 
On Monday, August 11, the Wilmington (Delaware) News Journal published a great story about Kathy Casey-Kirschling, America's first baby boomer and an avid boater along the Atlantic Coast. Kirschling was the subject of a feature profile, in which she talked about her positive boating experiences and helped promote the boating lifestyle to the boomer audience.
Much has been made of the Baby Boomer generation. This huge post World War II generation has driven many of the consumer trends in the country for decades. Today, there are 80 million boomers approaching retirement. And, as they do, they will likely have both the time and money for boating. Boomers will be the ones who introduce their grandchildren to boating, as their children often work inside two-income households and they are expected to be more active in retirement than previous generations. Industry innovations and technological developments, such as joy stick docking, are making boating easier and more accessible to more people all the time!
Kirschling is 62 years old, and she's been a boater for the past 15 years. Her boat is even named First Boomer. This year, Kirschling agreed to be a spokesperson for the industry's Discover Boating campaign. As a long-time boater, she really believes in all the great benefits of boating we espouse so frequently and is a true champion of life on the water.
Boating is a terrific way for boomers and empty-nesters to spend their retirement days. In fact, we've even committed a special section of the Discover Boating website to this segment of the boat buying market. DiscoverBoating.com's Boomer Section, new to the site in 2008, features great ideas and tips for older Americans that want to get started in boating later in life, and reminds them that owning a boat is akin to buying "the vacation home you always wanted." Kirschling is also featured in the new section, sharing her thoughts, ideas and experiences about her time spent boating.
I encourage you to visit the Boomer Section of DiscoverBoating.com and see what you think (and don't forget to send us your feedback ). Who knows; perhaps information about that 'dream home' (er, boat) is just a few clicks away!
– Thom DammrichÂ
Boats are booming? Hasn't anyone heard about the collapse of the economy along with the collapse of the boating industry. Just look at Brunswick. And as for boomers, their retirement, heavily invested in the market, has depreciated to the point where boats are the last thing they are thinking of. Just look at the boats on the market that will not sell. I am afraid that we are seeing the demise of the entire middle section of the boating market, returning boating to what it once was, a rich persons hobby. What surprises me is how little this discussion takes place in boating magazines and on blogs. Now it is the job of the magazines to keep a happy face and sell boats, but there is a time when reality sets in. How about more discussion on how one can get a great buy in a used boat for those who might have some appreciated assets left, how about how one goes about getting a loan in this market, how about a discussion of conserving fuel given the price of gas and diesel, and how about discussion of getting people into boating when the economy is in free fall.Â