WHERE THE HECK ARE THE BOATS?

Due to the Pandemic, the year 2020 was a very challenging time for everyone.  We were hopeful entering 2021 that our increased inventory or boats, motors, and trailers would be sufficient to handle the increased demand for those units.  Unfortunately, that has not been the case. The long term effect of the pandemic, along with other new challenges with production and shipping continue to slow the supply of parts and accessories to boat and outboard motor manufacturers.   While boat dealership around the country face the same problems, here is an overview of what happened and how the industry is responding to meet demand.

The winter storm in Texas led to the oil refinery shut-down. Everything from foam for flotation to foam for seat cushions were based on the petroleum industry and products they produced. In addition, the petrol chemicals from these refineries are used in a host of products used in the marine industry.  Since the ice storm, it has been difficult for boat manufactures to get reliable shipments of the parts they need to complete their boats. At the same time, shipping and reliable transportation of parts to complete boats continues to be problematic.  Add to this, much higher demand for all outdoor recreational products as the corona virus pandemic as more Americans turned to the lifestyle amid more flexible work environments that allowed them  to spend extra time enjoying the outdoors. Simply, demand outstripped supply by a significant margin.  Our inventories have depleted much faster than predicted and boat builders cannot keep up.

In addition, all port facilities are running slower due to increased protocols for safety, leading to much slower delivery and distribution of products.  Coupled with the worldwide shortage of inter-modal shipping containers and the import and export of products, getting parts, motors, and finished components frustratingly slow to dealers.  Teams at all boat, motor, and trailer builders are doing everything they can to ramp up production, but it continues to be problematic as more units are waiting on parts so they can be completed and shipped.

When can we expect boats?

The short answer is that they are in production.  MUDDY BAY has hundreds of boats on order from all our boat builders, as well as outboards, trailers, parts, and accessories, but deliveries remain sporadic and slow.  What used to take a few days to get, now takes weeks or months.  In fact, we still have boats on order from the summer of 2020 that have not yet been delivered as of the summer of 2021 as builders try to meet demand. 

Our builders continue to be hindered by parts shortages, reduced worker availability, and temporary shut-downs due to Covid restrictions.   We monitor daily our inventory availability and production as manufacturers continue to keep us informed.  The situation evolves day-to-day.  We know you are eager to get your new rig, but it is difficult to predict the situation from week to week when certain units arrive. We know warm weather and boating season is upon us and these delays are causing you to miss some of those summer memories.  We ask that you please be patient with us and our manufacturers as they struggle to supply all our ordered units. 

We will keep you informed as our new 2022 models arrive and appreciate your support as everyone works through this unprecedented year.