2021 Plans or Predictions?

[Zilpo55]

Happy New Year! We didn't ring in the new year on our boat, which is usually our tradition. Too cold and wet. But I have been on the boat since New Year's Day getting a few things done and enjoying being the heck out of the house.

Would anyone care to predict what the 2021 boating season will be like? No politics please! Last year, I predicted that the pandemic would crush the boating industry due to high unemployment. But I was dead wrong. Boat sales went through the roof. I predict the same trends will happen at least through the first half of the year as Covid will still interfere with our favorite activities. All the boat shows that we usually attend have been cancelled. But hopefully things will seem more normal by July.

Lastly, I predict that there will be a glut of used boats on the market after this is finally over. Thousands of people bought boats during the pandemic simply because that's all they could do. I believe they will not want to continue making payments once they can resume going on cruises and travelling to faraway places again.

Anybody else care to jump in with their crystal ball?

[BananaTom]

All the people that I know that purchased boats for the first time, are still loving them, and stated they wished they had done years ago.
And there are many in my waterways of the Florida Panhandle and L.A. (Lower Alabama)
I put over 1000 miles on my boat (Via GPS Recording) last season.
Of course, I had many Boat Parades to attend.

One was a Guinness World Record attempt to host the largest parade event. Here is video of the parade, which lasted about two hours at the finish line, of course it is sped up.
I was one of the organizers of this event, Held in Navarre Beach, Florida.
Guinness Judges are still reviewing the documentation to certify the actual number of boats. But we are confident we won.
The rules were difficult to follow, but we has a vast amount of volunteers to assist.
We had about a 1.2 mile parade. Every boat had a Registration Number Displayed on the starboard side.
Then that vessel was photographed at the beginning and the end of the route.
I sure enjoy boating here, with many options on where we will travel on a given day.
To the west to Orange Beach, Al / Gulf Shores.
To the East, Destin to Panama City.
To the North, Several Rivers to travel up, Blackwater River, Perdido River, Wolf River.
And of Course to the South = Mexico!!!! Hahahaha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50j6oF2MR0g

[easttnboater]

The traffic on South Holston was about the same in 2020 as previous years. I imagine it will be the same in 2021.

I will be living on my boat from April through December.

[Zilpo55]

All the people that I know that purchased boats for the first time, are still loving them, and stated they wished they had done years ago.
And there are many in my waterways of the Florida Panhandle and L.A. (Lower Alabama)
I put over 1000 miles on my boat (Via GPS Recording) last season.
Of course, I had many Boat Parades to attend.

One was a Guinness World Record attempt to host the largest parade event. Here is video of the parade, which lasted about two hours at the finish line, of course it is sped up.
I was one of the organizers of this event, Held in Navarre Beach, Florida.
Guinness Judges are still reviewing the documentation to certify the actual number of boats. But we are confident we won.
The rules were difficult to follow, but we has a vast amount of volunteers to assist.
We had about a 1.2 mile parade. Every boat had a Registration Number Displayed on the starboard side.
Then that vessel was photographed at the beginning and the end of the route.
I sure enjoy boating here, with many options on where we will travel on a given day.
To the west to Orange Beach, Al / Gulf Shores.
To the East, Destin to Panama City.
To the North, Several Rivers to travel up, Blackwater River, Perdido River, Wolf River.
And of Course to the South = Mexico!!!! Hahahaha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50j6oF2MR0g

Tom, the video of that boat parade is impressive. I know it was sped up, but it still looked like some scary maneuvers at any speed in there. Sounds like you had a great season.

2020 was "extreme boat makeover" year for us. We came dangerously close to upgrading to a larger and newer boat that we've always admired, but decided to invest in our current boat instead. It started with significant fiberglass repairs and Pitthane coating for our roof. Then we changed the color scheme with all new stripes, canvas, and exterior carpet. Lastly, we had the entire interior ceiling replaced. We spent a bundle, but only a fraction of what it would have cost to trade boats. We can be happy with this boat for the rest of our days. Much of 2020 was spent with workers on the boat, so we are looking forward to putting a whole lot more hours on the engines in 2021.

As for my prediction on used boats, we don't have a 12 month boating season up here like you Florida folks. I believe a lot of the new boaters are not going to want to make payments on a toy they can only use 4 or 5 months a year after they are free to travel at will. I am already seeing 2019 and 2020 boats on the market.

[BananaTom]

Tom, the video of that boat parade is impressive. I know it was sped up, but it still looked like some scary maneuvers at any speed in there. Sounds like you had a great season.

It wasn't scary, we were all moving very slow.
And this video was captured form the Bridge to Navarre Beach, which was then end of the Guinness Record attempt, so that is why boats were turning around to head back east to Fort Walton and Destin and beyond, while others continued West to Pensacola.
We had participants from all over the USA, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, just to name a few.

There were two ladies that came from New Orleans, and thought they could rent a pontoon, as there are many in Destin and Fort Walton, but all were rented, so they Bought a Brand New one, hahahaha.
Lots of awesome stories are told about that day.

I friended a family from Virginia, they rented a Pontoon, and on the day before, they arrived in Destin, and went to check out the pontoon. The owner stated he did not allow his boats to go to Navarre, it was too far, if he had to come tow them back. They were devastated. So called the boat rental company owners and find out why, and confirmed if that boat or nay of his broke down, I would be the tow boat for his boats. So, all his customers were given my phone number, and I was the rental companies official tow boat for the day. I then asked him, aren't your motors all new? He replied yes, and was most afraid of the customers running out of fuel. So he also informed the customers to refuel in Navarre before heading back to Destin. My friends from Virginia did, and it was only a quarter tank down. They called me at the end and said the gas gauge showed a quarter tank, I replied, never trust a gas gauge on a boat.

And I do not have 12 months of boating, it is 48 degrees here today. That is too cold for me.
But we do have more time than 4 or 5 months. Usually December, January and February are too cold for me.

You boat sounds beautiful!!!