Yacht Statistics By Economic Impact, Jobs Created And Propulsion Type

Introduction

Yacht Statistics: A Yacht is a recreational vehicle often used for cruising and boating. There is no standardized definition of this vehicle, but it is usually a private water vessel of considerable size to accommodate a group of people. A yacht usually requires a crew to operate and repair it, and depending on its size and engine, the voyage can vary from hours to months.

The Yacht statistics show that this industry is very lucrative and expected to grow exponentially in the coming years.

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• The recreational boating industry’s economic contribution grew by 35% from 2018 to 2023.
• Job creation in the industry increased by 17.5% between 2018 and 2023.
• Florida leads in recreational boat ownership with 922,915 registered vessels.
• Mechanically propelled boats outnumber non-motorized boats by a factor of 13 in 2023.
• The number of registered sailboats decreased by 30% from 2011 to 2023.
• Kayaking participation increased by 99% from 2010 to 2023.
• Powerboat sales peaked in 2020 with 46,803 units sold.
• Canoeing participation remained stable at around 10 million participants over the past decade.
• Paddle craft registrations increased by 45.6% from 2011 to 2023.
• The number of registered rowboats decreased by 66.3% from 2011 to 2023.
• Boating accidents caused USD 63.42 million in damages in 2023.
• The largest sailing yacht, Sea Cloud, was built in 1931 and is still in service.
• Sailing participation remained relatively stable, with 4.1 million participants in 2023.

The Economic Impact Of Recreational Boating On US Economy

(Reference: Statista.com)

• The Yacht statistics showcase that recreational boating has had a profound holistic impact on the US economy.
• In 2018, the recreational boating industry contributed $170 billion.
• By 2023, the industry had grown further, contributing to $230 million.

Jobs Created In The Recreational Boating Industry In The United States

(Reference: Statista.com)

• The Yacht statistics showcase that it has been a major contributor to the growth of job opportunities.
• In 2018, the recreational boating industry had 691,000 jobs created.
• By the end of 2023, were 812,000 jobs available in the industry.

Number Of Recreational Boats In US

(Reference: Statista.com)

• Yacht statistics show that the overall number of registered recreational boats in this industry has fluctuated.
• Between the period (1980 - 2023), the highest number of recreational boats registered was in 2005, with 12.94 million.
• As of 2023, there are 11.55 registered recreational boats registered.

Recreational Boats In The United States By State

(Reference: Statista.com)

• Going through the Yacht statistics, it is evident that Florida has the highest number of recreational boats, with 922,915
• It is followed by Michigan with 815,317, Minnesota with 811,085, California with 672,103, Ohio with 649,051, Wisconsin with 611,024, Texas with 559,355, New York with 430,569, South Carolina with 366,322, North Carolina with 339,851, Georgia with 323,965, Louisiana with 290,341 boats.

Recreational Boats With Their Propulsion Type

(Reference: Statista.com)

• The Yacht Statistics showcase that mechanically propelled boats have a significantly higher share in the United States than their nonmotorized counterparts.
• In 2023, there were 10,728.8k mechanically propelled boats, which was in comparison to 817.7k boats.

Paddlecraft Vessels In The United States

(Reference: Statista.com)

• The Yacht statistics showcase that there has been a significant increase in registered paddle craft vehicles in recent years.
• In 2011, there were 416.4k registered paddle craft boats, which increased to 613.4k boats in 2022.
• By the end of 2023, there were 606.2k paddled boats.

Registered Sailboats In The United States

(Reference: Statista.com)

• Yacht statistics reveal that there has been a consistent decrease in the number of registered sailboats since 2011.
• In 2011, there were 117.8k registered sailboats. By the end of 2023, there were 82.5k registered sailboats, which showed a consistent decrease in the overall number of sailboats.

Registered Rowboats In The United States

(Reference: Statista.com)

• The Yacht statistics reveal that the number of registered rowboats in the United States has been decreasing.
• Between the period (2011 - 2023), the highest number of registered rowboats was in 2015, with 105.1k boats.
• As of 2023, the registered rowboats are 35.4, which is the lowest number in the past 12 years.

