Latitude Scuttlebutt

As featured in the Practical Sailor (https://www.practical-sailor.com/)

Walk the docks at most marinas or check out the bars at your local yacht club and it’s obvious that the average boat owner is getting older.

Plus, speaking from personal experience, as boaters get older many of them make the switch from sailing to powerboating. A few years ago, I went from a Beneteau First 35S5 to a Silverton 38C power boat. No more hauling heavy sails around, reefing when the wind picks up, going to the foredeck in heavy weather because the jib is fouled. Plus, my favorite anchorage is now three hours away instead of 12. It was an easy decision—I still get my sailing fix by bareboat chartering from time to time.

Sailboat sales are down—the new sailboat market is difficult right now. Brokerage sailboats are faring a little better, but at my yacht brokerage we are moving more powerboats than sailboats.

Barriers to Entry for Young Potential Buyers

At the same time, the younger adults who are reaching boat-buying age get their news and do their research differently than we did. They have more access to information and are more connected than at any time in human history. They have been raised on more digital access, more of a group social style, and are wanting to do less work, not more.

Charlie Mann, a 28-year-old sailor, pointed out a bigger problem, and this reaches far beyond boating; the wealth gap between older and younger people today. According to Pew Research, in 1984 in the U.S., households headed by adults age 65 and over had a median net worth that was 10 times the wealth of households headed by adults younger than age 35. By 2009, that multiplier had increased to 47 times. Most of these young people aren’t sitting around with $100,000 to spend on a sailboat (or anything else for that matter).

So the sailing industry faces the additional challenge of luring in younger sailors and buyers who have far less disposable income today than they did 40 years ago.

For the sailing yacht market to grow and address these challenges, the industry needs to rethink how it communicates, how it markets, how it represents its sport, and how to better appeal to younger people.

Understanding the Young, Digital Buyer

Younger potential yacht buyers today are comfortable researching big purchases online, comparing options, reading reviews, and watching hours of video before ever speaking to a salesperson. I spent 40 years in sales in the tech world, and back in the day buyers learned almost everything from the salesperson. These days buyers have done most of the necessary research on a technology before even speaking with a salesperson.

I was at a local boating conference a few weeks ago and struck up a conversation with a 23-year-old lady who works at a ships store for a small local marina. I asked her what her generation is looking for in sailboats and her answers were:

• Something that groups of people can do;
• Fun is the number one priority, not manual labor;
• Not a ton of prep work beforehand, jump in and get going;
• It would be great if she didn’t have to buy a boat but could somehow rent one;

I have talked to other young people and the feedback is similar. I spoke with Tia, who as a child got to live aboard a sailboat in the Mediterranean with her parents for 9 months. She said the best part of that journey was meeting other kids her age and sailing with them to new destinations. She loves sailing because, while some of it is a challenge, she found using the wind and sails to move the boat was way cooler than driving a powerboat. She believes many young people feel the same way. She also enjoys teaching her friends and companions to sail; this led to her becoming a sailing coach over the last few years.

How is sailing looked at today?

To many younger people, sailing still carries a reputation that feels distant from their world. It can appear expensive, exclusive, and complicated. With a powerboat you just need a key and a checkbook. Some of the younger people I spoke with say it appears to be inaccessible. You need lessons or you must be lucky enough to have parents, friends or relatives who sail and you learned from them. Most of the younger adults that I know who sail, and especially those who race, grew up in a sailing family and are carrying on the tradition.

What’s worse, try googling something like “What do young people think about sailboats today.” I did that and found multiple videos that depressingly go like this. First off the narrator sounds depressed and he paints a glum picture of the costs and work involved in sailing. A total “glass is half empty” narrative.

What can be done?

One thing that’s missing is storytelling that connects the dots for the younger buyer. When younger buyers see real people living aboard (especially in their age group), working remotely on a boat, exploring coastlines, and building communities around sailing, taking the dinghy to the beach or to town, this can help make sailing more appealing.

YouTube has become a main marketing tool for almost everything. Videos showing real cruising experiences and the day-to-day rhythm of life aboard can give viewers a window into what ownership actually looks like. Instagram and other short-form video platforms add the aspirational layer: sunsets under sail, island anchorages, and the emotional appeal of freedom on the water. Marketing to this group is not just one thing; it’s multifaceted.

