Yacht Sales Down Slightly in February

Unit sales in the U.S. yacht brokerage market continue to track closely with 5-year monthly averages. As in other recent months, February brokerage unit sales came in slightly under the 5-year average and below sales from the same month a year earlier.

YachtWorld.com member yacht brokerage firms reported selling 1,699 boats in February, down 48 boats, or 3%, from February 2010. The total valuation of sales was off $36 million, or 16%.

For the first two months of this year, unit sales are down 2.5%, with 3,267 boats sold; total valuation is lower by 10%, with $365 million in yacht sales. Powerboat sales were up a few boats in February, compared with February of last year, and are 1% higher for the year to date.

Where the market has slipped is in sailboat sales, which dropped 15% in February, from 361 boats to 307, much as it did in January.

In valuation by boat type, a different trend emerges. Although powerboats are selling reasonably well, the total value of their selling prices was off 20% in February and is down 12% for the year to date, with sales of $311 million.

By comparison, despite selling fewer boats in February, brokers of sailboats reported a valuation increase of 15%, to $31 million. For the two months combined, although 110 fewer sailboats have sold than a year earlier, total valuation is flat at $54 million.

In different size ranges, the strongest category, compared with 2010, was the 46′-55′ yacht category, selling 103 boats, a gain of 13% from February 2010. Sales valuation in that category was up 5%, to $30 million. For the year to date, the category is up 7% in units and 4% in valuation.

Most of the smaller size categories have shown small changes, compared with the first two months of last year. As usual, the largest size range, yachts over 55′, has been the most volatile in terms of valuation. Big-boat unit sales for 2011 have been relatively steady at 112 boats, down 7 from 2010, but the value of the boats sold has not, dropping 25%, to $125 million.

— John Burnham, Soundings TradeOnly