Recreational vessels in the U.S. 1980-2023

Recreational boating involves the use of a boating vessel for leisure purposes. In 2023, there were about 11.55 million registered vessels in the United States, down from 11.77 million in the previous year. 

Most common boats in the U.S.

A wide variety of boats are used by boating hobbyists. In 2022, the vast majority of vessels used for recreational purposes were mechanically propelled. Focusing on the size of mechanically propelled vessels in the United States, boats which were between 16 and 26 feet were the most common size in 2022. In addition to mechanically propelled vessels, boating enthusiasts from the U.S. have also made use of manually propelled vessels. Between 2017 and 2022, the number of registered paddlecraft in the U.S. increased by nearly 23 percent.

Boating accidents

As with many other recreational activities, boating can get dangerous if not executed properly. Although the number of recreational boating accidents in the U.S. did decline in 2022 over the previous year, there were still more than four thousand reports of mishaps in the North American country in 2022. Moreover, the total damages caused by these accidents reached roughly 63 million U.S. dollars in the same year, a decrease from the 67.51 million U.S. dollars in 2021. Operator inattention was found to be the most common contributing factor to recreational boating accidents in the U.S. in 2022.