Builders Drop Anchor, Prices at Boat Show
With a trip to Ft. Lauderdale, you could soon be straight flowin' on a boat in the deep blue sea
By HANK TESTER and JANIE CAMPBELL
Updated 10:30 AM EST, Sat, Oct 31, 2009
Not everyone can be on a boat in this less-than-buoyant economy. While used boat sales are down just 2.7% in Broward County, new boat sales have plunged 32%.
That's not good news for new boat dealers. It is, however, good news for consumers.
"Everybody is willing to bend on the price," said Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show-goer Spence Spencer, who's looking to upgrade. "We will see how much they are willing to bend."
Bargaining is the thing at this year's Boat Show, where, though crowds are still thin, sales are up a bit thanks to first-time buyers with "a lot of cash on the sidelines," as Doreen Ernst from Dockside Corporate Services puts it.
Stephen Dougherty, president of Edgewater's Everglades Boat, has sold five since the show opened. "They were cold calls, just walked in," said Dougherty, who says that securing credit for customers is a challenge: it can be done but "sometimes I think the banks don't want to be in the bank business."
Dougherty comes from a family of boat builders that goes back several generations. He has seen these economic cycles before, and said the desire for sales fuels dealers' willingness to bargain.
He also expects to see more crowds this weekend. Anyone wanna take the under on nautically-themed scarves? No?
The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show runs through November 2nd.
First Published: Oct 30, 2009 4:10 PM EST
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