SPRINGFIELD, Va. – The job of the nation’s largest recreational boating advocacy, services and safety group, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), is to make boating better for America’s recreational boaters. To help understand how they do it, here’s an annual look at some noteworthy numbers behind the boating organization.

BoatUS Membership

805,856: Total number of BoatUS members nationwide (annual dues: $25)

25: The number of benefits and services included with BoatUS annual membership, including 24/7 towing dispatch, advocacy and support for boating issues, boating-safety education, and discounts on fuel, transient slips and travel

28.4 feet: Average length of a BoatUS member’s primary boat (BoatUS members own two boats on average)

27: Average number of years of boating experience per BoatUS member

76%: BoatUS members who daycruise, the No. 1 boating activity, followed by fishing (59%), overnight cruising (44%), watersports (26%) sailing (20%) and diving (9%)

28: The number of helpful BoatUS App features that may save boaters time and money, from requesting an on-water tow to finding member discounts at local marinas

$0: The cost for BoatUS members to get a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number, the unique nine-digit number that is assigned to vessels and programmed into their DSC-VHF radios to help provide a swift rescue in an emergency ($25 for nonmembers)

1,247: BoatUS Partner Network businesses that provide discounts to BoatUS members on a range of services and goods including marinas, fuel, guides, tackle shops and more

355: BoatUS Partner Network marinas across the United States that offer BoatUS members up to 10 cents off per gallon of fuel

41: The number of national savings partners including West Marine, GEICO, Avis, Budget, Waterway Guide, Dockwa, SiriusXM Marine and more that offer BoatUS members exclusive discounts and special offers

366,736: The number of affordable, high-quality graphics that the BoatUS Boat Graphics and Lettering service has produced since 1988

BoatUS Magazine

621,095: Circulation of BoatUS Magazine, the nation’s largest recreational boating publication

524: The number of pages BoatUS Magazine published last year loaded with award winning boating content

108,896: The number of hours boaters spent watching BoatUS videos on YouTube in 2021

2,469,901: The number of times BoatUS videos were viewed

65: The number of Boating Writers International (BWI) writing excellence awards bestowed to BoatUS Magazine writers since 1997

39: The number of years BoatUS has been helping members avoid boating mistakes through a series of boat damage avoidance articles

On-Water, On-Road Towing and Assistance

302: The number of TowBoatUS towing port locations across North America

634: The number of towboats in the TowBoatUS towing fleet, the nation’s largest

26: The average length in feet of a TowBoatUS response vessel. Most popular towboat brands among the TowBoatUS fleet are 1. Boston Whaler, 2. Zodiac, 3. Safe Boat, 4. Almar and 5. Shamrock

54%: Requests for on-water assistance calls attributed to mechanical breakdown (e.g., engine, transmission, drives), the No. 1 cause for recreational boat breakdowns. Running aground accounted for 12% of calls (No. 2); 9% for battery/electrical issues and for suspected fuel issues tied for No. 3: and engine overheating, 5% (No. 4)

90,362: Annual boater requests made for on-water assistance with the BoatUS App, by cellphone or VHF radio to TowBoatUS 24-hour dispatch centers in Virginia, Florida and local TowBoatUS companies

$850: The nationwide average cost of on-the-water towing service for a non-BoatUS member

$0: Amount BoatUS members paid for covered services with an Unlimited Towing Membership

46: TowBoatUS towing port locations in the Great Lakes region, from Clayton, New York, to Bayfield, Wisconsin

26: TowBoatUS towing port locations on the Pacific Coast from San Diego, California, to the Northern Georgia Strait, British Columbia

100: Miles that BoatUS Unlimited Trailer Assist will haul a boat trailer and its tow vehicle to the nearest repair shop or safe area with no out-of-pocket expense to the member (annual fee $15)

9,284: Roadside-assistance companies across the United States and Canada that have the specialized equipment to handle boat trailer breakdowns and provide 24/7 service to BoatUS Unlimited Trailer Assist service members

44%: Requests for roadside Trailer Assist service to the BoatUS 24-hour dispatch centers attributed to flat tires/no spare, the No. 1 reason. Wheel bearings (21%) were second, followed by trailer axle (11%), trailer failure (6%) and tow vehicle failure (5%)

GEICO Insurance

24: The number of hours each day our experienced team of claims professionals will dispatch assistance, utilizing our nationwide network of towers, salvors and surveyors to help policyholders through boating emergencies like fire, sinking, theft or fuel spill containment — and even roadside accidents

