The recreational boat industry had its strongest month this year in May as sales rose in all but two categories and some segments posted double-digit gains.

Sales climbed 8.5 percent, or 1,159 boats, to 14,740 in the main powerboat segments and 8 percent, or 1,699, to 22,926 industrywide from the same month last year in 23 states that represent about 56 percent of the U.S. boat market, Statistical Surveys reported today.

Percentagewise the gains were the best since January. Total sales for May were the highest for any month this year, and they came at the midpoint of the April-to-July selling season.

“It’s definitely our best month of the year, with strong growth in our major segments,” said Ryan Kloppe, Statistical Surveys’ sales director, citing gains in the aluminum fishing and pontoon categories and among fiberglass outboards.

“And PWC continues its double-digit growth,” he said.

Kloppe said that although boat sales got off to a slow start this year, Statistical Surveys was expecting strong May results because of conversations the company had with builders and dealers.

“I think it will be good for the industry to see these numbers,” he said. “This is definitely going to put us on pace for 4 to 6 percent growth this year.”

For the year through May, sales are up 3.3 percent, or 2,105, at 65,020 in the main segments and 3.5 percent, or 3,198, at 93,735 industrywide in the early-reporting states.

Among the main segments, sales of 11- to 50-foot fiberglass outboards soared 10.5 percent, or 459, to 4,831, and sales of aluminum fishing boats climbed 9.8 percent, or 270, to 3,028. Aluminum pontoon boat sales rose 7.5 percent, or 331, to 4,741.

Outside the main segments, sales of personal watercraft rose by double digits for the third month in a row. PWC sales climbed 12.8 percent, or 700, to 6,164, and they are up by 10.6 percent, at 17,768, through May in the early-reporting states.

Sales of ski and wake boats, one of the main segments, climbed by 8.9 percent, or 73, to 892, and sales of jetboats rose 17.7 percent, or 66, to 439.

Nine of the top 10 states for sales reported higher numbers than they did in May last year.

Florida, typically the top sales state, led with 3,647 (up from 3,620), but Michigan passed Texas, which is usually the second-place state, with 3,331 (up from 2,890); Texas was third, at 2,693 (up from 2,455); New York was fourth, at 2,071 (down slightly from 2,074); and North Carolina was fifth, at 1,564 (up from 1,446).

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