The Sabre Salon Express from Bellingham Yachts has a price-tag of $3.2 million, the most expensive boat that will be on display at the 2023 Seattle Boat Show.
Ticket presales for the Seattle Boat Show, now in its 76th year, are up as the event has attracted a wide swath of people from as far away as Uruguay and New Zealand.
“It feels more like 2019, before the pandemic,” says George Harris, president and CEO of the Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA), the organization that owns and produces the show.
Harris cites two reasons for the wave of interest.
“First of all, boating and all forms of outdoor recreation became wildly popular during the pandemic and boating remains very popular,” he says. “Secondly, I think there is a lot of pent-up demand because people were hesitant to go to a show during the pandemic, and virtual was not the same. This feels like a bright green light for boaters and we expect to get at least 40,000 visitors easily this year.”
This Seattle Boat Show is the largest on the West Coast and remains the third-largest in the country. (Two Florida shows — Fort Lauderdale and Miami — rank first and second in size.)
There are more than 176 boat manufacturers who will be showing their wares, many from Washington state.
This year, you can expect to see 800 “water vehicles” at the show’s two venues, not counting the many kayaks and paddleboards vendors will have there. About 750 of those boats will be on display at Lumen Field Event Center, which will begin the load-in process on Jan 29. There will be 50 boats docked at Port of Seattle’s Bell Harbor Marina.
The largest, most expensive boat at the show is the luxury 60-foot Sabre, manufactured in Maine. Valued at $3.2 million, the Sabre is making its debut at the show. It has three cabins, large windows, and is designed for an owner/operator, rather than a crew. Bellingham Yachts is the Washington state dealer.
The largest boat shown indoors will be the 42-foot Prestige from Sundance Yacht Sales, with a price tag of $1.2 million.
“We build so many unique boats here in Washington and that is what differentiates us from great boating states like California and Michigan,” Harris says. “Folks come from all over the world to see those boats firsthand.”
Harris says the boating industry for Washington is riding high on a tidal wave. Sales for 2022 totaled $463 million which represents a 5.3% increase from 2021. The third quarter of 2022 showed the biggest gain, with a 35.7% increase in sales at $153 million.
The average value of a new boat sold in Washington last year was $72,216, an increase of 13.2% from 2021.
The profile of these boaters has morphed over the last few years, as well.
“We are seeing a younger, more diverse audience for recreational boating. The pandemic brought that new audience into boating — a shifting and increase into the 35 to 44 age range, where in the past, the sweet spot has been the 55 to 64 age range,” Harris says. “Because of the great economy we have had, people are buying the more expensive boats, but also are coming in at an entry level, and joining boat clubs and into boat-sharing arrangements as well.”
The economic impact of recreational boating and fishing in Washington is $6.9 billion annually, a number that has held steady over the last few years, representing people from all economic backgrounds who own everything from stand-up paddleboards and inflatable kayaks to super-yachts, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
There are more than 288 vendors this year, ranging from boat sales to all the services and accessories. Harris says all of them rely heavily on this show. He says that businesses report 30% to 60% of their sales come through or start at the boat show.
“We recently did an economic impact study through BST Associates. That study indicated that $244 million worth of sales was attributed to our January 2020 show,” Harris says.
He also adds that attendees and exhibitors spent $7.3 million on lodging, food, transportation and entertainment during that show.
“That’s over 8,000 hotel room nights,” he says. “And we generated $1.6 million of King County tax revenue and $3.1 million of state tax revenue.”