Meredith Punthrangkul, left, bought a boat in July because two summer vacations were canceled due to COVID-19. She appreciates the extra family time with her husband Michael, daughter Devon and son Thai that the boat has given them.
Meredith Punthrangkul bought a boat in July because the vacations of two families of her husband Michael Punthrangkul, 19, Thai and Devon, 21, had to be canceled due to the pandemic. Plus, she wanted her family to do things near her home. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Presse, Atlantic City
How boat sales exploded during the pandemic at Somers Point on Tuesday, August 11, 2020. Waterfront Marine at Somers Point typically 100-200 boats in stock. Company manager Bryant Campbell walks around their property to show what few boats they have in stock. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Presse, Atlantic City
How boat sales exploded during the pandemic at Somers Point on Tuesday, August 11, 2020. Waterfront Marine at Somers Point typically 100-200 boats in stock. Company manager Bryant Campbell walks around their property to show what few boats they have in stock. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Presse, Atlantic City
How boat sales exploded during the pandemic at Somers Point on Tuesday, August 11, 2020. Waterfront Marine at Somers Point typically 100-200 boats in stock. Company manager Bryant Campbell walks around their property to show what few boats they have in stock. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Presse, Atlantic City
The area around Waterfront Marine at Somers Point is usually full of boats waiting to be sold. But general manager Earl Schock says the boats are selling so fast they are struggling to keep inventory.
Meredith Punthrangkul bought a boat in July because two of her family’s vacations had to be canceled due to the pandemic. Plus, she wanted her family to do things near her home.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced Meredith Punthrangkul to cancel two vacations, she didn’t let it spoil her summer.
The Northfield resident and real estate agent used the money he saved to buy a boat for a friend.
Boat sales in southern Jersey and across the country in recent months have skyrocketed, largely due to the pandemic.
“Since states began easing stay-at-home orders in April and May, we’ve seen increased sales in all types of boats,” said John-Michael Donahue, National’s communications director. Association of Boat Manufacturers.
According to the association, which represents all aspects of the North American boating industry, total sales of new boats in May were the highest in a decade.
The last time the association saw such strong sales in a single month was in 2007.
National new boat sales are up 19% from May 2019, with personal watercraft sales up 75%, saltwater fishing boats up 9% and jet boats up 31%, according to NMMA. Outboard motor sales rose an average of 28% in June from pre-pandemic levels.
Earl Schock, managing director of Waterfront Marine at Somers Point, said it had been one of the best seasons in years for his company.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/ZMJXYZ6V7RGS5MQ7N4DPR5RYZE.bmp)