1983: The year BoatUS established its first Marine Insurance Catastrophe Team to assist Houston Yacht Club following the disastrous landfall of Hurricane Alicia. This set the course for BoatUS to become the nation’s expert in hurricane-damage avoidance. As of July 1, 2021, all policies are underwritten by Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO)

50%: How much of a marina’s haulout bill that a GEICO marine insurance policy will pay to help avoid damage from an approaching hurricane (up to $1,000 total)

Up to $500: The amount all GEICO marine insurance policies will reimburse policyholders for tournament entry fees should an insurance claim cause them to miss or withdraw from a fishing, ski, or wakesports competition

$997,100: The maximum amount you can be held liable for under federal law for fuel-spill damage to the environment — and the amount of coverage that all GEICO marine insurance policies provide

$2.50 to $11.67: The average monthly costs for adding Unlimited TowBoatUS Towing to a GEICO marine insurance policy, based on boat size and location

$25,000: The additional amount GEICO boat policies offer as an endorsement to ensure that you or your family do not incur large out-of-pocket expenses if injured onboard when not covered by any major medical policy. This coverage is in addition to the medical payments limit you select with your policy

25%: The percentage discount insureds get each year they remain claim-free with the diminishing-deductible endorsement, until the deductible reaches $0

Government Advocacy

1: National boat-owner organizations with a full-time government affairs staff

18: Individual legislative and boating community issues, from E15 ethanol fuel and boating-access issues to aids to navigation, funding for small harbors, recreational fishing, boating-safety education and U.S. Coast Guard funding that BoatUS Government Affairs works on in an average month

274: Groups, organizations, government agencies, and legislative leaders BoatUS works with in an average year to support boaters’ interests

1,145,235: Email action alerts sent to BoatUS members in 2021 advising them of important issues they should be aware of and act on

368: Federal and state agency meetings, boating coalition meetings and events BoatUS Government Affairs staff attended to advocate for the interests of boat owners

52: Official letters to agencies and officials to recognize and support recreational boat owner interests on a range of federal issues from fuel policy to local boating access

$18 million: The amount of Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) funds announced March 30, 2022, to local governments, port agencies, public/private marinas and boat clubs for the construction, renovation and maintenance of safe harborage for transient vessels over 26 feet in length, which BoatUS first championed through Congress in 1998

$30.8 billion: The economic impact of “boating/fishing,” the largest conventional activity for the nation as a whole, surpassing RVing, motorcycling, hunting, and snow activities

Boating Safety and Clean Water

2,352,546: Students who have taken the BoatUS Foundation’s free online Boating Safety Course to date, which provides the required boating safety certification for recreational boaters in 36 states

$1.3 million: Total of BoatUS Foundation Boating Safety and Clean Water Grants disbursed since 1989 and provided to local groups in amounts up to $10,000 each to help educate boaters on safe and clean boating topics

796 feet: The difference between a nautical mile (6,706 feet) and a statute mile (5,280 feet), one of many important bits of knowledge and pointers given in the How to Use GPS course, one of 14 advanced online training courses offered by the BoatUS Foundation

2,152: Marina staff trained through the free BoatUS Foundation Spill Prevention Training for Marinas online course

593: Locations across the United States where you can borrow child-size life jackets for free from the BoatUS Foundation’s Kids Life Jacket Loaner Program

12: The average length of time in days an Emergency Position-Indicating Rescue Beacon (EPIRB) or Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is rented from the BoatUS Foundation EPIRB Rental Program

1,519: The total length in feet of all boats donated to the BoatUS Foundation Boat Donation Program last year

Staff

31: Volunteer (unpaid) positions BoatUS management holds in an average year on outside boating-related advisory boards, professional associations and philanthropic organizations

About Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS):

Celebrating more than 50 years, BoatUS is the nation’s largest advocacy, services and safety group with more than 800,000 dues-paying members. BoatUS is the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill, fighting for their rights. On the water when boats break down or run aground, our 600+ vessel, 300+ location nationwide TowBoatUS® fleet brings our members safely back to the launch ramp, marina or dock, and on the road, we are The Boat Owners Auto Club™ to help ensure a roadside trailer and tow vehicle breakdown won’t slow you down.

BoatUS offers GEICO boat insurance policies that give boat owners affordable, specialized coverage and superior service they need. BoatUS Magazine is the largest circulation recreational marine publication in the US with engaging content that speaks to the passion for boat ownership while our 501(c)(3) nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water offers the nation’s only free online boating safety course and many other programs that keep boaters safe and our waters clean. Visit BoatUS.com.