Younger buyers also search constantly. They want answers to practical questions: How much does it cost to own a sailboat? What’s the best way to keep it? What is a good first cruising sailboat? Brokers and marine businesses who create useful content around these questions as well as what the younger crowd wants can make potential buyers eager to learn more. Look at the depressing video link above. The sailboat industry needs to create the polar opposite of that negative take, targeted towards the 28 to 45 age range. Here is a good example: Sailing Video. The whole vibe is totally upbeat, it shows the sailors doing fun things and really romanticizes sailing. It’s a message that needs repeating and building upon.

Sustainability

Another plus for sailboats is the environmental impact. According to a recent survey done by GlobeScan, Gen Z feels the most impacted by climate change compared to other age groups. Powerboats must burn fuel to get around. Sailboats do as well but not nearly as much. In my Beneteau I had a 10-gallon fuel tank that I refilled maybe two to three times per five month season—I live in the Northeast U.S. My Silverton burns over 20 gallons per hour while cruising.

Modern boats also incorporate technologies that reinforce this message. Solar panels, lithium battery systems, electric propulsion, and efficient onboard systems also contribute to the positive environmental story. Young people need to hear more about this.

Brokers and Sellers – Make the listings better

When digitally native buyers do click on a listing, expectations are high. Many marine listings still rely on static photos and minimal narrative. But younger buyers are used to immersive online shopping experiences. Video walkthroughs are becoming essential. Drone footage, cockpit tours, and simple narrated walk-throughs help buyers visualize the space. Short-form clips showing how the boat moves under sail or what a weekend aboard looks like can be even more powerful. Make sure there are young people in the videos. Putting people in pictures or video used to be taboo—not anymore.

Also, make sure your listings are formatted to be effectively viewed on a smartphone or tablet. If they have a bad experience here, they won’t move any further.

Costs

In my opinion this is huge. The internet is full of differing opinions, most centered around how the boat is used. In long distance cruising, a sailboat is cheaper. For the weekend warrior, it still is less but maybe not as much. I can tell you that the most expensive thing I did to the Beneteau was buy a new main and gennaker. In the early 2000s that cost me around $10–12K. For my Silverton I pay three times that yearly just for slip costs, fuel, maintenance, etc—do the math. I don’t think we pitch the cost differences enough to potential buyers who are undecided between sail and power.

Community Matters More Than Ever

Back to my conversations with younger people. Younger buyers often gravitate toward communities rather than individual products. They want to feel part of something larger than a transaction.

Cruising groups, online forums, regional meetups, sailing schools, yacht clubs all create social ecosystems where boaters and buyers can learn from each other. This was mentioned by everyone I talked to. Sophie, who races for Eckerd College in Florida, said that non sailors are simply unaware of many of these social outlets that can help young people learn about sailing.

I also spoke with Heather and Liam who are in their 20’s and currently living on a sailboat. By their own admission, 5 years ago they didn’t know how to sail at all. Now they’re on their 2nd cruising sailboat and after sailing in Canada last season they’re in Newport Rhode Island refitting their sloop for the coming season. To them, the community aspect is a big part of their experience. In their 5 years of cruising they’ve met many young people in various anchorages whom they now tend to run into every so often in different ports. Some of their shore-bound friends have asked them if they get lonely; their response is that you have to try hard not to interact with others on a journey like this. As for getting people in their age group into sailing, their advice was to get on other people’s boats. Go sailing and learn, even if you’re just added weight. Learn about any other community outlets that you can get local access to.

So the message seems clear that sailing groups should take a look at their reach out campaigns and see where they might be enhanced. Sophie also mentioned that there needs to be more young people shown in any outreach program marketing materials. She said most people you see in pictures (ie yacht club photos on a website) are of “old people”. She also said that more videos such as Garrett’s Adventure, a young man’s diary of his solo cruising, need to be out there to help younger sailors get an understanding of what cruising life can be like.

Accessible Pricing Formats

Charlie mentioned that his home yacht club, Stonington Harbor Yacht Club in Stonington Connecticut, now offers a special membership priced for younger people. No initiation fee, a $450 annual membership fee and they can bring their spouse or their partner anytime to club activities. They have access to all the amenities that the more senior members have. So now more young people are showing up at events and getting into boating. Other yacht clubs and boating membership groups all over the world should look at doing something like this if they’re not already.

Racing Opportunities

Another sailing inroad for young boaters is racing. I took my first sailing lessons at eight years old and then raced the next 10 summers on Duckboats. After college I raced one design Highlanders for the next dozen years. I got a little tired of the intensity—Sunday races always began the afternoon before when I had to go out and look at the racecourse—so I did my first bareboat charter in the Caribbean. A year later I bought the Beneteau. “Grillin’ and chillin’” was now the name of the game instead of trying to decide which end of the line was favored. My point is that racing can be a great segway into cruising boats. Getting younger people better access to racing programs can help.

