Second Quarter 2010 Reports Show Boat Sales Continue Slow Improvement

When looking at the Sold Boats Report from Yacht World (the country's most shopped internet
site) sales continue a slow improvement. In looking at the past five years the best years
were definitely 2005-2007. Sales went down considerably in 2008 but started a slow rebound in
2009. The first quarter of 2010 reflected double digit growth but that has slowed in the
second quarter with the economy seeming to stall again.

Currently the average time it took to sell a boat according to the Sold Boats report on Yacht
World was 300 days. This probably reflects the fact that there are a lot of unsold new boats
still on the market. It is not uncommon to see boats 2 to 3 years old that are still listed
as new units. The best deals on the market continue to be "pre-owned" boats that are 10 years
or less old. One other interesting note while sailboats seem to take as long as power boats
to sell their valuation seems to be creeping back up while power boat values continue to show
downward movement.

Whiteaker Yacht Sales is very proud to welcome Jeanelle Phillips as our new Operations Manager. Jeanelle has many years of office management experience, most recently having managed a 225 slip marina in Bradenton, Florida. We are very happy to be able to add Jeanelle's years of experience to our already knowledgeable staff.

 

There's some good news to report for a change for both boat shoppers and people wishing to sell their boats in Florida. Legislation has just been signed into law that will cap Florida sales and use tax on boat sales at $18,000. The law will go in effect on July 1, 2010.

 

Governor Charlie Crist just signed the Jobs for Florida Bill (CS/SB-1752) which included the tax cap. Many people in the business have high hopes that this will make the state more competitive and bring it more in line with other states and countries. Florida's usual sales tax on a boat purchase is 6 percent plus a small surtax in some counties. This law will make the maximum sales tax $18,000.00. The use tax component could allow owners of foreign yachts to reflag in Florida if the owner pays the $18,000 fee provided they meet the other state and federal requirements.

 

Many in the industry including Whiteaker Yacht Sales and members of the Florida Yacht Brokers Association lobbied lawmakers heavily to support this bill in hopes that it will help the state save marine industry jobs, increase sales, and ultimately increase Florida's tax revenue making it a win – win situation.

 

Many have felt that Florida's high taxes have been one of the reasons for waning sales in the state with many buyers opting to purchase in neighboring coastal states with more attractive options.

 

Everyone in the marine industry in Florida can look at this new law as an opportunity to welcome prospective buyers with open arms and to encourage them to stay and enjoy Florida. Not only will boat dealers and brokerages benefit, it will also be good for the many Florida repair facilities, marinas, and other boat servicing and provisioning businesses. Buyers may opt to stay here to get work done on their boats or to keep their boats on a permanent basis as their home away from home.

January 6-10, Nashville Boat and Sport Show, Nashville Convention Center

January 7-10, Kansas City Boat and Sport Show, H. Roe Bartle Hall

January 9-17, Toronto International Boat Show, Direct Energy Centre Exhibition Place

January 9-17, Chicago Boat, RV and Outdoors Show, McCormick Place

January 13-17, Atlanta Boat Show, Georgia World Congress Center

January 20-24, Louisville Boat, RV and Sport Show, Kentucky Exposition Center

January 20-24, New York Boat Show, Jacob Javits Convention Center

January 20-24, Minneapolis Boat Show, Minneapolis Convention Center

January 21-24, Baltimore Boat Show, Baltimore Convention Center

January 28-31, Strictly Sail Chicago, Navy Pier

February 3-7, Atlantic City International Power Boat Show, Atlantic City Convention Center

February 10-14, St. Louis Boat and Sport Show, America’s Center & Edward Jones Dome

February 11-15, Strictly Sail Miami & Miami International Boat Show, Sea Isle Marina

February 26-28, Cape Coral Boat and Car Show, Cape Harbour Marina

February 20-28, New England Boat Show, Boston Convention Center

The fall boat show season is heating up. Shows of interest to shoppers on the east coast include:

