Boating In Ohio

An estimated 3 million Ohioans go boating each year, or nearly 1 in 4 Ohioans. Almost half of all Ohio residents (48%) have participated in recreational boating at least once in their lifetime, according to an Ohio State University study.
The average Ohio boat owner is 52 years old with an annual household income of $81,700 and 26.5 years of boating experience. Boat ownership by women increased from 2.6% in 2001 to 7% in 2007. (OSU)
The average boat-owning household in Ohio has 2.13 boats. The average length of boats in Ohio is 19 feet and the average age is 16 years. The average engine size for powerboats is 160 horsepower.
Boating-related fatalities on Ohio waterways declined 42% over the past 10 years, from a total of 103 fatalities reported 1999-2003 compared to 60 fatalities reported 2004-2008.
More than 80% of respondents in a 2007 survey said they feel "safe" or "very safe" on Ohio's waterways.

More than $5.1 million is paid annually in watercraft registration and title fees. Boaters paid $16 million in state marine fuel taxes during 2008.
There are more than 500 marinas and boat dealerships, and more than 55,000 docks and rack storage spaces in Ohio. There are more than 75 boat builders, trailer, accessory and engine manufacturers in Ohio. (OSU study)
Tourism is a $38 billion industry – Ohio’s 3rd largest industry - and one that supports the full-time equivalent of more than 450,000 Ohio jobs which generate nearly $10 billion in direct earnings. More than half of all Ohioans are employed by the hospitality industry. Ohio is located within a one-day drive of 60% of the USA population.
The Lake Erie region of northern Ohio includes 312 miles of shoreline. Lake Erie tourism generates $10.7 billion in direct sales and employs 119,000 people in tourism-related businesses. It also generates $430 million in state tax revenue and $320 million in local tax revenues.

In 2008 Ohio ranked 9th nationally with 411,366 registered recreational watercraft, in the following general categories:
- Powerboats & PWC: 78%
- Canoes & Kayaks: 19%
- Sailboats (no auxiliary power): 2%
Watercraft registration statistics show a total of 80,640 Ohio-registered canoes/kayaks in 2008, up 34% from a total of 60,065 registered canoes/kayaks in 2003. Canoe/kayak registration fees generated total income of $543,740 for the Waterways Safety Fund in 2008.
A total of 44,464 personal jet-propelled watercraft were Ohio-registered in 2008, or 10.7% of all Ohio-registered watercraft. These craft collectively are commonly referred to by some of their commercial brand names such as Jet Ski or Waverunner.

Among the 4.3 million registered watercraft in the eight-state Great Lakes region, an estimated 911,000 boats are operated primarily on the five Great Lakes and its incumbent waterways such as Sandusky Bay, Maumee Bay and Lake St. Clair, according to a 2007 Great Lakes Commission study.
Types of boats most frequently used on the Great Lakes include fiberglass runabouts measuring 16 to 24 feet long, aluminum powerboats less than 16 feet long and aluminum fishing boats 16 to 24 feet long. (GLC study).
Among the top expenditure items were boat purchases, equipment and repairs, insurance, marine fuel, restaurants, groceries, motor vehicle fuel and lodging. (GLC study).
Marinas and shoreline communities serving Great Lakes boaters are the focal points of generating boating industry related economic benefits for the Great Lakes region. (GLC study).

Ohio had 40 certified clean marinas as of January, 2009 along Lake Erie with an additional 20 marinas pledged to attain their certification.
Ohio contains a total of 128,500 linear miles of rivers, streams, creeks, ditches and other like flowing waters. This also includes 451 miles(nearly half the entire 980-mile length) of the Ohio River and the 112-mile long Muskingum River which features the nation’s only hand-operated navigational wooden lock system.
Ohio boaters enjoy free parking and boat launching access at hundreds of public sites statewide including most of Ohio’s 74 state parks. From 1998-2008, the Division of Watercraft awarded a total of $34.2 million in funding assistance through its Cooperative Boating Facilities Access Program to renovate, repair and construct public boating access facilities statewide. The largest of these projects, a new state park marina at Middle Bass Island, remains under construction in 2009 and is expected to have limited boating services.
Approximately 99 percent of Ohio’s estimated 11.6 million residents live within 36 miles of a waterway that can accommodate a powerboat.
Ohio’s portion of Lake Erie encompasses 2.25 million surface acres of water, which equals approximately 51% of the lake’s entire surface area. The combined surface acreage of all inland lakes and ponds totals approximately 850,000 acres, which includes a total of 56,175 surface acres of water in Ohio’s state park system.