Local

Hoping to buy a boat? ‘Get in line,’ sellers say

SEATTLE — With the historic heat wave expected to arrive this weekend, you might be trying to figure out how you can get out on the water.

But for people ready to pull the trigger on buying something now, you might be out of luck. That’s because the boating industry is yet another one hit by shortages.

It’s a similar story from yachts to kayaks.

“People are just needing everything and anything they can get their hands on,” said Jessie Meyer, an employee at Mountain to Sound Outfitters in West Seattle.

He said it’s been tough to keep inventory in stock - they only have a few kayaks in the store, and are currently sold out of any inflatable watercraft.

The pandemic drove up demand and halted production. Now, we’re feeling the full brunt of it.

Meyer said it depends on what you’re looking for, but some people who ordered kayaks in the winter are just getting them now.

“Manufacturing is so backed up,” Meyer said.

The story is similar for luxury boats, just on a larger scale.

“We did twice as much business in 2020 as we did in 2019,” said Paul Jenkins, partner at Elliot Bay Yacht Sales.

If you are hoping to buy a new boat, “Get in line,” Jenkins said. “I talk to many new boat dealers that are out of boats and they can’t even promise a delivery date for boats they’ve ordered,” he said.

Jenkins said the wait even for small new boats are often over a year. And used boats are selling sight unseen – sometimes even driving bidding wars, which is unusual for the boating industry.

But what if you just want to get on the water this weekend to escape the heat wave - how about a boat rental?

Call Seattle’s Electric Boat Company and you immediately reach a voicemail that says, “We are currently sold out all weekend.”

“Many of the boat rental places are already booked. People calling right now are probably a little late,” Jenkins said.

Your best bet is going to be a kayak or paddleboard rental, but Ashley Johnson at Alki Kayak Tours says they sold out last weekend. She’s advising people interested in a rental to make a reservation right now.

“Because we’ll probably run out of boats again,” Johnson said.