Love affair with boating grows stronger

The cove at Fort Pierce Inlet State Park is one of the most popular recreational boating destinations on the Treasure Coast for locals and visitors alike. JOE SEMKOW

In times of COVID, boating was the perfect pastime for social distancing. You got to stay close to your family, you saw other people from afar and you were able to experience the great outdoors.

If you had any idea about how popular boating had become all you had to do was visit your local boat dealers, many of whom were out of stock, or check the classifieds for used boats, many of which were overpriced because of the strong demand.

And it’s not just the yacht set that was boosting demand. The National Marine Manufacturers Association reports that most boaters are enjoying their craft through pursuits such as fishing, water-skiing, sailing and just plain cruising in personal watercraft.

A funny thing happened during the two years of living with COVID. Our love affair with boating continued. Many Americans realized that boating gave them a sense of mental well-being while also providing the benefits of being with friends and family and enjoying nature.

And when you live some place like the Treasure Coast, where you have miles of the Indian River to explore, boating is all the better.

The boating demand is all the better for the Treasure Coast economy as well, as St. Lucie, Martin and Indian River counties have become Ground Zero for some of the nation’s leading boat manufacturers, reports Joe DeSalvo in Waves of Activity.

It’s not surprising that boating has the largest impact — $31.3 billion — on Florida’s economy, followed by $17.3 billion for California and $11.8 billion for Texas.

In all, more than 85 million Americans will go boating this summer, according to the NMMA. See you out on the water.

See the original article in the print publication

Treasure Coast Business is a news service and magazine published in print, via e-newsletter and online at tcbusiness.com by Indian River Media Group. For more information or to report news email staff@tcbusiness.com