Time to Start Checking the Listings

November 6, 2025

Fair warning – it’s time to start studying the brokerage ads. If you are contemplating trading up or buying a first boat, get started now because, if I am correct, there will be a huge shortage of good boats as we head into the boat show season and spring.

Why, you ask?  Several reasons: 1 – we are only now beginning to recover from Covid. During all those lockdowns production fell while demand increased among Canadians who couldn’t go anywhere or do much. But they could go boating and many did. As a result, a lot of the good used boats are gone and only partially replaced as inventory trickles in.

But reason 2 is the big one. Travel to the US has taken a steep hit.  As Forbes, the US publication notes, “Geopolitical and policy-related concerns … paired with harsh rhetoric” have resulted in “negative global travel sentiment toward the US.”  As a results, again according to Forbes (but everyone seems to agree) the number of Canadians taking road trips into the US dropped by 35% last month compared to September 2024, on par with a 34% drop in August. There was also a 27% decline in air travelers from Canada year-over-year, following a 25% year-over-year drop in August.

Canadians are the biggest spenders of any nation when they visit south. In 2024, Canadian tourists vacationing in the US spent $20.5 billion. If that declines by just 25%, there will more than $five billion looking for leisure enjoyment. And, reportedly Canadians are unloading US properties. That adds up to a large stack of money left over for other purchases. Some significant share of that huge pool will undoubtedly be looking for a new boat to enjoy on this side of the border.

So, get to it. If this is the year to scratch the two-foot itch, NOW is the time to get your wallet lubed up. Breaking News! If that wallet is in healthy shape and you’re contemplating a move to really nice boat, you’ll be further pleased to hear that Tuesday’s federal budget removed the nonsensical luxury tax that has been hurting Canada’s marine industry since 2022. More incentive for you to drop everything and get boat shopping before demand soars.    

John Morris, Online Editor
john@opmediagroup.ca

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