Boat Registration Down 2 Percent Nationwide in 2010
October 27, 2011
Byline: Log News Service
LOG NEWS SERVICE — A total of 12.5 million boats were registered or documented in the United States in 2010, compared to 12.7 million in 2009 — a decrease of 2.2 percent or almost 300,000 boats, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
Florida again topped state rankings with 914,535 state-registered boats in 2010, while California slipped from second to fourth place — dropping by 10.7 percent to 810,008 state-registered boats. Minnesota moved from third to second place with 813,976 boats, while Michigan moved up from fourth to third with 812,066. Wisconsin remained in fifth place with 615,335 boats. The remaining top states include, in order: Texas (596,830), New York (475,689), South Carolina (435,491), Ohio (430,710) and North Carolina (400,846).
“Our 2010 findings tell us that recreational boating remained a popular activity, with just a slight decline of 2.2 percent during one of the toughest recessionary years from 2009-2010 — further demonstrating boaters’ dedication to the lifestyle, despite economic conditions,” said Jim Petru, director of industry statistics and research for the NMMA.
The NMMA reported that 95 percent of mechanically propelled boats are smaller than 26 feet in length. Of that small-boat total, 42 percent are smaller than 16 feet, and 54 percent are between 16 and 25 feet. During 2010, 183,930 new-model-year powerboats were sold and registered in the United States, according to the NMMA.
