Just like the car industry, the boating industry is filled with manufacturers that are competing to build and sell the most boats in their market. Big brand names like Boston Whaler and Mastercraft have been dominating the waters for decades and now the industry is beginning to see a surge in new boat manufacturers such as Aviara Boats that are looking for their piece of the pie. After all, the water is big enough for everyone, right? With demand for recreational boats forecasted to grow 5.3% per year to nearly $11 billion in 2022, there has never been a more important time for boat manufacturers to hone in on their craft and produce the best boats in history. In order to take a look under the hood, we’ve compiled this guide to the top boat manufacturers in the industry and why you should know about them, courtesy of Boatsetter.
Known for being one of the biggest American boating companies, Boston Whaler has been producing some of the finest center consoles on the market since 1958 when their owner Dick Fisher started making small fishing boats out of balsa wood before building the company and selling it to Rebook Corporation in the 1980s. Remembered for their advertising campaigns that included sawing their boats in half to prove their unsinkability, Boston Whaler which is now headquartered in Edgewater, Florida is truly a force to be reckoned with.
Sea Ray, which manufactures boats under the same name, is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. With more than 40 models of boats being produced by the company, they are selling everything from power cruisers to yachts to boat owners across the world. Considered to be the, “Largest boat manufacturer of superior quality yachts, sport boats,” Sea Ray is on the water to stay and should only be going up in terms of business in 2019.
When it comes to manufacturing luxury, high-performance boats, Mastercraft rules the seas. Another Tennessee-based company, Mastercraft has been exceptional boats for water sports such as water skiing and wakeboarding since 1968. Founded by Rob Shirley, a young wakeboarding instructor, along with the help of other wakeboarders the company built it’s first twelve boats in the first year of operations. Since then, the company has dominated the high performance and water sports industry with their lightning fast boats. And today, they are stopping anytime soon.
The only boat manufacturer on our list that isn’t based in the United State, Yamaha Motor Company, based in Japan is perhaps the biggest motor company on the list. Known for building racing motorcycles, Yamaha moved into the boating industry with their beautiful engines in the late 1080s when they produced their first Waverunner. Because after all, why can't we have a motorcycle that runs on water? Since then, Yamaha has been in fierce competition with Sea-Doo and Kawasaki’s Jet Skis. Who will rule the waters in 2019? Only time will tell.