American Buyers Drive Yacht Market as Fort Lauderdale Boat Show Nears

As the yachting industry gets ready for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, executives say they are counting on American wealth to keep the market moving. The show begins Wednesday, Oct. 28, and features more than 150 yachts.

Industry executives estimate that Americans account for about 40% of all global yacht sales. In the segment above 250 feet, they make up the majority of buyers. With demand from Europe and the Middle East slowing, American customers are becoming more important to growth.

"Recently, it's the Americans that have increased their purchasing," said Kevin Merrigan, chairman of yacht brokerage Northrop & Johnson. "We've had several big closings heading into the end of the year. It's quite remarkable and it's American buyers."

The wider market has cooled since the post-COVID highs of 2022 and 2023. According to Northrop & Johnson, global sales of pre-owned yachts over 78 feet are down about 1% for the year through September compared with the same period last year, while the value of those sales fell about 5%. Orders for new yachts over 78 feet slipped from 266 last year to 216 so far in 2026.

Still, the market increasingly reflects the top-heavy structure of global wealth, where centimillionaires and billionaires are gaining riches fastest. Orders for yachts between 40 and 50 meters (131 to 164 feet) rose from 49 to 63 this year, per Northrop & Johnson.

Brokers say demand is strongest for newly built or well-maintained large yachts above 200 feet. Top shipyards are booked solid, so a buyer ordering a new mega-yacht now may wait until 2031 or later for delivery. That has pushed up prices for almost-new vessels, which can command a large premium. "Demand is greater than supply," said Anders Kurtén, CEO of Fraser Yachts, who described the top end of the market as inventory constrained for the past four or five years.

The charter business has also retreated from its post-pandemic peak. The summer began weakly, mainly because of the war in the Middle East, but charter bookers say activity picked up in August and the pipeline looks strong heading into 2026. Many current charter clients are Americans in their 30s and early 40s, and many made their money in tech. Because many yacht owners begin with charters before buying, brokers see the trend as a pipeline of future buyers. "Charter is the entry level drug," Merrigan said.

Fort Lauderdale is seen as an important test of the market's strength. Brokers say the Monaco Yacht Show in September drew strong attendance and sales. Kurtén said Fraser brought four yachts to Monaco and one went under contract during the show.

Fraser plans to display eight or nine yachts in Fort Lauderdale. It had intended to bring more, but sold four of the scheduled vessels in recent weeks. "I think that tells you something about the state of the market in general," Kurtén said.