Beneath the Surface

The Next Generation COVID-19 has accelerated Millennials’ arrival into the “blue mind” of boating.

In recent weeks, the recreational boating community has been abuzz with unexpected good news. The novel coronavirus pandemic, with its initial shelterat-home orders and subsequent social distancing guidelines, proved to be a boat-buying catalyst for the 2020 season.

Dealers report that sales are booming. Interested buyers say new boats are in short supply, and preowned vessels are fetching good prices. Longtime boaters are enjoying their summer on the water, and new boaters are eager to join them, ready to embrace a lifestyle that allows you to be outside, having adventures and making memories with loved ones, while also adhering to public health guidelines.

That’s good news indeed. And it begs the question: Has COVID-19 been a sea change for boating? Or did a shift actually begin some time ago, with the pandemic simply amplifying what was already underway?

Generational differences As industry old-timers will tell you, recreational boating revolved around the Baby Boomers for decades. This demographic cohort, following the Silent Generation and preceding Generation X, comprises those born between 1946 and 1964. The Boomers loved their boats. They gradually moved up in size, and they weren’t afraid to take on projects. They weren’t technology-driven. They were tinkerers, and for them, boating had always been part of family life.

“Boomer boaters grew up in it,” says Bob vanVollenhoven, vice president of sales and marketing for Hartsville, South Carolina-based Stingray Boats. “As they aged, they continued to buy, because boating was a piece of life they didn’t want to give up. They were in it to stay.”

“They’ve been great customers,” agrees Rich Larsen, president and general manager of Manitowoc Marina and Nestegg Marine in Manitowoc and Marinette, Wisconsin, respectively. “So many of them were yachtsmen. When they were young, their parents had cruising powerboats or sailboats, and they’d head up to Mackinac Island or the North Channel for two weeks.”

Now, the Boomers are downsizing. Instead of cruisers, they’re choosing dayboats that are more manageable and allow them to enjoy activities on the water with their grandkids and friends. Replacing them in the marketplace are the Millennials.

The children of Boomers and the early Gen Xers — who have more in common with Boomers than with later members of their own generation — Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996. They are aspirational about life experiences, and when they consider buying a boat, they’re envisioning what that boat will allow them to do.

“It’s all about the experiences and the now,” vanVollenhoven notes. “It’s not about status symbols.”

Plugged in, interactive and serious What drives the Millennial boat buyer? According to vanVollenhoven and Larsen, two key things: Integrated technology and the ability to make the most of limited time on the water.

Millennials, as a cohort, are undoubtedly technology driven. Not only did they grow up with it, they have busy personal and professional lives that don’t allow much free time. Staying connected is essential.

“They got swamped in technology as they grew up, so it really is key,” vanVollenhoven says. “As boatbuilders, we’ve watched what’s happening. While Boomers wanted to disconnect, and the ‘blue mind’ was their getaway, Millennials just don’t have time. They know it’s healthy to get away, but they need to stay connected. So we must give them access to whatever they need.”

Larsen says he sees a desire both for a smarter boat and a more turnkey experience. That includes a good relationship with a boatyard.

“They want a new boat with a warranty, and they want to be able to just get up and go,” he explains. “And when something needs to be maintained or fixed, they turn to their yard to handle it. For them, it’s really all about the experience, not the boat itself.”

Given their time constraints, many Millennials find themselves weighing the pros and cons of ownership. Do I want to own a boat? Or do I just want to participate in boating?

The advent of the boat clubs has been a gamechanger for this generation, as well as for the industry as a whole.

“It allows prospective buyers, especially citydwellers who lack options for storage, to have

access to boating,” vanVollenhoven says. “At least they can test it out. And although manufacturers understandably were hesitant in the beginning, we’ve all discovered that boat club memberships are leading to new sales.”

He recalls encountering a buyer at the Chicago Boat Show who had a very specific Stingray model in mind.

“He said, ‘I always rent one with my club, but I can’t get it every time I want it, so now I want one of my own,’” vanVollenhoven remembers.

That Stingray customer was, without a doubt, a serious buyer with a very clear picture of what he wanted. As it turns out, Millennials as a whole are much more well-informed than the stereotypes of their generation.

“These new boaters have a clear view of what they want to do and what they want to own,” vanVollenhoven says. “They’re well educated and they’ve done their research beforehand; by the time they come to us, they have a high level of understanding.”

These prospective buyers don’t want to do their research through conversations with salespeople. Instead, they’re researching products on the internet — and they’re looking at online chatter, from product reviews to assessments of dealer relationships.

“The key is to be interactive with them, on social media and through owners’ forums where they talk to each other rather than to us,” vanVollenhoven says. “You have to be on your game, because these online tools are important pieces of the puzzle.”

The COVID boost According to Larsen, the novel coronavirus pandemic amplified what was already happening with Millennials. They want to buy a boat, they want to achieve their ideal screen capture — and they want to do it right now.

“There’s a new sense of urgency,” he explains. “The public health crisis is bringing Millennials into boating at a faster pace than they would have, and these folks aren’t patient. They have families, and this summer, there were no kid activities. They had to find something new to do for recreation, to have fun and make memories.

“That’s the pressure we’re under right now, and this bubble could last for another year or two,” he continues. “I think this year has taught Millennial families that they don’t need to have their kids in every single thing, and that every moment doesn’t need to be scheduled. They’re learning to slow down.”

VanVollenhoven says that Stingray Boats is seeing more first-time boat buyers than ever, and he agrees that COVID-19 has accelerated the arrival of Millennials into the boating lifestyle.

“Some people were eight weeks-plus without normal life,” he says. “They had to stay put; there were no international trips, no Mickey Mouse. So they headed outdoors as soon as they could — in RVs, on bikes and on boats. No one in our industry could’ve predicted this.”

“They just went through a summer in which no one was doing soccer, gymnastics, ballet, piano lessons,” Larsen adds. “Our industry has needed to bring in new boaters, and here they are. Now that they’ve gotten a taste of what the boating lifestyle is like, I’m hopeful they’ll stick with it.”

Welcome, Millennials, to the blue mind. We’re glad you’re here. ★

HEATHER STEINBERGER is an award-winning writer/ editor who has specialized in boating, travel and outdoor adventure for more than 20 years. Visit her website at

WRITEONLLC.COM.