It’s no secret that the past year turned out to be very unpredictable and difficult. The pandemic, like a huge tsunami wave, demolished the entire tourist, and not only, business on its way. And if grocery supermarkets only won in the first months of the total lockdown, then the entertainment and travel industry, especially the luxury segment, simply fell out as a class.
Yachting also did not immediately accept the new rules of the game. However, after a few months, those who were able to quickly adjust to the new circumstances reoriented themselves and turned the situation in their favor. Water lovers realized that a yacht is a great place for self-isolation, and just a way to relax on the weekend.
As a rule, if you want to charter a boat, it must be done several weeks in advance — in the case of a small boat, and 6-8 months in advance if it is a large superyacht. When it comes to buying, these numbers should be safely multiplied by about two. But with the onset of the pandemic, the delivery times for yachts have increased so much that it is extremely difficult to predict these data.
For those who want to buy yachts, this means only one thing — crazy demand. The market for yachts, not only new ones, but also used yachts, has just heated up to the limit. Indeed, in 2020, sales were the highest in the last 15 years, and in a few months of 2021, the numbers even broke all records. And a tendency towards a decrease in interest is not yet foreseen. The warehouses of local, and not only local, dealers are empty, and shipyards have long ceased to cope with the flow of orders.
Leading engine manufacturers, such as Mercury or Volvo, simply cannot meet such volumes of new requests, so today shipyards go to all sorts of tricks, for example, they actively sell boats without motorization, and those orders in which there was a full «complete set» are canceled or postponed. this is especially true for boats with stationary motors. Or they offer hangers for those boats that were originally designed specifically for a stationary one. Manufacturers such as Chris-Craft or Bayliner have always offered their boats with both inboard and outboard motors, but these are numerous hull tests and several modifications to the swim platform, as opposed to «optimized» boats during the pandemic. But even outboards are now being pulled out from under the floor, using every imaginable and unthinkable connection — and you have to pay virtually triple the price.
Some yachting enthusiasts got their bearings in time, and began to prepare since last year — having made an early pre-order, they will receive their «sleigh» this summer. The rest, unfortunately, will be left without a boat, because for this season it is almost impossible to buy anything. Unless, a single second-hand, which is not a fact that is right for you. And even here a similar rule comes into play: the earlier you make a deal, the more time you will have to prepare the ship for the season.
Pre-orders are accepted from the beginning of the year with delivery for the 2022 season, however, the bestsellers are almost completely sold out, and deliveries to customers will begin no earlier than 2023! Draw your own conclusions, and most importantly — pre-order so as not to miss the next season!
