 |
| Madison Bay Holdings offers the complete lines of both Fish-Rite and Warlock Fishing and Powerboats: |
| |
|
 |
Marine Industry
The marine boating industry consists of manufacturers, retail outlets, marines, sales outlets etc. The United States consists of two long seaboards and masses of rivers and lakes between. Beyond the ubiquitous sports boats and small sports cruisers, each region has its own boating character. In the northeast, boating tastes are more established, more traditional; sailing registers above average in interest and even the power tastes are more traditional. Run down the eastern seaboard or inside on the inter-coastal waterway that tracks from Maine all the way down to Florida, and you see the boats begin to reflect the warmer climates. While the northern half of the USA reflects a more European season with warm summers and cold winters, the southern end of the country runs a little differently. In Southern California one could go boating practically year round, but it does get a bit chilly on the odd winter's day. In Florida the season is still all-year round, but the nicest weather is usually to be found during the winter, as summers are generally very hot and humid. There's also the hurricane season to contend with from August-September through to
October-November.
The interest in sports fishing gets stronger the further south you go. Around Chesapeake Bay, one of the biggest natural harbors in the world, you get to see most forms of boating, power and sail. By the time you get to the Carolinas fishing, in all its many forms, is certainly the major attraction. Down in the southeast corner, Florida in particular, the boating tastes tend to be on a much more lavish scale. Many of the world's biggest luxury yachts are to be found in Florida, particularly Ft Lauderdale.
Go inland in the USA and you find the real boat volumes. By far the majority of boats in the USA spend their time on the thousands of lakes throughout the country. Here you see everything from bass boats and hunting boats to deck boats and pontoon boats, as well as big motor cruisers and sailboats on some of the larger lakes. In the mid-west, to the north especially, boating in Michigan has plenty of scope because of its massive 'lake shores' - which of course include Lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron and Erie.
Running down the west coast, boating is more sporadic. To the north, around Seattle, the climate is not especially cold but it is a great deal wetter than most other areas of the US. Tastes tend to favor the more rugged motor cruisers and sailing cruisers. Between Seattle and California, very little goes on in terms of harbors and marinas. The biggest boating concentration is San Francisco Bay, where interests are varied, including top-end yacht racing.
By the time you get to Southern California the boating interest has become far smaller - much more a trailer boat market. There's less in the way of cruising boats as there are not so many places to visit - aside from San Diego, few natural harbors and very few marinas.
Boat Parks
Overall the US boat park is estimated at just under 17 million recreational boats, over 12.5 million of which are actually registered in one of the country's 51 states and territories. That gives an impressive per capita boat-ownership figure of 1:16.
Although the Warlock agreement has expired the company is in contact with Warlock to structure a revised agreement or alternative going forward. |
| |
|
|
|
