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Boating Lifestyle Can Be Family Affair

By FRANK SARGEANT The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 18, 2007

More than one in four Americans went boating last year, but the National Marine Manufacturers Association, not surprisingly, would like to see even more of us afloat.

"The amount of sales in dollars are up, but we've actually seen a slight down trend in the number of new boat sales, as well as the number of people who go boating," said Thom Dammrich, president of the 1,600-member association of boat and marine gear builders.

Dammrich said boating is not only good for members of his association, however.

"The boaters and fishermen are some of the strongest environmentalists and conservationists in the nation, because they're out there all the time and they see the need for clean water," he said. "Fewer people in the outdoors means fewer constituents to support habitat preservation and clean water."

Dammrich said there are some 12 million registered boats in the nation, and Florida inevitably is in the top three states in the number of boats on its waters. He said about 8.4 million of those boats are outboards, with bass boats and pontoon rigs the most popular designs in much of the nation. About half the powerboats are fiberglass, the other half aluminum. About 16,000 sailboats are sold annually, along with around 7,000 inboards.

Dammrich said fishing is a big reason many people own a boat, particularly an outboard.

"We show that 50 percent of buyers list fishing as the primary reason for owning a boat, and another 25 percent fish at least some of the time," he said.

Dammrich said the biggest reason cited by many for buying a boat last year was to increase quality family time.

"Boating works for everybody, from toddlers who enjoy taking a dip off the swim platform to the grandparents who want to do a little fishing," Dammrich said. "It's a lifetime sport for people who get exposed to it."

He said one of the most common reasons for not getting into boating is a lack of time.

"People are spending their time online, which we all know can be addictive, but it's not something that leads to shared experiences within the family like boating," Dammrich said.

And, he said, it can be very affordable.

"Anyone who has a job and wants to be a boater can afford it at some level," he said. "You can get financing up to 15 years to bring the payments way down."

Buying a paddle-power boat also can make boating much less expensive. Kayaks are selling rapidly to anglers along the west coast, where our shallow creeks and bayous offer good angling opportunities. Dammrich said some 340,000 kayaks are sold annually nationwide, but he had no breakout for the numbers in Florida. Canoe sales average 75,000 to 100,000, he said.

In Florida, boats without engines do not require a state registration, so the paddle fleet saves even more. And no trailer is required to get most canoes and kayaks to the water.

The NMMA maintains a Web site for beginning boaters, offering tips on boat buying, boater education classes, launch ramps, maintenance and more. It's at www.discoverboating.com.

Local safe boating classes can be accessed at the U.S. Power Squadron's Web site, www.usps.org. The Brandon chapter of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary offers a boating class Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at West Marine, 1516 W. Brandon Blvd. in Brandon. The fee, which includes a textbook, costs $40. For more information, call 1-800-704-4216 or visit www.cgauz74.org.

The boating club also provides free safety checks for boats at area launch ramps.