Boat Buyers Seek Fun, Safety during Pandemic

 

American Brandon Mitchell had big plans for this summer. He planned to travel from his home in Maine to visit relatives in Michigan. He also wanted to take his wife and three children to Walt Disney World in Florida. But the coronavirus pandemic changed those plans.

So, he and the family bought a boat instead.

"We're going to take [to] the sea. There's so much to explore," Mitchell said. "It'll get us the recreation and the escape that we're not going to be able to get anywhere else."

A growing number of Americans like Mitchell are looking to the water during the coronavirus pandemic. And that is good news for the boat industry.

From Maine to California, boat dealers² are reporting a record number of sales. Boat sales began rising in the spring in warm-weather states before expanding to other parts of the country, like Maine and Minnesota. Ports and boat repair shops are flooded by the wave of interest. There also are waiting lists for slips, places to keep boats at ports.

Matt Gruhn is with the Marine³ Retailers⁴ Association⁵ of the Americas, an industry group. He told The Associated Press that a recent study showed more than 70% of boat dealers were either completely out of boats or had very few left.

The reason is simple: People are looking for something to do and a safe place to go at a time when COVID-19 has raised safety concerns. Oceans and lakes are good places for people to socially distance while having fun at the same time.

"I've never seen anything like this," said Rob Soucy from Port Harbor⁶ Marine, a business which describes itself as Maine's biggest boat dealer¹. "Since the end of April, we've seen boat sales at historic⁷ levels."

At one point, requests for boats from his company were up 300 to 400 percent. Soucy said he expects to sell about 1,000 boats this year. That is about 200 more boats than usual.

"It's like wildfire. People are searching for ways to get on the water," said Tracy Coughlin from the Yarmouth Boat Yard, also in Maine.

Coughlin said sales are up 65% at Yarmouth Boat Yard and a sister company, Moose Landing⁸ Marina in Naples, Maine. She added that the single biggest month for sales growth has been June, when sales increased 85 percent.

Boats come in all sizes, shapes, and prices. A new aluminum⁹ fishing boat with an outboard engine might cost $10,500, while a 13-meter long cruiser could cost up to $900,000.

But with vacation travel canceled and other activities on hold, many people are ready to escape on the water.

Chris DiMillo is president and founder¹⁰ of DiMillo's Yacht¹¹ Sales in Portland, Maine. He told The Associated Press, "Our inventory¹² in the market in general is as thin as I've seen. We're getting calls from people who said they'd never buy a boat. And now they're buying boats."

In Southern California, sales are up 40 to 50 percent at Marina del Rey Yacht Sales, near Los Angeles, and the Long Beach Yacht Center, said owner Steve Curran.

"I've been in the business for 50 years, so I've seen lots of ups and downs. I certainly was not expecting this," he said.

But with all the new boaters, there are safety concerns that do not directly come from the coronavirus.

The United States Coast Guard advises safety classes for new boaters. But in-person training has been hard to find this summer because of the pandemic. Some boaters have discovered safety classes online.

Chris Edmonston is president of the BoatUS Foundation¹³ for Boating Safety and Clean Water in Annapolis, Maryland. He said, "We want people to be out on the water enjoying themselves, but everyone has to take into account safety."

Boating is a nice activity for those who had to cancel other activities, such as missed summer camps, sports programs or other events. Boating gives families a chance to get away from land, remove face masks and enjoy themselves.

I'm Jonathan Evans.

Words in This Story

cruiser – n. a boat that has room to live on and that is used for pleasure

inventory – n. a supply of goods that are stored in a place

masks – n. coverings used to protect your face or cover your mouth

outboard – adj. located on or toward¹⁴ the outside of a vehicle such as an airplane or ship

pandemic – n. an occurrence¹⁵ in which a disease¹⁶ spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world

recreation – n. something people do to relax or have fun : activities done for enjoyment

1 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

2 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

3 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

4 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

5 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

6 harbor   

n.海港，港口；vt.庇护，藏匿；心怀(怨恨等)

参考例句：

• The harbor lies to the south of the city.港口在城市的南边。
• At that time,our ship was tied up at this harbor.当时我们的船停靠在这个港口。

7 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

8 landing   

n.登陆；着陆；楼梯平台

参考例句：

• Owing to engine trouble,the plane had to make a forced landing.由于发动机出了毛病，飞机不得不进行迫降。
• When are we landing?我们什么时候着陆？

9 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

10 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

11 yacht   

n.游艇，快艇

参考例句：

• He was responsible for the location of the missing yacht.他负责查明失踪游艇的下落。
• He planned to cross the Pacific by yacht.他曾打算乘快艇横渡太平洋。

12 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

13 foundation   

n.[pl.]地基；基础；基金会；建立，创办

参考例句：

• The foundation of the university took place 600 years ago.这所大学是600年前创办的。
• The Foundation gives money to help artists.那家基金会捐款帮助艺术家。

14 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

15 occurrence   

n.发生，出现，事件，发生的事件

参考例句：

• Two things account for its occurrence.发生这件事的原因有两个。
• For a military commander，winning or losing a battle is a common occurrence.胜败乃兵家常事。

16 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。