Denison Yacht Sales

Maryland Boaters May See Hike in State Boating Fees

Denison — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:55:33 +0000

A Maryland proposal to raise boat registration fees for the first time in nearly 30 years has dismayed many boat owners.

A bill filed in Annapolis would replace the flat $24 boat registration fee paid every 2 years with fees ranging from $50 to $700, depending on the size of the boat or yacht. The increases would be phased in over 4 years, beginning in October 2012 for Maryland’s 191,000 registered powerboat and sailboat owners.

“What’s the benefit? Or is it just one more way to raise revenue for the state? No wonder people move out of Maryland,” said Jesse Buckwalter, who keeps his 25′ sportfish in the driveway of his home in the Eastport section of Annapolis. “It seems exorbitant.”

The money would go to replenish the Maryland’s Waterway Improvement Fund and pay for maritime safety efforts.

The measure is the latest proposed fee increase by the O’Malley administration as Maryland looks to make up for lost revenue and maintain services in a weak economy. Other controversial proposals include the governor’s plan to increase the so-called “flush tax” on water use to pay for sewage treatment improvements and to extend Maryland’s 6% sales tax to gasoline.

Maryland last attempted to increase boat registration fees in 2007, but the proposal died in committee. “We’re not doing this to create something new; we’re doing this so that we can maintain what we have,” said Bob Gaudette, director of the Department of Natural Resources boating services, citing the need to keep channels and boat ramps safe and reliable.

Under the plan, the registration for a boat under 16′ would rise to $50 every two years by 2016. Registering a boat from 16′ to 32′ — the most popular size in Maryland — would cost $125. Vessels 32′ to 45′ would cost $250. Vessels 45′ to 65′ would cost $500. The registration fee for the approximately 52 yachts over 65′ would be $700. All of the new fees would be paid every 2 years.

Graduated registration fees based on yacht size are used in a number of states, including Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey.

In addition to the registration fees, state officials are asking to raise the annual cost of a boat dealer license from $25 to $100. That fee was last changed in 1965.

The proposed fee increase didn’t sit well with some of the state’s boat and yacht owners, who said it could lead to reductions in the number of boat owners and eat away at marine businesses that contribute to the state’s economy, recreation and flavor.

The increases would lead to diminishing returns, said Paul Spadaro of Severna Park, president of the Magothy River Association and owner of three boats ranging from 19′ to 36′. Marylanders would own fewer vessels, and marine businesses would take a hit: fewer boat sales, fewer slip rentals, less maintenance and repair work and a need for fewer boat furnishings, he said.

“I would get rid of 2 of my boats and just go down to one,” Spadaro said. “The rate is too outrageous, the jump is way too far. You can’t go from $12 to $240 or whatever.”

A reduction in the increase would be needed, he said, to make the idea palatable to most boat owners, who’ve seen fuel and other boat costs rise.

The proposed fee would be hard on the state’s commercial fishermen, many of whom have more than one boat, said Larry Simns, president of the Maryland Watermen’s Association. The group represents 6,000 working watermen and other members. Simns said he’d prefer to have the department cut costs.

“The economy is bad all around,” he said. “It will be hard for anybody to have to pay. Every time you add a cost, it doesn’t seem like much, but when you add it up it’s a lot. It takes food off the table.”

The state’s Waterway Improvement Fund, used to dredge boating channels, maintain launch ramps and navigational aids, and pay for some of the activities of Natural Resources Police, has been depleted by the bad economy. The fund is replenished primarily through a 5 percent excise tax on vessel sales. But falling boat sales caused revenue to drop from $30 million in 2005 to $15 million last year, according to the state budget.

Meanwhile, the cost of capital projects mandated by state law is about $21 million a year and the Department of Natural Resources’ boating-related operating expenses are $14 million, state records show.

Since 2006, the state also has taken on more of the cost of dredging boating channels previously maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps no longer has the funds to pay $6 million to dredge 60 of the state’s shallow-water channels used by recreational vessels.

“There’s virtually no money left to continue capital projects,” Gaudette said.

The state has eliminated about 500 buoys and markers and cut staff, but it did little to slow the drain on the fund.

House Bill 1307, which will be heard by the Environmental Matters Committee, would raise $11.2 million, closing the budget gap by half.

If that means improvements for the Chesapeake Bay, Capt. “Walleye” Pete Dahlberg, a full-time fishing guide who also works part-time fishing striped bass commercially, said he is all for it. The increase to $125 for his boat represents about a quarter tank of gas.

