---

For Immediate Release

Friday, January 20, 2006

---

NMMA RELEASES 2004 U.S. BOAT REGISTRATION REPORT FEATURING NEW, MORE IN-DEPTH SECTIONS

Florida Regains Top Ranking Nationwide; Great Lakes Leads Regional Rankings

Chicago, IL

FROM:  NATIONAL MARINE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
200 E. Randolph Dr., Suite 5100
Chicago, IL  60601-6528
312-946-6200

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Lindsey Savin     (lsavin@nmma.org; 312-946-6204)
                James Petru        (jpetru@nmma.org; 312-946-6202)

CHICAGO, January 20, 2006 -- The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) today released its 2004 U.S. Recreational Boat Registration Statistics report, and copies of the annual study are now available for purchase by both NMMA and non-NMMA members.

Among the report’s most interesting findings is a change in ranking among two of the top three registered boating states. Florida edged out California in 2004 to become the state with the largest number of registered boats (946,072). California, which previously held the number one ranking in 2003, swapped spots with Florida to become the third largest registered boating state, with a total of 894,884 registered vessels. Sandwiched between Florida and California is Michigan, occupying the number two spot in the rankings with a total of 944,800 registered boats.

Nationwide, there were nearly 12.8 million registered boats in 2004, suggesting a relatively flat fluctuation (down less than 0.1 percent) from 2003.

“This report provides an excellent tool for understanding what is happening within the recreational boating industry on a state-by-state basis,” says James Petru, NMMA director of industry statistics and research. “Not only does the study report on the number of boats registered in the individual states in-depth, but it also provides valuable information on state registration requirements and meaningful comparisons between 2004 data and data recorded from previous years.”

The report ranks all 50 states by the number of boats registered. The remaining top ten states by powerboat registrations in 2004 include (in order): Minnesota (853,448); Texas (616,779); Wisconsin (605,467); New York (519,066); Ohio (414,938); South Carolina (397,458); and Illinois (393,856).

On a regional basis, the Great Lakes region replaced the South Atlantic region as number one in regional rankings, with the South Atlantic region falling to third behind the Inland region
The top three regions for boat registrations include:

• Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI) – 27.4 percent (3.4 million registrations)
• Inland (AZ, AK, CO ID, IA, KS, KY, MO, MT, NE, EV, NM, ND, OK, SD, TN, UT, VT, WY) – 19 percent (2.4 million registrations)
• South Atlantic (FL, GA, NC, SC) – 16 percent (2.0 million registrations)

In addition to the change in rankings, the 2004 report features new data including: specific state requirements for boat registrations; how long registrations remain active; and a state-by-state listing of contacts for more information regarding the registration process.

The study is based on data collected from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2005, as reported by the individual 50 U.S. states. Other sources used in compiling the report include the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Cincinnati-based Statistical Surveys Inc. Boat registration statistics are the basis for allocating Aquatic Resources Trust Fund dollars among the states each year. 

Copies of the study are available upon request to NMMA members for $150; the price for non-members is $300.

To order a copy of the 2004 U.S. Recreational Boat Registration Statistics report, contact NMMA fulfillment coordinator Chris Keil at (312)946-6209; ckeil@nmma.org.