SISTER BAY, Wis. — Thor Johnson’s morning includes a lot of snaps.

Undoing those snaps and taking protective covers off a mix of pontoon and speed boats is part of the morning routine for the owner of Sister Bay Boat Rental in northern Door County.

The business recently kicked off its 2022 season.

“Reservations are starting to flow in,” Johnson said while prepping a pontoon boat for the day. “I think everyone starts planning their summer in May.”

Many of those plans now include boats, whether rentals or private ownership. Recreational boating has seen a boom through the pandemic.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association said first-time boat owners increased again in 2021, accounting for almost 34% of all sales.

But things weren’t so clear cut when Johnson took ownership of the business in January 2020 — just a few weeks before the pandemic hit.

“It was very unpredictable what the summer was going to hold. I just kept thinking in my head, ‘Ok, what else would people do?’ I just thought, ‘boating.’” he said. “It’s a social distancing activity, so I said I’m going to start promoting it like that and it really kicked off.”

It continued into 2021 and he and his staff expect much of the same this year.

That includes people like Stryker Hallet. He has worked at the rental business for six years.

“Part of the joy of working here is just getting to know new people and getting to see the old ones,” Hallett said.

The busiest part of the rental seasons runs through June, July and August.

“It’s definitely up to the weather but I don’t see why shouldn’t be as busy as we were last year,” Hallett said.

With a mix of pontoon and speed boats, as well as personal watercraft, Johnson expects business will stay strong through the summer.

Though a little help from the weather wouldn’t hurt.

“A good day would be where we had sun and no wind all day,” Johnson said.