August Yacht Brokerage Sales Show Mixed Results

August 2015 was the third month in a row that yacht brokers reported incrementally improved results to SoldBoats.com. Sales were up 1% from the previous August as 2,908 boats were sold.

Brokers selling sailboats led the way with a 3% volume increase as 527 boats were sold. For July and August, sailboat sales were up 4%, although they remained lower for the year through August by 3% with 3,696 sold.

The total price paid for all boats sold in August declined by $22 million to $280.1 million, a result of superyacht sales (boats larger than 80 feet) that were 50% lower. Eleven superyachts were sold, compared with 22 in the same month last year.

Values were higher in four of the other five length segments, led by boats from 56 to 79 feet, which delivered $12.6 million more than the previous year, or $47.3 million, on the strength of a 23% rise in sales volume to 75 boats.

Sales of all boats under 45 feet were level or up incrementally; boats 46 to 55 feet sold for an aggregate price of $45.9 million, down 4% from the previous August despite a 1% gain in the number of sales.

One noteworthy category was boats under 26 feet, which had shown consistently lower sales this year; in August, 891 boats were sold, even with the previous August. The total price paid for boats in the category was also level at $21.3 million.

Through August, U.S. brokerage boat sales totaled 21,898, 1% less than a year earlier. The total value of sales was $2.65 billion, $97 million, or 4%, more than last year.

Source: John Burnham, YachtWorld posted on Trade Only Today