If the early onset of summer weather had you salivating over the “boats” section of Craigslist last spring, you definitely weren’t alone.
Kitsap residents went on a bit of a boat buying spree in the second quarter of the year. A total of 717 vessels sold to buyers with moorage in Kitsap County, according to numbers posted by Washington Sea Grant.
That was a 14 percent increase from the same period of 2014, and a 31 percent jump from five years ago.
As you can see from the chart, more county residents are springing for new boats, which is good news for local dealerships, hit hard during the recession.
A number factors are likely propelling the recent surge in boat sales, including the improving economy, relatively low fuel prices and, of course, the sunshine.
