Ohio Boat & Yacht Registrations Set Record in 2012

Boat registrations in Ohio reached a record high for a 4th consecutive year in 2012. The state Department of Natural Resources’ watercraft division, which oversees the registration and titling of all Ohio boats and recreational watercraft, said a record 435,310 boats were registered in 2012, surpassing the previous record of 426,674, which was reported in 2011.

The registered boats included powerboats, jet-propelled PWC, sailboats and manually propelled boats that include canoes, kayaks and rowboats, according to a report at bestofboating.com.

Included in the total is a record 107,671 manually propelled canoes and kayaks, an increase of 9,978 from the previous record of 97,693, which was reported in 2011. Last year’s total is more than double the 50,804 non-motorized canoes and kayaks that were registered in Ohio in 2002.

The largest segment of Ohio-registered watercraft dropped only slightly, from 163,637 in 2011 to 163,147 in 2012, and it includes powerboats measuring 16′ to 25′.

The number of jet-propelled PWC increased slightly, from 43,108 in 2011 to 43,162 in 2012.