DECEMBER SAILBOAT BROKERAGE SALES

Sailboat Brokers Finish 2009 with Strong December
By John Burnham
Editorial Director, Yachtworld.com

Sellers of sailboats could cheer for the second month running in December, as unit sales and total valuation again out-distanced sales in the same month a year earlier. As reported by YachtWorld.com member brokers in the proprietary database, SoldBoats.com, the number of sailboats sold increased by 42 percent from 310 in 2008 to 439 in 2009. Valuation made an even stronger gain of 54 percent from $22 million to $34 million.

Looking back on a difficult year for brokerage boat sellers, after an extremely weak first quarter, unit sales made gains in the late spring and were stronger throughout the second half of the year. Nonetheless, brokers sold 15 percent fewer boats over the course of the year, with 5411 boats changing hands in 2009 compared to 6399 in 2008. Nearly all size categories showed lower sales of 13 to 18 percent; only boats under 26 feet showed a single-digit drop (8 percent).

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