Trends for American and European boat manufacturers

Trends of American and European manufacturers.

What trends are the American manufacturers following when building boats from 30′ to 40′ and even some manufacturers, over 42 feet?

For discussion purposes, we will take boats that are available (by length) for 2021 from the most active American and European manufacturers.

We will start with the most popular or famous American manufacturers. In that, I am referring here to Chaparral, Monterey, Bayliner, Larson, Four Winns, Rinker, Crownline and of course and not the least SEA RAY. Eliminated from further dicussion here is Larson and Rinker as they are no longer in production.

Sea Ray are now only manufacturing boats 40 ‘ and less, however, they are very active in this niche by emphasizing on outboard propulsion. They very recently released a video in February 2021 of the new Sundancer 370 with three outboard engines. Only the cruiser-type Searay 320 (with full cabin) remains available with inboard engines. Bayliner offers boats only under 22’ and Chaparral offers under 34’ and only with an open-deck configuration. Monterey offers its largest boat in the 33’ format with a full cabin.

French owned Four Winns continues to grow, but the 35’ is their largest cabin / cruiser. Glastron and Wellcraft are still in operation with Glastron offering models below the 24’ mark and Wellcraft is moving towards center consoles.

Regal now offers a 42’ (fly or express) as their largest boat.

The sector which has experienced the strongest growth in recent years is wake boats. The major players being MasterCraft, Nautique, Malibu, Moomba, Centurion with a range generally in the 23’ and less.

When looking at American production, remember that over 80% of the boats sold in America are able to be towed on a trailer behind a vehicle. This partially explains why American production is under 30’ other than it being easier for the Buyer to finance, no need for a marina and easier to maintain.

But of course, CRUISERS YACHTS and TIARA are for the moment the only American manufacturers to develop cabins / cruisers that go beyond 40’ and 50’ (up to 60 ft) in addition to manufacturing boats below the 40’ mark and this with very popular concepts. They are now the American flag bearers for the moment.

Of course, there are the new concepts from manufacturers such as Formula (with the Crossover), Boston-Whaler, HCB, Scout, Intrepid, Grady-White, Everglades, in short the center-consoles section offering plenty of new features and also an increasingly sophisticated cabin concept.

There is only one model left at Marquis and that is the M42 but is rare find on the market.

CARVER seems to have halted their development as there has been no new models for years and nothing is planned according to rumors.

So, in light of these findings, it is clear that Europeans have taken a large place in the North American market.

Of course, Beneteau and Jeanneau have presented a wide range in recent years under the 40’ mark and are very successful. The major highlight is they offer inboard diesel propulsion along with a huge range of boats with outboard motors.

We must also note that in the 40-50’ range Cruisers Yachts and Tiara are present and very strong.

For the 50’ to 70’, there is an European domination with AZIMUT, SUNSEEKER, PRINCESS, FERRETTI, RIVA, PERSHING for the luxury models and say, high-end.

There are also the Jeanneau Prestige, Monte Carlo, Absolute, Fairline and Galeon manufacturers who are also strong in the market, but let’s say, without the luxury pedigree which takes time to assert itself with boaters.

As for the large fishing boats, VIKING is largely the major player, followed by Riviera and Hatteras.

The two big Australian manufacturers of which Riviera (is certainly the leader) is an important player in America and of course Maritimo.

For Catamarans, the top most famous brands are SUNREEF and HORIZON. Other brands are LEOPARD, LAGOON, Fountaine-Pajot which are also growing in popularity.

The pontoon, personal watercraft and wake boats sectors remain the most dynamic and accessible categories. There are many new models opening up an abundance of choices to boaters.

It must also be mentioned certain European manufacturers have developed an after sales part infrastructure (warehouse) here in America in order to facilitate after-sales service.

The second-hand market is plentiful on the US side, so if you can’t find it here in Canada, why not look across the border. In addition, CAD to US conversion is presently fairly advantageous, so ultimately the border should not affect the boaters’ criteria.

In short, consult with an experienced broker.

Following are the direct links to the websites of the manufacturers mentioned in this article:

Searay, click here

Monterey, click here

Regal, click here

Fourwinns, click here

Bayliner, click here

Cobalt, click here

Chaparral, click here

Glastron, click here

Wellcraft, click here

Boston Whaler, click here