.S. or Alberta, and depending on marina staff “we just keep an eye on them” until they’re allowed to come back.

“We talked to quite a few people who are purchasing a boat in the next week, and they’re looking for moorage right now. Whereas, I’ve got people on my waitlist from 2014, so I think a lot of the new buyers might not be expecting that sort of gridlock when they are looking for a new spot,” Robertson says.

Other marina operators in West Vancouver are reporting waitlists with as many as 300 people on them.

Robertson advises new boat owners to get creative in creating a space to store their boat, adding there are a few properties on the island that will offer dry storage in their yard while you’re away for the season.