Mechanically Propelled Boats In The United States By Size

(Reference: Statista.com)

• The Yacht statistics showcase that mechanically propelled boats can be divided into five categories, namely 40 to 65 feet, Over 65 feet, 16 to less than 26 feet, Under 16 feet, and 26 to less than 40 feet.
• The category 16 to less than 26 feet has the highest number of registered boats, with 6,398.1k.
• It is followed by Under 16 feet with 3,715.8k boats, 26 to less than 40 feet with 531.3k boats, 40 to 65 feet with 72.8k boats, and Over 65 feet with 10.8k boats.

Powerboats Sold In US

(Reference: Statista.com)

• Yacht statistics reveal that the sales of powerboats have varied over time.
• Between the period 2019 to 2023, the highest number of powerboats sold was in 2020, at 46,803.
• As of 2023, there 4e are 28,076 powerboats.

Kayaking Participants In The United States

(Reference: Statista.com)

• The Yacht statistics showcase that there has been a consistent increase in the number of kayaking participants between the period (2010 - 2023).
• In 2023, there were 20.54 million kayaking participants, with 14.73 million in the recreational segment, 3 million in the white water segment, and 2.8 million in the sea touting segment.

Canoeing Participation In The U.S

(Reference: Statista.com)

• The Yacth statistics showcase that the number of Canoeing participants in the US has varied in the past 14 years.
• In 2010, there were 10.31 million participants.
• In 2015, the number of canoeing participants was the highest, at 10.24 million.
• As of 2023, there are 10 million canoeing participants.

Rafting Participation In The United States

(Reference: Statista.com)

• The Yacht statistics showcase that there has been a consistent decrease in the number of Yacht participants.
• In 2010, there were 4.39 million participants, which was the highest in the period (2010 - 2023)
• In 2023, there were 4.05 million rafting participants in the United States.

Sailing Participants In The United States

(Reference: Statista.com)

• The Yacht statistics showcase that there has been variation in the number of sailing participants in the US.
• In 2010, there were 4.11 million participants.
• By the end of 2023, there were 4.1 million sailing participants.

Damages Caused By Boating Accidents

(Reference: Statista.com)

List Of Largest Sailing Yachts In The World

As per the yacht statistics, these rank among the largest Yachts in the world.