Sept. 10-13 Atlantic City In-Water Power Boat Show, Farley State Marina, Atlantic City, NJ

Sept. 11-13 Tampa Boat Show, Tampa Covention Center

Sept. 11-13 Central New York Boat Show, New York State Fairgrounds, Syracuse, NY

Sept. 17-20 Newport Intl. Boat Show, Newport Yachting Center, Newport, RI

Sept. 18-20 Jersey Shore Boat Sale & Expo, Energy Park, Lakewood, NJ

Sept. 24-27 Norwalk Int. In-Water Boat Show, Norwalk Cove Marina, Norwalk, Conn.

Oct. 1-4 Boston Fall Boat Show, Seaport World Trade Center, Boston, MA

Oct. 2-4 Trawler Fest, Calvert Marina, Solomons MD

Oct. 8-12 U.S. Sailboat Show, Annapolis, MD

Oct. 15-18 U.S. Powerboat Show, Annapolis, MD

Oct. 29-Nov. 2 - Ft. Lauderdale Intl. Boat Show, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Dec. 4-7 - St. Petersburg Boat Show - Bayfront Center/Mahaffey Theatre, St. Petersburg, FL

 

 

 

Whiteaker Yacht Sales is proud to welcome Bob Underwood to their staff of brokers. Bob will concentrate on serving boaters in the area between Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina.

Anchoring Your Boat in Florida Waters

 

We can all applaud the passage of HB 1423 by the Florida House. Before this bill, boaters sometimes had as little as 24 hours before being told by law enforcement that they had to move or risk a written citation. In the past several local cities or counties could restrict the length of time that a boat could anchor in a particular spot.

 

With the passage of this important bill local restrictions on where and how long a boat can anchor do not apply. Now boat owners will no longer have to worry about being forced to move because they have overstayed their visit. This new legislation makes it clear that local municipalities cannot override state authority on regulating recreational boat anchoring. They can however regulate anchoring within the marked boundaries of certain mooring fields if they are properly permitted. The details of the new law can be confusing. Some changes went into effect on July 1 while others will become effective on October 1, 2009.

 

For clarification BoatUS has created a new, easily downloadable 2-page reference document titled "Anchoring Information for Florida Cruisers".  It can be found on their website. As often happens many local personnel may be confused or unaware of the new laws. As a result boaters are continuing to be restricted in certain areas unfairly. It would be advisable for all boaters to keep a copy of the new law onboard in case law enforcement is not up to date on the newly passed law.

 

Debbie Whiteaker

Whiteaker Yacht Sales

www.whiteakeryachtsales.com

After many years of new laws that were not very friendly to boaters, the new governor and Florida Legislator are being a bit kinder. Gov. Charlie Crist recently signed a bill preventing local communities from forcing boaters to leave an anchorage unless the boat is a liveaboard vessel. The law defines a liveaboard vessel as one that is used solely as a residence and not for navigation, one used as a place of business, or one that has been declared a domicile. In addition, the new law prohibits local governments from regulating anchoring outside of established mooring fields unless it is a liveaboard vessel.

The NMMA director issued the following statement "This law will not only have a positive impact on boaters in the area, but generate revenue for local businesses by allowing boaters more freedom to anchor. We are encouraged by this law's effort to make Florida more boater friendly than ever."

Hopefully this will help reverse the laws in many Southern Florida communities who had very restrictive laws in which there was an anchorage limit of seven days within any 30-day period. Or the most extreme law in Ft. Lauderdale which only allowed a 24-hour window for boaters anchoring there.

Whiteaker Yacht Sales applauds these and any other laws Florida lawmakers see fit to help us make Florida waters more boater friendly.

 Finally some good news for the Florida Boat Industry and for boat shoppers hoping to buy a boat here.  Florida Gov. Charlie Crist recently signed into law House Bill 7031, which offers incentives to boaters visiting Florida to stay in Florida. AND spend their dollars there.

