About 80 owners, chief executives and general managers of marine companies nationwide heard the predictions this week during the first New Zealand Marine Industry Conference to be held in the South Island.
The marine industry association revealed at the conference its revised forecasts up to 2020.
Sales growth in equipment, super-yachts, launches and yachts, power trailer boats, racing yachts, rigid-hulled inflatable boats and inflatables were expected to remain static.
However, refit sales was one sector forecast to continue increasing, following the international trend of larger boat owners opting to upgrade their craft rather than buy new ones.
Association executive director Peter Busfield told the Otago Daily Times there were about 20 refits in Auckland, Whangarei, Tauranga and Nelson a year and each cost between $2 million and $20 million.
"New Zealand has the largest number of boat building apprentices in the world, with more than 600, and another 600 that graduated in the last few years," Mr Busfield said.
"The brand `New Zealand boats' is comparable with Swiss watches and French champagne and a lot of that has come from the America's Cup, the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series and the Millennium Cup super-yacht race."
Delegates discussed growth strategies, greater communication between shop floor and management, and productivity gains to become more competitive.
The national industry consists of more than 1000 small-to-medium businesses and talks covered how they could work together to compete against large overseas conglomerates and increase their 3% world market share.
Guest speaker Frank Simpson shared his 50 years' experience as a designer and founder of Fi-Glass Boats.
Mr Simpson, of Christchurch, said the industry had been through tough times before, but it was important for firms to develop new products and remain positive.
The marine industry is worth more than $2 billion to the New Zealand economy and employs 10,000 people.
