As boat sales are skyrocketing and more people are out on lakes nationwide, rumors are floating that some of Lake Murray’s marinas may change hands.

A source familiar with the marina operations on Lake Murray who wished to remain anonymous said Suntex Marinas, a Dallas, Tex.-based business, has contacted some local marinas about possible sales.

The Chronicle contacted several Lake Murray marinas, but none confirmed any sale offers from Suntex.

One marina manager said he does receive routine notices from various companies that sale services are available, but that’s nothing new.

While Suntex is not confirming sale offers, it’s not denying that they are being made.

The Chronicle contacted Tammy Wright, a former Lake Murray marina manager who now works as director of project development for Suntex, and asked if any offers were pending.

“Our team cannot currently discuss this subject,” she responded. “Please reach out to me after the first of January 2022.”

The only new sale of a Lake Murray marina reported recently was that of Putnam’s Landing near Chapin, which is now going through a major rebuild.

The new owner, Brandon Crutchfield, said he wasn’t motivated by the surge in boating. A long-time Lake Murray patron, Crutchfield said he had hopes of acquiring Putnam’s Landing for years.

He said the makeover is going to take time. Currently, he’s trying to do a clean-up of the site. But eventually he hopes to have “the best marina on Lake Murray.”

There are some other marinas on the market, including Spinners Resort on Sandlewood Road in Leesville.

Nationally, boat sales have skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic as more Americans turned to the lifestyle amid more flexible work environments that allowed people to spend extra time enjoying the outdoors.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association made headlines earlier this year when it reported a spike in 2020 boat sales, with the industry garnering $47 billion (including marine products and services). That’s an increase of 9 percent from 2019 and a 13-year high. An estimated 10 percent of those were first-time buyers. Since then, boat sales haven’t slowed down.

Most of the Lake Murray marina managers contacted by the Chronicle said they are serving a lot of customers now and that boating is definitely increasing on Lake Murray.