A condensed explanation of the Bill is that it allows boaters that purchase a boat in Florida, or those who bring a boat into the state for refit or repair 180 days before being subject to the state's sales and use tax. The old law allowed just 90 days.

"Allows non-residents who purchase a boat in Florida, or bring a boat into Florida for repair or alteration, to remain in the state 180 days before becoming liable for the sales and use tax. Currently, the tax applies after 90 days. Allowing boat owners and their guests to remain in Florida waters will stimulate Florida's marine industry, as well as stimulate businesses that support the marine industry."

Some think Florida has a reputation for being an adversarial state to cruising boaters. Hopefully this new law combined with anchoring and tax laws that are beginning to show a change toward more hospitable standards will help change their minds.

 

This is a bulletin from Eric Dybing, President of Florida Open Water Society. Food for thought.

"The 2006 state law restricting municipalities from limiting anchoring on state waters is under attack in the 2009 legislative session. Since the 2006 law was passed cities have continued to enforce local restrictions in direct violation of State Law.  As result legal action was taken with a few of the municipalities and they lost these cases.

The same Municipalities are behind House Bill 1423. This bill has language that will return control over State Waters back to the same Municipalities that have refused to comply with State Law. The bill would allow Municipalities to create no boating zones by city ordinance. In addition it puts into place a series of test cities that if approved, would have the authority to enact Anchoring ordinances if they had a "test" mooring field in place. The bill leaves all the details and rules to be worked out later.

As an example, South Florida has lost two thousand boat slips to development over the past 24 months. On-water storage needs to be the future of Florida. "Test" mooring fields that are designed to enable the municipalities to restrict anchoring are not the answer. A statewide system of not-for-profit mooring fields is the answer.

Florida is quickly gaining the reputation as the most boater-unfriendly state on the eastern seaboard. Florida's $18.4 billion marine industry is at risk. In these economic times, the last thing the state needs is to damage an industry of this magnitude.

All boaters need to band together and deliver the Florida legislature a message "remove these economically devastating anchoring restrictions from H.B. 1423" To learn more or join the fight visit Floridaopenwatersociety.org “

You're invited to stop by and visit with us at the Water & Wheels Show, February 27 through March 1, 2009 at Cape Harbour Marina located at 5828 Cape Harbour Drive, Cape Coral, FL.

We'll have some of our quality listings on display and there's many other activities to enjoy while you're there. The marina will be filled with lots of exciting boats and magnificent yachts. Meet the preeminent wooden boat builder, Hugh Saint. On Saturday enjoy the Cape Coral Rowing Club Rowing Challenge. You also be able to view Classic Cars and Motorcycles, shop at waterfront shops, dine at the area restaurants, and enjoy live music.

Stop by and meet the Whiteaker Yacht Sales team and let's talk boats at this premier event.

This beautiful 2001 Perry 43 will be on display at the show!

Whiteaker Yacht Sales is proud to start the New Year off with the additions of Mike Fauser and Sam Sevier to our staff of brokers. Both bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our staff.

Mike is a USCG Captain, ASA instructor, and Commodore for Manatee Sailing Association. He has been a yacht broker since 2000.

Sam is a retired airline pilot with over 30 years of boating experience. He has owned numerous boats from 30 to 46 feet and authored many technical articles published in various boating magazines. Sam is particularily knowledgeable about catamarans. He has been a licensed broker for 4 years.

You'll find both Mike and Sam personable, friendly, and ready to answer any questions you might have about purchasing a new boat or listing the boat you already have. We hope you will call on them soon.

Mark Your Calendar for the Florida Boat Shows in 2009

January 22-25, 2009 - The Naples Boat Show and Seafood Festival - Renaissance Village, Naples, Florida

February 12 - 16, 2009 - "The Big One" - The Miami International Boat Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The "Strictly Sail" portion of the show will be held at Miamarina at Bayside. As always bus shuttle service will be available to transport guests from one event to the other.

