Apr
Detroit Spring Boating Expo Report
John Miller went to the recent Spring Boating Expo at Rock Financial Showplace searching for a deal on a 21-foot Lund boat for fishing. He’s been looking for about a year and hopes to wrangle a deal on the $30,000 vessel.
“I’m on a fixed income, so I won’t go out on a limb,” the-68-year-old Royal Oak resident said. “I’m willing to pay $15,000 to $20,000 in cash for a Lund Boat so I don’t have to worry about having to make payments in this economy. If I can’t find someone to come down in price, I’ll have to start looking for something used.”
Greg Krueger, president of Jefferson Beach Yacht Sales, said the historic deals will be available for a limited time. “Once those Lund Boats are gone and the inventories are fleshed out, the deals won’t be there,” he said. The St. Clair Shores-based company and other dealers are selling boats below invoice.
Still, the industry has taken a hit.
Gradually, Michigan has dropped from the top spot in boat registrations in the country to fourth with 931,000, behind Florida, California and Wisconsin, said Van Snider, president of the boating association. Four years ago, the state had more than 1 million registered boats.
Some boat owners face having their boats repossessed and auctioned for less than they’re worth. A repossessed 50-foot boat valued around $250,000 in average condition could easily be sold for roughly $180,000, said Larry McClelland, a repossession investigator for Harrison Marine Inc. Thanks to; Bargains help keep boat sales afloat | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Tags: lund boats, lund, repo boats, boat auctions, seized boats