Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

I plan to hit the Nashville Boat Show next weekend to see my Bennington dealer about a warranty issue.

Two big hurricanes the last year destroyed many thousands of boats in the Gulf Coast and in many Caribbean islands. Improved business economy/incomes and baby boomers looking for recreation have also pushed manufacturers beyond production capabilities.

But outboard manufacturers do not presently have the production capacity to meet demand, and there are few large outboards available to boat builders for 6-9 months. How are they going to build and sell boats if there are not enough motors?

I wonder how boat shows will address this subject? Are prices of available boats going to remain high if the supply drops dramatically? Are buyers going to have to hang on to their current boats until the engine supply issue balances out in a year or so?

So far isn't it only Yamaha with supply issues? I probably shouldn't say "only" since they are a huge player. It will be interesting to see if Mercury, Suzuki, and Envirude can fill in the gaps.

That was interesting to know. Something to ask the Mercury guy at the Atlanta Show this coming weekend. We're running up and hit the show on Friday. Pics to follow if there's anything good.

[quote="zoom650"]That was interesting to know. Something to ask the Mercury guy at the Atlanta Show this coming weekend. We're running up and hit the show on Friday. Pics to follow if there's anything good.[/quote]
If you feel like it, you can ask the Mercury rep about the recent new outboard rumor going around the internet. Some are hinting to a Mercury 200hp normally aspirated 4 stroke outboard to go against Yamaha's I4 200hp.