Chartering

Another aspect is chartering. If someone is unsure about the cruising experience, get five of your friends together and hire a skipper and go do a charter for a week. When I did that, the next thing I did when I returned home is I bought the Beneteau.

Conclusion

The statistics cited here are for the U.S., but I bet that most other countries have similar statistics. Let us know in the comments, what is the young boater situation where you live?

There’s no doubt that this issue is a real problem for the global sailing community, and we need to do something about it now. Focus on what’s working in your sailing communities to support and engage younger sailors and please leave a comment and help those ideas spread.

Why Catamarans Are No Longer “The Exception” in New England

One of Latitude’s brokerage catamarans for sale

For decades, catamarans in New England have been a rarity.  Tight marinas, narrow travel lifts, and a sailing culture built around monohulls kept multi-hulls on the fringe. That reality is now starting to change.

In a recent industry discussion with Matt Leduc and Ryan Miller of Latitude Yacht Brokerage, we talked about how the catamaran market is growing, how marinas are investing in infrastructure to deal with that growth and how the cat boating experience is different.

On the infrastructure side, marinas have widened pits and upgraded lift capacities to handle boats with wider beams. There are now at least 3 boatyards in RI who can accommodate most catamarans. That number is expected to grow.

The Modern Catamaran Buyer: A Different Mindset

Buyers who once assumed “cats belong in the Caribbean” are now realizing they can fit into a Northeast cruising lifestyle

Many New England cat owners now follow a north-south rhythm. Summers in New England. Winters in Florida, the Bahamas, or the Virgin Islands. Instead of choosing one region, owners are building a lifestyle around mobility.

It’s also common to see clients owning two platforms: a local powerboat or monohull for weekend cruising in the northeast, and a catamaran positioned down south for extended winter escapes.

Another trend is treating the boat as a business asset. A majority of cat owners in the US place their vessels initially into charter programs. Done correctly, this approach can offset ownership costs, keep the boat professionally maintained, and give owners access to a managed base when they’re not onboard.

From a broker’s perspective, this changes the conversation. We’re not just discussing sail plans and layouts. We’re talking about income strategy, long-term value, depreciation, and how a boat fits into a client’s broader lifestyle.

Catamarans vs. Monohulls: What Buyers Are Really Choosing

When buyers ask us why catamarans are gaining traction, the answer comes down to three things: space, independence, and comfort.

Space and Layout
A 40-foot catamaran feels dramatically different from a 40-foot monohull. Separate hulls create privacy for couples, guests, or family members. People can spread out, enjoy different areas of the boat, and avoid the “everyone in one salon” feeling.

Self-Sufficiency
Modern catamarans carry larger battery banks, expanded tankage, and extensive solar arrays. In New England, where mooring fields are common, this independence from dock power is a huge advantage.  A modern catamaran can spend all it’s time on a mooring without having to plug in all season in many cases.

Stability
Traditional sailors sometimes miss the heel of a monohull. Romping to windward, rail in the water, using the gimbals on the stove.  But for families, guests, and first-time cruisers, stability wins every time. Catamarans don’t heel.  Less motion often means more time enjoying the journey instead of managing discomfort.

Searching for a Catamaran: Think Beyond New England

One of the biggest adjustments for first-time cat buyers is geographic flexibility.

Unlike monohulls, which can often be sourced regionally, catamaran inventory tends to be spread across the Mid-Atlantic, the Caribbean, and even overseas. Buyers who limit their search to local listings risk missing the best opportunities.

We often remind clients that the right boat might be in St. Thomas, Panama, or France rather than Newport or Boston. The logistics can sound complex, but with the right brokerage guidance, delivery and commissioning become manageable parts of the process without adding a ton of expense.

New Builds and the Role of an Independent Advisor

Another shift we’re seeing is how buyers approach new construction catamarans.

Instead of simply walking into a dealership, many buyers now want an experienced broker acting as a buyer’s representative. That role includes helping clients evaluate equipment packages, make flagging decisions, charter options, and long-term ownership strategy while the transaction itself is completed through the authorized dealer network.

This model gives buyers an independent voice in a process that can feel overwhelming, especially when dealing with international builds and rapidly evolving technology.

