The boating industry has relied on small evolutionary changes to justify the higher cost of new boats. This has been a losing struggle. Sterndrive boat sales, the heart of the industry, have dropped to 20% of their 1996 levels and are recovering poorly, even with the improving economy.
Historically, the industry’s sales booms have been fueled by disruptive propulsion innovations, like outboards, sterndrives, and jets. These innovations enabled boats with new features and benefits to meet the ...
