MILLSBORO, De. - It's summertime and with lockdown restrictions being lifted, people are eager to gear up and head to the water. However, boat prices skyrocketed during the pandemic and the trend is showing no signs of slowing down.
Salesmen say prices are soaring these days because being on the water was a safe thing to do during COVID-19. Short's Marine's Sales Manager, Randy Sharrock, says his prices are still pretty high because he's backed up on orders from last year.
"And everything that we're selling now, for the most part, is orders. So we're staying very busy delivering the boats that we ordered for people in the wintertime and in the fall of last year," says Sharrock.
Not only are boat sales very high, but the owner of North Bay Marina, Scott McCurdy, says both used and new boats are low on inventory at his dealer.
"Our total inventory of new boats right now is a grand total of two. Typically, at this time a year, we would have 35 to 40 boats in stock," says McCurdy.
WiTH NO SIGNS OF THE DEMAND SLOWING DOWN, DEALERS SAY THEY ARE STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN INVENTORY, EVEN AS MANUFACTURES EXPAND PRODUCTION.