Some 5,545 recreational boats were registered in Spain last year, reflecting a stable domestic market

The number of recreational boats registered in Spain last year reached 5,545 units – a 3.3% increase over 2017 levels. Of this total, 4,037 boats were registered for private use (up 7.5% compared to 2017) and the rest were registered for charter purposes.

According to Spanish industry association ANEN, charter registrations were down by 6.5% in 2018 to just 1,508 units, reflecting the stabilistion of this segment. In 2014, for instance, charter registrations soared by 60% following an amendment to its matriculation tax on charter boats.

The latest figures, which were provided by the General Directorate of the Merchant Navy, show that vessels from 6m-8m were the fastest growing segment in 2018 (up 15.1%), followed by boats from 12m-16m (+9.1%) and small vessels up to 6m (+1.2%). The number of registered boats from 8m-12m was down by 7.6%, whereas boats over 16m were stable.

Unsurprisingly, the greatest demand in Spain continues to be for vessels up to 8m in length, representing 89.2% of the total number of registrations in 2018.

As for location, the Balearic Islands accounted for the largest share of the market at 20.2%, with registrations up by 29.4% in 2018. Catalonia moved to second position (18.8%) with a 13.7% decrease in registrations, and in third position was Andalusia (17.9%) with an 11.4% increase.

The Balearic Islands also had the largest share of registrations (28.9%) in the charter market, followed by Catalonia at 22.5% and the Valencian Community at 17%.