ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 5, 2018 – Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation’s largest recreational boating advocacy, services and safety organization, making boating better for America’s recreational boaters since 1966. A look at a few numbers behind the more-than-half-million-member association gives insights into its impact on boaters:
566,022: Total number of BoatUS members nationwide (annual dues: $24) (Membership)
28 feet: Average length of a BoatUS member’s primary boat (BoatUS members own two boats on average) (Mediakit)
27: Average number of years of boating experience per BoatUS member
76%: The percentage of BoatUS members who day cruise, the number-one boating activity, followed by fishing (59%), overnight cruising (44%), and watersports (26%)
915,746: Readership of BoatUS Magazine, the nation’s largest recreational boating publication
48: The number of Boating Writers International (BWI) writing excellence awards bestowed to BoatUS Magazine writers since 1997 (Magazine)
32: The number of how-to videos BoatUS Magazine Editors produced last year, from “How to Back a Boat Trailer” to “How to Repair Gelcoat” (YouTube.com)
23: The number of helpful BoatUS App features that save boaters time and money, from requesting a tow on the water, to finding member discounts at local marinas (App)
1,238: The number of BoatUS Partner Network businesses that provide discounts to BoatUS members on a range of services and goods including marina fuel, guides, tackle shops and more (Map)
376: The number of BoatUS Partner Network marinas across the United States that offer BoatUS members up to $.10 off per gallon of fuel
605: The number of towboats in the TowBoatUS towing fleet, the nation’s largest
308: The number of TowBoatUS towing port locations across the United States
41: The number of TowBoatUS towing port locations on the Great Lakes
71,069: Annual number of boaters’ requests to TowBoatUS 24-hour dispatch centers for on-water assistance (Towing)
99%: Percentage of requests for routine help, including towing, battery jumps, fuel drop-offs and soft ungrounding services
100: The number of 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 $14)
$785: The nationwide average cost of on-the-water towing service for a non-BoatUS member
$0: Amount paid by BoatUS members for covered services with an Unlimited Towing Membership
13,077: The total number of roadside assistance companies across the United States and Canada offering BoatUS Unlimited Trailer Assist service dispatched 24/7
43%: Percentage of requests for roadside Trailer Assist service to the BoatUS 24-hour dispatch centers attributed to flat tires, the number-one request. Wheel bearings (24%), trailer axle (10%) and tow vehicle (5%) round out the top four
12,000 pounds: The average breaking strength of a TowBoatUS response vessel’s towline
$8,469,499,268: The total hull value of all boats insured with the BoatUS Marine Insurance Program (Insurance)
50%: The percentage of a marina’s haul-out bill that the BoatUS Marine Insurance Program will pay to help avoid damage from an approaching hurricane (up to $1,000 total)
Up to $500: The amount the BoatUS Angler endorsement will reimburse a policyholder should an insurance claim cause him or her to miss or withdraw from a competition
$939,800: 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 a BoatUS Marine Insurance Program policy provides
1983: The year the first BoatUS Marine Insurance Catastrophe Team was established 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
2: The number of days between Hurricane Irma’s landfall and the BoatUS Catastrophe Team’s arrival in Florida last fall to begin statewide salvage operations (https://youtu.be/NxvAFJTDtu0)
95%: The percentage of BoatUS/GEICO Marine Insurance Hurricane Irma claims paid by December 31, 2017
38: The number of TowBoatUS companies from across the nation that mobilized to join the Hurricane Harvey and Irma BoatUS Catastrophe Team, some spending months doing the difficult job of salvage and wreck removal (https://youtu.be/5IIL-hCobEs)
1: The number of national boat-owner organizations with a full-time government affairs staff (Gov)
12: The number of individual legislative and boating community issues, from Florida anchoring and ethanol to aids to navigation and boating access, that BoatUS Government Affairs works on in an average month
239: The number of groups, organizations, government agencies, and legislative leaders BoatUS works with in an average year to support boaters’ interests
1,004,722: The number of email action alerts sent to BoatUS members advising them of important issues they should be aware of and act on
389: The number of federal and state agency meetings, boating coalition meetings and events BoatUS Government Affairs staff attended last year to advocate for the interests of boat owners
37,249: The number of boater comments generated in 2017 by BoatUS Government Affairs action alerts and directed at federal legislators urging reform for the government-mandated Renewable Fuel Standard
1,401,217: The number of students who have taken the BoatUS Foundation’s free online Boating Safety Course to date (Courses)
1,013: Number of marina staff trained through the free BoatUS Foundation Spill Prevention Training for Marinas online course (Spill-Prevention)
551: Number of students who completed the BoatUS Foundation’s On-Water Training Courses that provides affordable behind-the-helm instruction
550: 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 (Life-Jacket-Loaner)
101: The number of Emergency Position-Indicating Rescue Beacons (EPIRBs) and Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) available for rent from the BoatUS Foundation (EPIRB)
$43,600: One of the largest amounts BoatUS Consumer Protection facilitated returning to a BoatUS member using the Dispute Mediation Program. (Consumer)
333: The number of consumer issues, such as warranty disputes and contract disagreements, that the BoatUS Consumer Affairs division resolved for members last year
11,883: The total number of issues between consumers and the boating industry documented in the BoatUS Consumer Protection Database since 1988 and searchable by our members
35: The number of years Seaworthy, the boat damage avoidance and boating safety publication created by the BoatUS Marine Insurance Program and now in every issue of BoatUS Magazine, has been helping members avoid boating mistakes
Staff
645: Total number of employees at BoatUS National Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, 24-hour nationwide Dispatch Centers and insurance sales/claims offices in Costa Mesa, California and Jacksonville, Florida; and at BoatUS Foundation Headquarters in Annapolis, Maryland (Employment)
12: The number of volunteer (unpaid) positions BoatUS management holds in an average year on outside boating-related advisory boards, professional associations and philanthropic organizations
6: The number of full-time BoatUS journalists writing content for the award-winning BoatUS Magazine
Celebrating more than 50 years, BoatUS is the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters with more than a half-million members. We are the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill and fight for their rights. We are The Boat Owners Auto Club and help ensure a roadside trailer breakdown doesn’t end a boating or fishing trip before it begins. When boats break down on the water, TowBoatUS brings them safely back to the launch ramp or dock, 24/7. The BoatUS Marine Insurance Program gives boat owners affordable, specialized coverage and superior service they need. We help keep boaters safe and our waters clean with assistance from the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water.
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