February 12 - 16, 2009 - 21st Annual Yacht & Brokerage Show (not to be confused with the Miami Intl. Boat Show) in Miami Beach on the Indian Creek Waterway.

March 26 - 29, 2009 - Palm Beach International Boat Show along Flagler Drive & the Intercoastal Waterway.

April 17 - 20, 2009 - Suncoast Boat Show, Ken Thompson Park, Sarasota, FL

Feb. 27 - Mar. 1, 2009 - Water & Wheels, Cape Harbour Marina, Cape Coral, FL

An email from our former customers and good friends, Frank and Gail Harris, Owners of Gail C, Island Packet 445.

 

I want to tell y'all about our first offshore "big adventure".  I think y'all might find it interesting (and comical in a way).  Up until this trip all of our sailing had been up and down the west coast of Florida.  Pretty routine.

 

Last May, Frank and I headed to the Bahamas.  We left Burnt Store mid-afternoon and by dark we were several miles offshore.  The wind (what little there was) was on our nose so we were motoring.  The moon was almost full and the sky was clear so it was a beautiful night and we were all excited about finally heading out on our adventure.  We planned to take 3 hour shifts and I was to begin at 1:00a.m.  It was hard to go to sleep since I was so excited but I did.  Then about 10:45p I woke up because the boat was bouncing pretty hard.  I went up to see what was going on.  We had entered an unpredicted wind and wave event.  As time went on, the wind and the waves increased (no rain or lightning). The current was behind us and the winds became steady at 30knts with gusts up to 36knts.  The waves grew to approximately 6 feet with every fourth wave about 8 feet (I was counting).  With those 8 footers the bow would plow through the water and go completely over the entire length of the boat.  The first time it happened the reflection of the running lights on the bow spread about 3 feet to each side of the boat.  My comment was "Shoot, it broke our lights".  I wasn't worried about our situation; I was worried that it hurt our boat.  Quickly I learned it was just the light shimmering through the water.  All of us were harnessed and tethered to the cockpit.  We never felt scared - just a little queasy.  The boat handled beautifully!  It was as if it was on a joy ride! Although at times the power of the waves would slow us down to 1.5knts, our boat kept plugging along.  What a GREAT boat!  This lasted 7+ hours.  It started to calm down around dawn.  Whew!!! What a night!  To add a little insult to injury, Frank had not completely closed the forward hatch so you can imagine how everything in the forward stateroom was drenched, including all the linens under the bed.  I had asked him before we left if all the hatches were secure and in an "impatient tone" he said yes.  Well as we arrived in Marathon and discovered the "water issue" he looked so green I didn't have the heart to say anything - in fact nobody said a word, we just cleaned it up.  No harm.

 

What a way to experience our first overnighter.  But, after that, everything was a "piece of cake".  We absolutely loved the outer islands of the Bahamas (Exumas).  It was more than we ever expected.  We're looking forward to going back and with more time we plan to head further south, maybe the Turks and Caicos.

 

 

(Article appearing in the Sept. 28, 2008 Florida Mariner)

 

            Whiteaker Yacht Sales is proud to welcome William Mayberry to our team of yacht brokers. William is a licensed USCG Captain and is very knowledgeable about all types of boats. He has been an avid boater for more than 30 years having owned runabouts, houseboats, power cruisers, and sailboats.

            He has cruised the Tennessee River system, Gulf Coast, Eastern US Coast, and The Bahamas. He currently lives aboard his Island Packet 37 sailboat with his wife, Judy at Twin Dolphin Marina. He is a former business owner and has extensive knowledge in marketing and customer service.

            Those of you who have met William know he takes very seriously our pledge to provide "Exceptional Service" and to demonstrate honesty and integrity at all times. Plus, he's a darn nice guy! If you happen to work with William when buying or selling your boat, you'll be happy you did. And, you will probably make a friend for life.

 

Whiteaker Yacht Sales, Bradenton, FL

888-717-7327

www.whiteakeryachtsales.com