We saw a need for this with our customer base in New England and our boaters in the Caribbean,  so in 2025 we entered into a partnership with Lagoon’s East Coast Dealership, Signature Catamarans. Through Signature, Latitude serves as an authorized sales center for new Lagoon Catamarans.  This provides us with a role as an independent advisor, helping buyers make the right decisions on equipment, outfitting, documentation, flagging, charter bases, income, and all those types of decisions that need to be made. This also effectively gives Lagoon an office and a presence in Newport RI with a brokerage that knows the area and has been in business in the Northeast for a long time.

2026 Lagoon 38 Catamaran

For Buyers, Brokerage Cats can be a real opportunity

Used catamarans can be incredible values, but they require careful evaluation.

Many brokerage cats come out of Caribbean charter fleets. That means potential exposure to heavy UV, mold/moisture, and the occasional storm season. None of these factors automatically disqualify a boat, but they do make surveys and due diligence essential.

Here’s something that surprises a lot of buyers: charter boats are not always worse than private boats. In some cases, professional maintenance programs keep charter vessels in exceptional condition. The key is knowing which charter bases maintain their fleets well and which ones cut corners.

That’s where Latitude can offer real value, helping buyers separate perception from reality.

Selling a Catamaran in Today’s Market

For sellers, presentation and transparency matter more than ever.  It’s really not much different than selling any used yacht.

Our advice is simple:

• Disclose known issues upfront
• Stage and clean the boat thoroughly
• Address minor maintenance items before listing

One thing that is different with brokerage cats is to highlight regional advantages if the boat has lived in New England all its life. Boats that have spent winters hauled out in the Northeast often show less UV damage and wear and tear than their southern counterparts, which can be a strong selling point.

Layout also plays a major role. Three-cabin owner versions typically attract private buyers, while four-cabin configurations appeal to charter investors.

The Technology Wave Changing Everything

Because their owners tend to have longer term occupancy of their cats (as opposed to weekend monohull cruisers), new technology is emerging every year and being piloted on cats.

Solar systems are becoming more powerful. Lithium battery banks are extending off-grid capability. Electric propulsion is moving from experimental to practical, often paired with diesel generators for redundancy.

For buyers who dream of anchoring for days without plugging in, these advances are game-changers. They also align with a broader shift toward sustainable and low-maintenance cruising.

Power catamarans are also entering the conversation, especially in larger charter markets. While sailing cats still dominate New England growth, power cats are gaining visibility as layouts evolve and demand increases.

The Big Picture: A Market That’s Growing Smarter

If you asked me ten years ago whether catamarans would become a major part of the New England landscape, I might have hesitated.

Today, the answer feels obvious.

Infrastructure is catching up. Buyers are thinking globally. Technology is making boats more capable than ever before. And the lifestyle appeal of multi-hulls continues to expand beyond traditional sailing circles.

This isn’t about replacing monohulls. It’s about expanding the conversation and giving buyers more options than ever before.

For anyone considering entering the catamaran market, the key is understanding that success starts with the right guidance. The boats are evolving, the market is evolving, and the smartest buyers are evolving with it.

The brokerage power yacht market in 2025 proved to be far more resilient and dynamic than many industry observers expected. Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, tariffs on new boats, and lingering inventory challenges, well-positioned brokerage firms continued to see strong demand, particularly for quality, well-maintained yachts in the mid-size power segment (30’-70’ LOA boats).

To better understand what really happened in 2025 and what lies ahead, I spoke with  Ryan Miller and Matt Leduc, co-partners of Latitude Yacht Brokerage in Newport, Rhode Island. Latitude specializes in brokerage power yachts, primarily diesel-powered vessels in the 30- to 70-foot range and a variety of styles. Of course, their brokerage inventory and business includes sailboats as well.  Their insights from a combined 45 years in the yacht brokerage business offer a grounded, real-world look at how buyers and sellers behaved in 2025 and how expectations are evolving as the market moves into 2026. This post focuses on power yachts and summarizes our discussion.

2025: A Growth Year Driven by Brokerage Demand

From Latitude Yacht Brokerage’s perspective, 2025 was clearly a growth year. The firm reported a 16.5 percent increase in brokerage power yacht sales compared to 2024, a notable result given broader economic headwinds last year. This growth was all brokerage boats.

One of the primary drivers for this was the impact of tariffs on new boats. As the cost of importing new vessels rose, many buyers chose to avoid paying a premium and instead focused on boats already imported and available on the brokerage market. For buyers, brokerage yachts represented more immediate availability, fewer unknowns, and often significantly better value.

