Recreational boating industry picking up steam

Recreational boating in the U.S. has an annual economic value of $121 billion dollars according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association’s annual U.S. Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract.

The industry’s supports 964,000 jobs and nearly 35 thousand businesses, generates $40 billion dollars in annual labor income and drives $83 billion dollars in annual spending.

the study also found that retail sales of new power and sailboats increased 10.7 percent in 2012 to over 163 thousand, demonstrating a post-recession recovery for the industry.

Small fiberglass and aluminum outboard boats 26 feet or less in size, continued their upward climb with an 11.3 percent increase in the number of new boats sold.

Outboard boats are the most popular type of new powerboat sold, making up approximately 82 percent of the market.

Ski and wakeboard boats are seeing healthy growth with an increase of 13.4 percent new boats sold in 2012.

Of the estimated 232.3 million adults in the U.S. in 2012, 37.8 percent, or 88 million, participated in recreational boating at least once during the year.

This is a six percent increase from 2011 and the largest number of U.S. adults participating in boating since the National Marine Manufacturers Association began collecting the data in 1990. 

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