http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...HsE&refer=home

Wayne. B wrote:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...HsE&refer=home


One of the most crucial comments in the entire piece could have been an
easily overlooked paragraph in the middle:
......

``The boating industry is not bringing in new customers,'' said
Jonathan Cramer, an analyst at Cowen & Co. in New York. He has a
``neutral'' rating on MarineMax and doesn't own the stock."

.....

Of course new people *are* taking up the pastime, but only at about the
same rate that old farts are giving it up. New boats are built to
replace old junkers that are scrapped, and as the baby boomers are in
their peak spending years there is unprecedented demand for bigger
boats than ever before. A fairly static number of customers wants to
buy fewer but bigger boats, and young people are generally a lot less
interested in boating than their parents or grandparents were. Not
healthy signs.

And it's the industry's collective fault. Right now there are more
70-foot plus boats for sale in Seattle alone than sold in the entire
state of Washington in the last 18 months. Some of these sellers will
be left holding multi-million dollar bags. Ouch. Go to a boat show and
try to find an attractive, versatile, family cruising boat ("sleeps 4")
for under six figures- almost impossible. When the industry posits each
vessel as something that will convey the aura of being among the
privileged elite, it's no wonder that pretty soon people are unwilling
to consider boating as a family pastime because it appears to be far
too expensive.

If the industry got back to the message that simply being out on the
water was the important thing and offered some boats that weren't
simply strategically designed to be missing some important feature and
thereby motivate trade-ups, it would eventually create an expanding
market. A percentage of that expansion would ultimately become
prospects for those 60-foot and larger "home runs" that the builders
all love to sell.

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
oups.com...

When the industry posits each
vessel as something that will convey the aura of being among the
privileged elite, it's no wonder that pretty soon people are unwilling
to consider boating as a family pastime because it appears to be far
too expensive.

It is far too expensive. I figure that it costs me $2000/month to own my
boat (loan, insurance, maintenance, and fuel). And that's before
depreciation...and excluding any major repairs.

Add in the additional cost to have a home on the water to keep the boat at
(or for those not on the water, dry storage which can run $500/month), and
the cost of ownership is off the charts.

But I look at it this way...
I don't gamble. I don't golf anymore. I have no real vices (except for the
internet). Every weekend, I go out on the boat and have a mini-vacation
with the family. To me, it's worth every penny.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Media Contact:

Carolyn Schinsky

(314) 822-9784



MarineMax Named to Forbes Platinum 400 List

Boating & Yachting Retailer Chosen as one of America's Best Big
Companies





CLEARWATER, Fla. - Jan. 16, 2007 - MarineMax, the nation's
largest boating and yachting retailer, has been named one of Forbes
Magazine's best big companies in America. Inclusion on the list
signals that the retailer is considered among the best publicly traded
companies in the country with $1 billion or more in revenues.



"At MarineMax we are constantly striving to grow and improve our
business and deliver the ultimate sales, service and ownership
experience to our customers. It is exceptionally gratifying to have
our hard work recognized by Forbes and the business community," says
MarineMax Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, William H.
McGill, Jr.



To select their annual Platinum 400 list, Forbes screens more than
1,000 corporations with $1 billion or more in revenues. It then
compares them on the basis of stock performance, financial metrics,
Wall Street forecasts, corporate governance ratings and other public
information to arrive at its selections. With a total of $1.2 billion
in annual sales, a 26.9 percent five year total return and $39 million
in net income, MarineMax is a leader in the retailer industry.



Inclusion on the Forbes list caps a noteworthy year for MarineMax. In
addition to being named as the Number One retailer in the Boating
Industry Top 100 ranking, the boating and yachting retailer also
received numerous other prestigious awards, including multiple top
honor salespeople and dealership awards from Hatteras Yachts and Sea
Ray Ambassador Dealer certification at many of their dealerships
nationwide.



For additional information, visit www.marinemax.com



# # #



About MarineMax

Headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, MarineMax is the nation's largest
recreational boat and yacht retailer. Focused on premium brands, such
as Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, Meridian, Hatteras, Grady White, and the
Ferretti Group including: Ferretti Yachts, Pershing, Riva, Mochi Craft,
Apreamare and Bertram, the Company sells new and used recreational
boats and related marine products and provides yacht brokerage
services. The Company currently operates 88 retail locations in
Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida,
Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York,
North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and
Utah. MarineMax is a New York Stock Exchange-listed company.