Boating in the Lowcountry | Jim Duncan | July 2021
Like so many other products, if you are waiting for your new boat to arrive, you are not alone. If you’ve been shopping for a new or used boat, you know that there is very limited inventory.
And, if you do want to special order a new boat, you are likely looking at six months and up to a year or more for certain models.
Furthermore, if waiting is not hard enough, pricing for most boat manufacturers will rise 10% or more for the 2022 model year which begins now for many boat builders.
What is driving this unprecedented phenomenon? It all started with the pandemic. Early in 2020, most boat and engine manufacturers worried that we would enter an economic downturn.
That, coupled with social distancing, drove manufacturers to severely cut production. Meanwhile, looking for something to do outside with no cruise ships and airlines, families decided to buy a boat.
Throughout the spring, summer and fall of 2020, dealers continued to sell boats faster than they were coming in. The manufacturers did finally start to get back to full production to support this massive growth.
But other things came up to make it even worse from a supply point of view. Now, many manufacturers are producing boats far below their normal capacity due to severe supply issues.
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During the Charleston Boat Show in January 2021, many dealers didn’t even have enough boats to fill their booth and many of those were pre-sold.
At the show, all dealers pre-sold record numbers of incoming boats. Then, just after the show, a major freeze in Texas slowed production of fiberglass resin and many other plastic components.
Not too much time later, a massive cargo ship blocked the Suez Canal, bringing global goods transportation to a crawl. This created a severe ripple effect on the delivery of imported engines and parts.
The global shortage of computer chips has also contributed. If you do have a boat on order, be patient. Know that the manufacturer and your local dealer are doing everything they can to get your new boat to you.
Furthermore, the boat builders have a difficult time projecting when boats will complete because they can’t get good information from their suppliers.
Too often, we’ve had to make the phone call that another boat is delayed in production.
And, if you are contemplating getting a new boat next year, you should talk to your dealer now.
You won’t be able to find many boats on the lot, but with a little patience, you can get the boat special ordered just the way you want it and you won’t miss out next summer.
Jim Duncan,
Duncan’s Boats
4350 Bridge View Dr
North Charleston, SC
www.duncansboats.com | 843-744-2628
For more informative reading visit Duncan’s Boats Learning Center