•  Sea Cloud with a 4-mast steel barque, launched as Hussar V, currently serving as a cruise ship, built by Krupp Germaniawerft in 1931, and designed by Cox & Stevens.
• Eos, a 3-mast aluminium schooner with a flybridge, was built by Lürssen in Germany, and designed by Bill Langan in 2006.
• Black Pearl, a 3-mast DynaRig steel schooner with an aluminium flybridge, was built by Zwijnenburg and VDSM in 2016, and designed by Dykstra Naval Architects and BMT Nigel Gee.
• Koru, a 3-mast steel schooner with an aluminium flybridge, built by Zwijnenburg and Oceanco in 2022, was designed by Dykstra Naval Architects and Lateral Naval Architects.
• Athena, a 3-mast gaff aluminium schooner with a flybridge, was built by Royal Huisman in 2004, and designed by Dykstra Naval Architects.
• The Maltese Falcon, a 3-mast DynaRig steel hull and aluminium flybridge, was built in 1990 by Perini Navi in Turkey and fitted out in 2006, designed by Perini Navi and Dykstra Naval Architects.
• Aquijo, a 2-mast (ketch rig) steel hull with an aluminium flybridge, built by Vitters Shipyard and Oceanco in 2015, was designed by William Henry Tripp III and Vitters.
• Sea Eagle II, a 3-mast aluminium schooner with a flybridge, was built by Royal Huisman in 2020, and designed by Dykstra Naval Architects.
• Mirabella V, a 1-mast (sloop rig) aramid foam core/vinyl ester sandwich flybridge, built by Vosper Thornycroft in England in 2004, designed by Ron Holland, refitted at Pendennis in 2014.
• Badis, a 2-mast (ketch rig) aluminium flybridge, originally named Sybaris, was built by Perini Navi in 2016, and designed by Philippe Briand.
• Atlantic, a 3-mast gaff replica of the steel racing schooner Atlantic (1903), was built by Van der Graaf in the Netherlands in 2010, and designed by William Gardner.
• Vertigo, a 2-mast (ketch rig) flybridge aluminium yacht, was built by Alloy Yachts in New Zealand in 2011, and designed by Philippe Briand.
• Hetairos III, a 2-mast (ketch rig) aramid foam core/prepreg carbon fibre yacht, built by Baltic Yachts in Finland in 2011, was designed by Dykstra Naval Architects and Reichel/Pugh.
• Anatta, a 1-mast (sloop rig) aluminium hull yacht, originally named Aglaia, was built by Gouwerok and Vitters in the Netherlands in 2011, and designed by Ed Dubois.
• Creole, a 3-mast staysail wooden schooner, originally named Vira, was built by Camper & Nicholsons in England in 1927, and designed by Charles Ernest Nicholson.
• Lamima, an auxiliary gaff wooden pinisi, hull built in Indonesia, fitted out in Thailand by Italthai Industrial Group in 2014 and designed by Marcelo Penna.
• Adix launched as a 3-mast topsail steel schooner named Jessica, built by Astilleros de Mallorca in Spain in 1984, modernized at Pendennis in 1991, and designed by Arthur Holgate and Dykstra Naval Architects.
• Pilar Rossi, a trimaran schooner converted from a 1989 Alukraft Gemi Endustrisi steel power monohull, built by Estaleiro Inace in Brazil in 2005, designed by Mauricio Piquet, scrapped in 2020.
• Spirit of the C's, a flybridge aluminium ketch, originally named Felicità West II, was built by Perini Navi in Turkey in 2003, and designed by Ron Holland.
• Running on Waves, an auxiliary staysail steel barquentine was built by Jaroslaw Filipiak in Poland in 2011, and designed by Zygmunt Choreń.
• Mikhail S. Vorontsov, a 3-mast staysail wooden gulet, hull built by Dreamship Victory in Turkey in 2013, with fitout in the Netherlands by Scheepswerf Balk Urk, designed by Dreamship Victory and Dykstra Naval Architects.
• Athos, an aluminium schooner refitted in 2022, was built by Scheepswerf Made (hull) and Holland Jachtbouw (fitout) in the Netherlands in 2010, and designed by André Hoek.
• Baboon, a steel barquentine, was built by FEAB Marstrandsverken in Sweden in 1990, and designed by Lars Johansson.
• Rainbow Warrior III, an expedition A-frame staysail auxiliary steel schooner, was built by Fassmer in Germany in 2011, and designed by Dykstra Naval Architects.
• Zinat al Bihaar, a 3-mast wooden dhow, built by the Oman Royal Yacht Squadron in 1988, designed by E. C. B. Corlett.
• Sarissa II, an aluminium sloop, was built by Royal Huisman in the Netherlands in 2023, and designed by Malcolm McKeon.
• Germania Nova, a replica of the gaff steel racing schooner Germania (1908), was built by Factoria Naval de Marín in Spain in 2011, and designed by Max Oertz.
• Eendracht, a 3-mast gaff steel schooner, built by Scheepswerf Damen in the Netherlands in 1989, designed by Willem de Vries Lentsch, Jr.
• Maximus, an aluminium ketch, built by Vitters in the Netherlands in 2023, was designed by Germán Frers.
• Seahawk, a flybridge aluminium ketch, was built by Perini Navi in Turkey in 2013, and designed by Ron Holland.

(Source: wikipedia.org)

Top 5 Yacht In The World

(Reference: wikipedia.org)

Conclusion

Going through the yacht statistics, it is evident that the yacht and boating industry has made a significant contribution to the US economy.  In 2023, the industry contributed $230 million to the economy. Likewise, it has been a significant job creator, with 812,000 jobs created in 2023. In contrast, the number of registered recreational boats has plummeted from 12.94 million in 2005 to 11.55 million in 2023. Overall, this industry is expected to thrive in the coming years as the growth opportunities it offers are enormous.

Joseph D'Souza

Joseph D'Souza founded Smartphone Thoughts in 2003 as a personal project to share his insights and experiences with tech gadgets. Over time, it has grown into a well-regarded tech blog, known for its in-depth smartphone reviews and app-related statistics. Joseph is dedicated to providing detailed, well-researched content, including statistics, facts, charts, and graphs, all verified by experts. His goal is to make technological innovations and scientific discoveries easy to understand for everyone. Smartphone Thoughts is now a top source for tech news, appreciated by both tech enthusiasts and beginners.

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