...was probably in the mid $300's not the $500,000 you "guessed".
I'm going to guess that not too many "average working families" have ever been able to afford a new 38' sailboat.
The smaller boats may have been closer to the mark but the premium paid for "new" has been steep for a long time...
No question that a used sailboat is much more likely to be able to be purchased by your "average family" but if they do not have the ability to perform most maintenance they are soon going to be swamped by the real costs of boat ownership...
All of that aside...
Even with lots of inexpensive used boats out there on the market, we see fewer and fewer sailboats cruising. Sure there are sailboats out there but not as many as we saw 15 and 20 years ago...
Powerboats are selling. Irregardless of who can afford them it is what people are doing...
As I write this I am surrounded by 3 sailboats and two power boats in Buckle Harbor southwest of Mt Desert.
Who knows maybe I'm wrong!