Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/556112
34 | Boating Industry | May 2015 www.BoatingIndustry.com /// Market Trends /// Baldree said that the downturn was the main cause for the decrease in sterndrive sales, as the consumer who buys that category of boat was not repurchasing during the recession. How- ever, she says that buyer is "definitely back in the marketplace." Manufacturers believe sterndrives are poised for a big comeback as sterndrive engines have improved significantly over the last few years. "We are a company that has always focused very heavily on sterndrives. We remain com- pletely committed to sterndrives, and we're just very excited to see new innovation [from Volvo Penta and Mercury] and we think that's defi- nitely going to drive more sales," said Baldree. "It's still a nice base number of sterndrives sold. I know they're not [going away]. They will have a place in the future but at this point in time, they are just not growing as fast as the outboard product is," said Wachs, adding that the new sterndrive engines on the market are made for the "sweet spot" of power that deck boats need. "That 200 to 250 hp range is a really good range for deck boats. Deck boats are not 70 miles an hour, 'go-fast' boats. We don't need 400 horsepower in the back of them. That's not what the hulls are designed to do." Michael Yobe, brand manager at Bayliner, added that the new sterndrive engines intro- duced to the market will breathe new life into the category. "Through technology, I think it's going to make the engine better, which means consum- ers hopefully will see the difference and have a little bit better choice," said Yobe. "Any technol- ogy infused in whatever segment it is makes the product better and I think that will bode well for sterndrive deck boats." A mix of everything Most deck boat manufacturers find that consum- ers are using deck boats for what they have always been used for: cruising, family activities, water sports and fishing. However, those consumers are not dedicated to only one of those activities. "They want to buy the boat for a variety of different purposes," said Paul Kuck, products manager at Regal Boats. "They're not looking to go out and just pull a wakeboarder eight hours a day, and they're not looking to go sit and troll out in the ocean for eight hours a day. They want to do a mix of everything." Chaparral has been building its Sunesta deck The Element XR7 from Bayliner was designed to offer the seating and walk-on capability of a pontoon with the performance of a deck boat. The Sunesta Xtreme line was created explicitly with appealing to water sports consumers in mind.