By Jack Springer, Pursuit
There is nothing like the world of boating and being a boater. I have often said that one of the most beautiful and overwhelmingly calming experiences in life is being out on the water at dawn, as the sun begins coming up. I know many of you share that view and have hopefully experienced it several times this year. Has anyone mentioned that 2020 has been a strange year? In many, many ways we can probably all say that. It has been a strange year for boating and the marine industry as well. You have probably seen it on your waterways with many more boats and people on the water. What has occurred has been nothing short of amazing. For the years after the Great Recession in 2008 and 2009, boating has been growing at a moderate pace for most segments. In the first quarter of 2020, when Covid-19 began taking effect, we did not know what would happen. On March 24th, we closed all of our plants, not knowing for sure when we would reopen. We implemented a number of changes to keep our teams healthy, kept paying them and we were reopened and fully operational in late April and early May. By the end of April, we were seeing a massive boat buying frenzy that grew every week well into August. Normally, just after the 4th of July, sales of boats begin slowing. Now, in the latter part of the year, we can say April through August was one of the most prolific buying sprees of boats in history. Why is that though? The reason is simple. The adjustment that many families have had to make in their lives led them to discover what we all already know. Boating is one of the very few activities
DNA 44 | walstrom.com