Brokerage boat inventory: Quality Matters More Than Quantity

The downside of this was increased pressure on brokerage inventory, particularly for clean, well-maintained boats that were realistically priced. Clean, well-maintained boats that are ready to be used tend to sell in almost any market. There are plenty of boats on the market, but unfortunately many require more work than their asking prices justify.

Days on Market and the Reality of Seasonality

One common misconception among sellers is applying real-estate logic to yacht sales. Days on market for yachts, particularly in the Northeast, are heavily influenced by seasonality.

The prime buying window in the Northeast US runs roughly from April through July, and there’s usually a second spike in September-October. Boats listed outside that window may still sell, but the frequency of buyer activity drops significantly. Missing that peak season can dramatically extend days on market, even for well-priced boats.

This seasonality underscores the importance of timing when listing a yacht for sale, especially for sellers hoping to achieve a quick transaction.

That said, Latitude does move boats during the winter months.  December 2025 was their busiest December in recent years, and January looks like it will be super busy as well.

Advice for Sellers of Older Power Yachts

For owners of older boats, preparation is everything. One of the strongest recommendations from Latitude is to invest in a pre-sale survey. (much of this advice is also applicable for newer models as well)

While buyers will always conduct their own surveys, a pre-sale survey allows sellers to identify and address potential issues before they surface during negotiations. This proactive approach can prevent unpleasant surprises late in the deal and help remove obstacles to closing.

Many sellers believe they have maintained their boats exceptionally well, and often they have. However, issues that only appear under survey conditions are frequently missed. Examples include moisture intrusion around deck hardware or cooling system components such as heat exchangers and after-coolers that have exceeded recommended service intervals.

Deferred maintenance is not always obvious during casual operation. Engines that are lightly used may never reach conditions that expose underlying issues, but a surveyor running the boat hard will often uncover problems that buyers cannot ignore.  For example, during sea trial they will run the boat at much higher RPMs than their owners will during cruising, and if there are engine cooling issues they will become obvious here.

Maintenance Records and Transparency

Maintenance records continue to play a critical role in buyer confidence, particularly as yacht values increase. Major engine service intervals, often at 1,000 hours or based on time rather than usage, are increasingly scrutinized by buyers. Boats lacking documentation for these services often face price adjustments or repair requests during negotiations.  We see many potential buyers walk away from boats before even seeing them if there are not good, documented service records available.

Many owners handle routine maintenance themselves, often recording only oil and filter changes (if you do your own maintenance PLEASE document that). This is not necessarily a negative, but transparency is essential. Buyers must weigh the cost savings of owner maintenance against perceived risk.

Advice for Buyers considering Older Brokerage Yachts

For buyers considering yachts from the 2010 era or earlier, realistic expectations are critical. Latitude advises buyers to view multiple boats to understand market norms and variations in condition and value.

No used boat is perfect. Buyers should budget an additional amount of capital, (say 5-10% of the purchase price) for post-purchase upgrades and maintenance, even on boats that appear turnkey. These costs are part of bringing a boat onto a new owner’s maintenance schedule and comfort standard. Remember, a boat built in 2010 and used in the Northeast has spent 15+ years in a saltwater environment. Even if well cared for that boat will very likely need some upgrades.

Structural integrity and major systems should always take priority over cosmetic concerns. Dirt, clutter, and outdated soft goods are far easier and cheaper to address than structural or mechanical deficiencies.

All this said, there are some great diamonds out there in the older boat market.  Latitude can help you find them.

Looking Ahead to 2026

The outlook for 2026 is optimistic. Latitude Yacht Brokerage reported an exceptionally strong 2025, fueling confidence in continued demand.

For newer boats but also older boats with recent upgrades, emerging technology trends include greater system integration, gyro-stabilization, increased automation, lithium battery upgrades, solar installations, and even electric propulsion. While many of these technologies originate in new builds, retrofits are becoming increasingly common.

As systems become more complex, the role of specialized surveyors is growing. Buyers considering boats with pods, lithium systems, or advanced electrical setups must ensure their surveyors have the appropriate expertise.

Final Thoughts

The brokerage power yacht market entering 2026 remains strong but will be increasingly nuanced. Buyers and sellers alike must approach transactions with realism, transparency, and informed expectations.  This is where your broker can help.

Please reach out and connect with us if you want to learn more.  We will have brokers at both the   Miami International Boat Show, as well as the Palm Beach Boat Show in the next couple of months and we’ll be walking the show floor as well as looking at brokerage boats in the area.

Good boats still sell. Deferred maintenance still matters. And there is no such thing as a perfect used yacht, only a well-chosen one.

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