Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/459961
February 2015 | Boating Industry | 37 www.BoatingIndustry.com /// Market Trends /// BY BRIANNA LIESTMAN It's smooth sailing in the fi shing boat segment. In years when some of the industry has seen slow or fl at growth, fi shing boats have continued to climb. As of December 2014, sportfi shing boat sales are up by over 10 percent and outboard boats over 15 feet are not far behind. OEMs are extremely confi dent about their future, calling the segment "as hot as you can get." Several OEMs claim they have surpassed their pre-recession sales highs. The state of the industry, from the fi shing boat market's perspec- tive, couldn't be better right now. But don't take their happiness as arrogance: The segment has put in the time and effort to build their way back. "Everybody has worked hard to get back to this point," said Bryan Harris, vice president of sales at Everglades Boats. "There's not anybody in the fi shing boat industry that wasn't damaged severely during the recession, but everybody has come back and everybody works together." This growth can be largely attributed to improved technology, user-friendly boats and broad products with a host of amenities. Fish- ing boats are no longer just for fi shing, and the adaptability of boat builders has helped make the segment strong. "The focus is not on putting out so many boats but satisfying the consumer's wants and needs. I think it's a much healthier business right now," said Peter Truslow, president at EdgeWater Boats. Technology is king A gradual but signifi cant shift has occurred in the marketplace toward center consoles, particularly large center consoles. Fishing boats as large as 40 feet or longer have grown in popularity and many boat builders are designing larger vessels than they have in the past. Most OEMs are fo- cusing on hulls of at least 25 feet or more. "Center consoles are getting bigger and bigger," said Harris. "Nobody would have ever thought 10 years ago there'd be a 42-foot center console." Joan Maxwell, president of Regulator Marine, attributes the technology of large outboard en- gines to the success of these boats, which enables boat builders to push an outboard-powered boat of exceptional size. The ease of operation of an outboard boat, low maintenance and fl exibility of center console vessels also drive this new focus. With an out- board engine, consumers can simply get on the boat and turn on the key as if they were using a car, says Maxwell. Push-to-start engines also sim- plify the operation of the boat, which is another attractive feature. In addition to ease of functionality, consum- ers are also calling for improved navigational systems. Simrad Yachting, which designs and manufactures marine navigation systems, re- cently partnered with Maverick Boat Company on the Cobia 334, which features the Simrad NSO evo2 glass bridge as its standard naviga- tion system. The NSO evo2 includes two multi- functional devices in one, offering dual-discrete video output with full HD resolution. Simrad's navigational systems connect with digital switch- ing communications and allow boaters to read engine data. For Mercury, Simrad manufactured Vessel View, which uses the Mercury interface and al- lows the boaters to not only read engine data, but to control their Mercury engine directly from the Simrad display. Matt Vranich, director of boat builders and OEM sales at Navico, Inc. – which owns Simrad – says consumers want better radar technology that is simple to use. Simrad is focused on antici- pating solutions for integration they can provide at the factory level for OEMs to customize navi- gation based on their clientele. "[Simrad] is fulfi lling a need, and perhaps even an expectation, of younger generations that get into fi shing where they're so used to hav- ing an iPhone or something in their hands that controls everything in their lives," said Vranich. "[Technology] is certainly making the experi- ence much better." "We've got to make it easier all the way around. We can't have the electronics [where] you have to get the book out every time that you use them," said Maxwell. "Technology has driven us part of the way and our customer has driven us most of the way." Truslow expects navigation, engine control systems and switching will all be digitally con- nected in boats going forward to meet consumer demands. On EdgeWater's new 36-foot 386 CC, which will be introduced at the Miami In- ternational Boat Show, C zone digital switching "Center consoles are getting bigger and bigger. Nobody would have ever thought 10 years ago there'd be a 42-foot center console." — Bryan Harris, vice president of sales, Everglades Boats Consumers want better radar technology that is simple to use.