NEWS AND NOTES
Blue Water Sailing
JANUARY 5, 2010
Census says boating remains popular in U.S.
This winter is turning out to be frigid indeed and with that cold reaching south as far as Florida with record-breaking low temps, it's no wonder that boat shows are becoming popular again. They are happening all over the country, more proof that the U.S. Census Bureaus' report that boating remains a popular pastime in the U.S., is right-on.
Last week boaters visited The Nashville Boat & Sportshow; the Providence Boat Show in Rhode Island; and the Kansas City Boat & Sportshow. This week, the Toronto International Boat Show at Direct Energy Centre Exhibition Place, runs through Jan. 17. Next week, the Louisville Boat, RV, & Sportshow will take place Jan. 20-24 at the Kentucky Exposition Center. January 28–31 is Strictly Sail (http://www.strictlysailchicago.com/) Chicago at Navy Pier. (Look for Blue Water Sailing at booth # 383 and get 2-for-1 tickets as well as hotel discounts through BWS!). Then next month, the Miami International Boat Show and Strictly Sail (http://www.strictlysailmiami.com/) gets underway.
According to the current Census Bureau report, Americans own nearly 17 million boats and spend more than $37 billion a year on new and used boats, the bureau says.
The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) has released its 2008 U.S. Recreational Boat Registrations Statistics report showing that nationwide, U.S. recreational boat registrations in 2008 decreased an estimated 1.4 percent compared to 2007. A total of 12.8 million vessels were registered by U.S. states or documented by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in the U.S. in 2008, compared to 13 million in 2007.
Florida topped state rankings for registered boats, with nearly 992,000 vessels recorded in 2007. That figure is up less than one percent from 2006, led by an increase (2.5 percent) in Personal Watercraft (PWC) registrations.
California ranked second overall (964,881 registrations) with an increase of nearly eight percent in 2007. Minnesota (866,496 registrations), Michigan (830,743 registrations) and Wisconsin (617,366 registrations) rounded out the top five states. The remaining top 10 states for registrations in 2007 include (in order): Texas (599,567); New York (494,020); South Carolina (442,040); Ohio (415,228); and Illinois (379,454).
“The Boat Registrations report provides a big picture look at trends within the recreational marine industry, especially on a state level,” says Jim Petru, NMMA director of Industry Research and Statistics. “We work with numerous government agencies and research groups to gather the most comprehensive recreational boating registration data and are excited to be able to offer such a useful resource for our industry.”
On a regional basis, Great Lakes states earned the top spot accounting for nearly 3.4 million (nearly 26 percent) of the total 13 million registered vessels in 2007. The Inland and South Atlantic regions, ranked number two and three in 2007; the Inland region accounted for 2.4 million of total boat registrations in 2007 and the South Atlantic with 2.2 million. All regions, except the North Atlantic, posted increases in boat registrations in 2007; the largest increase was in the Pacific region which climbed nearly five percent in 2007, primarily reflecting California’s eight percent increase.
To read the entire report from NMMA, visit http://www.nmma.org/news/news.asp?id=17722&sid=3.
From: In part: www.tradeonlytoday.com.
Planning on visiting the Chicago Strictly Sail? Get Two for One Tickets from Blue Water Sailing! Click on the link below or copy and paste it into the URL field on your Browser:
Blue Water Sailing and Cruising Compass Readers can also get the special show discount rate of 89.00 per night at the Homewood Suites. Go to
http://homewoodsuites.hilton.com/en/hw/groups/personalized/CHIHWHW-STR-20100125/index.jhtml
for info and to reserve your room now.
Homewood Suites offers these Added values:
- Two-room suites with separate living, sleeping areas and full kitchens
- Complimentary high-speed Internet access
- Complimentary hot breakfast buffet daily
- Complimentary evening reception (a light meal with beer, wine and soda served Monday through Thursday)
- Complimentary executive business center with high-speed Internet access
- Complimentary grocery shopping service (our staff will deliver directly to your guest’s suite)
- 24-hour convenience shop
- Located just 6 blocks from Chicago’s Navy Pier, and just steps from the complimentary Navy Pier shuttle
Click here to get your $2 off Coupon for Miami Strictly Sail (at their new location - Sea Isle Marina, Miami, Florida).
Photo: Miami Strictly Sail, 2008 / N.Birnbaum
Photo: Courtesy of oceanlines.biz.
