Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/792771
34 | Boating Industry | March 2017 www.BoatingIndustry.com /// Market Trends /// today. You will see a growing number of center console boats used, and the size of those boats is growing – to the extent that twin engine boats are common, and even triple engines are found occasionally." While versatility remains key, the sporty styl- ing of center console boats also helps attract buy- ers, says Stickler. "The styling is appealing, and it's appeal- ing on a universal level," he said. "Aging baby boomers have begun downsizing to some de- gree, and they're trading down from big cruisers to center consoles." But aging boomers aren't the only buying co- hort attracted to center consoles, notes Robert Sass, national sales and marketing manager at Carolina Skiff. Millennials are increasingly mak- ing their influence felt, and are driving the de- mand for technological innovation. "Millennial buyers may not be making the actual purchase, but there is no question they are influencing purchases," he said. "What we're seeing are customers coming in who have clearly done their research, and they probably know as much about the boat as the dealer does. Millen- nials are highly tech-savvy, and they're far more likely to solicit input for multiple sources, so the product knowledge on the part of the buyer is higher than ever. So when they walk into a dealership to make their purchase, they know every option for the model they're interested in. They've read the material and they've done their homework. They're also able to give us some interesting feedback that helps us identify what features or elements of the boat are most important to them." Innovation continues to drive the market Virtually all manufacturers agree that the adop- tion of technology to make the ownership ex- perience easier has been a key factor in growing demand for saltwater fishing boats. While ad- vances in outboard power have improved fuel economy while reducing emissions, the real at- traction for buyers lies in how technology makes the boats easier to operate. With families, businesses and demanding personal schedules, the reality is that few boat- ers today are able to spend anywhere near as much time on the water as they would like. The result is that innovations such as joystick dock- ing appeal to boaters with limited leisure time, allowing them to enjoy their boat without being concerned that their skills may not be up to scratch when the time comes to dock in current or a stiff breeze. "The level of innovation we see today, and in center consoles in particular, is truly amaz- ing and much of it is geared directly toward the more casual, family boater," said Stickler. "Fea- tures like joystick controls and digital switching make operation extremely easy, and that's ap- pealing not only to new boaters, but to boaters who aren't able to spend as much time on the water as they would like. It's easy to clean the boat at the end of the day; you just wash it down and walk away. There's a lot less maintenance commitment. People have limited time, and they want to spend that time enjoying the boat, not cleaning it." "I don't know anyone who wakes up on a nice Saturday morning and thinks great, I can spend 14 hours cleaning my boat today," quips Maxwell. "People want to spend their time boating, not cleaning the boat or working on the boat. "They just want to get in and go, so ease of maintenance and carefree ownership experience is huge. Center consoles provide that. You just rinse the boat out with the transom shower and go home and enjoy your evening. You're not cleaning the cabin out for hours at the end of the day. People don't have time to do that, and let's face it, no one really wants to do that. So a major part of the appeal of center consoles is that they're so easy to maintain." The ease of operation and ease of mainte- nance gives saltwater fishing models even further appeal with boat clubs, who serve casual boaters with fractional ownership arrangements. "It makes them a good fit for boat clubs or other shared ownership models, which have been effective in attracting people who oth- erwise might not be ready to purchase a boat themselves," says Stickler. The look ahead Although the superlative growth of the salt- water fishing category has been driven by in- novation, one of the byproducts of constant improvement is that it tends to shorten product life cycles – as evidenced by the super-short shelf life of cell phones, laptops and other technology-rich products. The potential for technology to date product more quickly is something all manufacturers in the saltwater segment are being careful to avoid. "Builders all want to be the first out with something new, something better, and prod- uct life cycles are shortening as a result," said Ward. "Enhancements and refreshes are hap- pening more quickly and that will likely con- tinue as technology continues to evolve at such a great speed. "Obviously a shorter product cycle has an impact on profitability, but growing sales vol- umes offset that and, frankly, justify it. I think if you look at the cost of retooling a boat, there's incentive to design boats with an eye to future development. And customers are OK with that. If you have a proven hull that's seaworthy and dry and comfortable to ride in, there's no issue with continuing to use that hull and focusing changes on the insides of the boat. Growing sales drive manufacturers to build better boats, and that in turn drives stronger demand." The challenge of coping with shorter prod- uct cycles is being offset to some degree by high demand leading to a tightening of the inventory pipeline. Where sales staff once sold from the dealership's inventory, today boats are being sold before they even come off the production line. "What we're seeing now is that supply line is shrinking," Maxwell said. "We're seeing more retail boats in our build schedule, they're being sold to the end user long before they ever reach the dealership." Sustained consumer interest in saltwater fishing product through the winter boat shows suggests this category will continue to experi- ence strong growth for the foreseeable future. With their low maintenance, attractive fuel economy and growing versatility, saltwater fishing boats are becoming as ubiquitous as the family SUV. "What we're seeing are customers coming in who have clearly done their research, and they probably know as much about the boat as the dealer does." — Robert Sass, national sales and marketing manager at Carolina Skiff