20 Pontoon^ & Deck Boat January^2018 http://www.pdbmagazine.com
The pontoon and deck boat industry
continues to gain momentum.
“There’s really no slowing down at
this point,” said Marketing Coordinator
Matt Spencer of Starcraft Marine. Driven
by every element of the segment from
entry-level pontoons to luxury models,
pontoon boats are sold by the thousands:
a testament to their ever-growing
popularity.
Growth of the industry is apparent
as more pontoon dealers keep popping
up. The Boat Brokers’ Controller Office
Manager Sue Byrd said that just this
year, three new dealers set up their
operations around her area in Lake
Havasu City, Ariz.
Joey Gottfried, Newcoast Financial
Services’ regional manager inClearwater, Fla., said he thinks pontoons
have recovered from the recession
more so than other boats. What’s more,
pontoons have changed quite a bit over
the last 20 years.Evolution
Financing boats have come a long way
because so have pontoon boats. Twenty
years ago the average price of a pontoon
boat was around $15,000; however,
today the average is around $35,000 to
$40,000. Why the price jump? Because
present-day pontoons are bigger, sleeker
and more powerful than ever before.
Gottfried feels like pontoons have
changed more over the last 20 years than
any other kind of boat. Nowadays they
come stylishly equipped with advancedstereo systems, plush comforts and
powerful engines which wouldn’t have
been the case back in the day. “A lot of
pontoon boats have twin engines,” added
Gottfried, “which would have been
completely unheard of 20 years ago.”Let’s Begin
Whether you’re buying a car, house
or boat, financing can seem daunting
at first. But the truth is, it’ll only be
intimidating if you jump in headfirst
without doing any research. The more
familiar you are with the financing
process, the more comfortable you
will be.
Spencer suggested beginning your
research at home. With the Internet, we
have more information at our fingertipsFinancing
Your Dream
The path
to boat
ownership
By Heather Magda Serrano