I plan to spend every bit as much time on the water this year as I did last year and the year before. Rafting up is free, and I'll just be fussier about how how far I go. That won't help Brunswick, though - I don't buy anything they make.....

Dustin at whipple has been very good to work with lately.He has gave me more service than anyone in the industry.We'll today if the ecus are better today.

This is my 56th year in the boat biz. I have seen the industry as a whole (hole?) tank time after time. For the average American, (especially wives), the need to own a boat is right up there with Faberge eggs and Beluga caviar. Guess who was the biggest loser in the last corporate boat company ownership purge. Yep, Brunswick! When times are good, the Marine Industry is an OK business. When times are tough, there is NO WAY that a large manufacturer can cope. God bless the 'lucky sperm club' and the .com whiz kids for keeping our little lunatic fringe afloat..........

From here it looks like a big bell curve that started in 1920, peaked in the 80s and will end about 2030.
So this would be the backside of the historically short-lived phenomenon called recreational power boating.

High end performance boat sales are still doing very, very well. When you spend $200k++ on a boat gas is not a large factor. It is not all doom and gloom out there.

Gee that never happens. It is NOT WORTH the aggravation. Boat manufactures and part manufactures can not identify who the worthwhile customers really are. As a result they alienate these customers and we lose interest.

Brad while i agree with you, a mfg cannot live on a few sale sa year unless their $$ go into to the atmosphere, lets face it the masses, Boats between 15K-150K help sustain our hobby and that is where they really make their money, that market is going to fall flat. Someone who spends 30K on a boat is not going to do it if it costs them $400 a weekend in gas,

Gas used to be an expense like the eletric bill or water, now its more like a house payment if you boat every weekend

WILL

It was cool while it lasted. Glad that I got to experience it. Not expecting the roar of hp boats when I am an old man. Still expecting the slap of rigging against masts though.

People are finding new hobbies that are not a second job and a huge expense.

Looking forward to my second weekend boatless.

Never knew that I would have free time and spare cash again.

It's actually very nice.

Bite your tongue!

They can take my boat when they pry my cold dead fingers off the throttles.

The only reason I like spare cash is to spend it on boats, and all my spare time, I'd rather be farting around with, or driving a boat.

I have always loved boats as long as I can remember. I used to dam up the road gutter when it rained, so I could pull my plastic boat on a string through the lakes I made.

When my obsession with boats goes away, they can go ahead and start shoveling dirt on my face. I don't want a casket when I go, just set me adrift in an old hull.

Hmmm...

Gas prices are a concern, but, I think most just won't travel as far and still have fun. As someone already said-"rafting is free".

Rising interest rates are affecting not only financing a boat, but ,also, NOW, home equity loan payments are going up, mortgage payments are going up. Of course, that affects the real estate market, which alot of people are invested in. Now, the values are rising at a much slower pace (if not declining), which puts quite a bit of uncertainty in the economic outlook in general (not to mention the conflict in the Middle East!).

Insurance costs are rediculous, too.

Last, prices of boats are going up every year.