“I don’t have a problem with it, because what’s a few more bucks,” Dahlberg said. “I’m going to be on the water regardless, and would not be raising rates because of this.”

The plan would raise registration fees for boats in Maryland from the current $24 two-year rate. The proposed fees depend on a vessel’s length:

•Boats under 16 feet (71,702 in state): $50

•Boats from 16 to 32 feet (104,438 in state): $125

•Boats 32 to 45 feet (15,126 in state): $250

•Boats 45 to 65 feet (1,914 in state): $500

•Boats over 65 feet (52 in state): $700

Source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources & The Baltimore Sun

Felipe Lobón – Yacht Marketing Intern

Denison — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:27:49 +0000

Felipe grew up in a family where being on a boat wasn’t really optional. Having spent the better part of his childhood on or near the water in Venezuela, whether visiting Los Roques Archipelago on his family’s 53’ Defever or La Orchila island on his grandfather’s 83’ Burger, Felipe has always felt at home in the Caribbean.

When his family moved to South Florida it was only natural that his obsession with the sea continue. He spent six summers at Sea Camp in Big Pine Key and has a personal best record of 137 consecutive days at the beach during his senior year of High-school. Felipe particularly enjoys kayaking and windsurfing when out on the water and deep-water fishing on his 25’ Boston Whaler.

He Joined Denison Yacht Sales as a Marketing intern shortly after graduating from “The U” (University of Miami) in 2011 with a double degree in advertising and literature and quickly became a marketing assistant thereafter. Felipe is glad to be a part of Denison’s growing crew.

California Boating Department Fights to Stay Alive

Denison — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:32:56 +0000

Recreational Boaters of California hand-delivered to the state capitol stacks of the 1,227 letters from those opposing a proposal to eliminate California’s Department of Boating and Waterways.

Letters were delivered to the governor as well as Democratic and Republican leaders in the state Senate and Assembly. Eliminating Cal Boating has already been rejected four times, when it was proposed by Gov. Pete Wilson in 1992 and 1996, and when it was proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003 and 2009, according to RBOC.

The California Boating Department, they said, creates jobs, provides accountability and transparency and gives the state’s 4 million “boating enthusiasts” a department with a director whose primary focus is boating and yachting.

“While we understand the importance of finding savings during these difficult times, eliminating Cal Boating would not help resolve the state’s fiscal problems and would jeopardize programs and services which the boating community has determined to be essential and is willing to finance,” the group said.

“California’s boating community urges you to withdraw your proposal to eliminate the Department of Boating and Waterways Cal Boating.”

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January Brings Increase in U.S. Brokerage Sales

Denison — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:39:18 +0000

Compared to January 2011, U.S. yacht brokerage sales increased in January 2012 by 4%, and total valuation of the boats sold rose by 9%. According to sales reported by YachtWorld member yacht brokerage firms, 1,628 boats, yachts, and sailboats changed hands last month for an aggregate price of $193 million. Compared to December 2011, sales in January were also higher by 4%; total value was just about level.

Larger yachts continued to sell well in January. Sales of boats over 55′ increased 24%, with 68 boats sold, and valuation of sales rose 27% to $78 million. The superyacht segment of that group contributed about $12 million to the valuation gains, with 13 boats over 80′ sold, compared to 9 a year earlier.

Boat sales also increased in the mid-sized categories of 36 to 45 feet, up 7% to 368 boats, and 46 to 55 feet, up 11% to 103 boats. Among boats under 26′, sales increased as well, gaining 7%, to 503 boats; however, among boats 26 to 35 feet, sales declined 3 percent to 568 boats.

Average sale prices were relatively level among most sizes of boats, except among boats under 26′ and boats 46 to 55′. While more boats were sold in each category, total sales value declined; this lowered the average price for the small boats from $20,000 to $18,300 and for the larger boats from $305,000 to $241,000. The latter is a big jump, but keep in mind the relatively small sample size (103 boats) and that there’s a wide range of pricing for boats 46 to 55′.

Looking at the chart of monthly sales for 2012 versus 2011 and a 5-year average for 2008-2012, the sale of 1,628 boats last month was above the 1,541-boat January average, and it was second only to January 2008 when 1,662 boats were sold. The lowest number of boats sold in the month over the 5-year span was in 2009, when 1,247 boats changed hands.

Source: John Burnham, Dominion Marine Media.

Austin Parker 42′ Sport

Denison — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:52:13 +0000