Some See Early Signs Of Rising Tide For Boats

That's after the company's boat sales fell 25 percent in 2008, and engine sales fell 17 percent.

Dunstan McCoy, Brunswick's chairman and chief executive, said in the company's earnings announcement Thursday that the company isn't planning for any meaningful recovery this year.

In fact, McCoy told analysts, he's not planning for the boat market to return to its relatively high 2005 levels "within my working career."

Phil Keeter, president of the Marine Retailers Association of America, said there's still a glut of inventory in the supply chain and in dealer showrooms. He said he's seeing a little improvement in the Midwest and some other regions, primarily in sales of cheaper boats, but he suspects it's partly the usual springtime rush.

"We've seen more traffic in the dealerships in the last month than we have seen for a long time. That doesn't mean they're buying, but we are seeing more traffic," Keeter said.

Luke Kujawa, president of Crystal-Pierz Marine, is coming off a year of painful decisions. His Twin Cities-based chain opened some stores but closed others for a net reduction from nine to seven, and cut staff. But he's betting these moves will pay off.