The State of Boating Access: 2008
Presented at the22nd Annual States Organization for Boating Access Conference
Mark Damian DudaResponsive Management
Responsive Management
Methodology
Nationwide telephone survey of registered boaters• n = 1,308
• conducted August – September 2008• results reported at a 95% confidence interval
• sampling error is + or – 2.7 percentage points
Responsive Management
How would you describe your overall boating access in the past 5 years?
1
3
8
40
48
0 20 40 60 80 100
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Don t know
Percent (n=1308)
Responsive Management
Boating access issues have taken away from my enjoyment of boating in the past 5 years.
8
11
1
33
45
1
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly agree
Moderately agree
Neither agree nordisagree
Moderatelydisagree
Strongly disagree
Don t know
Percent (n=1308)
Responsive Management
Boating access issues have caused me to boat less than I wanted in the past 5 years.
9
10
1
26
53
1
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly agree
Moderately agree
Neither agree nordisagree
Moderatelydisagree
Strongly disagree
Don t know
Percent (n=1308)
Responsive Management
Data Analyzed by Region
Responsive Management
How would you describe your overall boating access in the past 5 years?
54
37
5
2
30
2
12
48
37
0
5
37
47
10
0
3
47
44
6
1
1
12
40
47
0
2
8
39
51
2
4
9
34
52
0 20 40 60 80 100
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Don t know
Percent
Coastal Western
Mountain Western
Plains Northern
Great Lakes Northern
Northeast Northern
Interior Southern
Coastal Southern
Responsive Management
Boating access issues have taken away from my enjoyment of boating in the past 5 years.
8
9
0
36
45
30
46
29
2
14
9
0
37
41
15
7
0
1
44
35
7
12
1
2
42
37
2
10
7
0
51
34
3
4
8
1
47
28
2
14
8
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly agree
Moderately agree
Neither agree nordisagree
Moderatelydisagree
Strongly disagree
Don t know
Percent
Coastal Western
Mountain Western
Plains Northern
Great Lakes Northern
Northeast Northern
Interior Southern
Coastal Southern
Responsive Management
Boating access issues have caused me to boat less than I wanted in the past 5 years.
9
8
1
27
53
33
51
22
2
12
10
0
46
27
17
8
2
1
54
25
7
12
1
2
48
31
2
12
6
0
57
26
3
6
8
1
53
25
1
9
9
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly agree
Moderately agree
Neither agree nordisagree
Moderately disagree
Strongly disagree
Don t know
Percent
Coastal Western
Mountain Western
Plains Northern
Great Lakes Northern
Northeast Northern
Interior Southern
Coastal Southern
Responsive Management
Data Analyzed by Type of Boat
16’ – 26’ motorboat Greater than 26’ motorboat Sailboat Fishing or row boat Canoe or kayak Personal watercraft
Responsive Management
How would you describe your overall boating access in the past 5 years?
44
41
11
3
11
1
4
34
61
3
5
57
28
6
1
3
52
41
4
0
0
8
57
35
0
7
7
41
44
0 20 40 60 80 100
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Don t know
Percent
16' - 26' motorboat
Greater than 26' motorboat
Sailboat
Fishing or row boat
Canoe or kayak
Personal watercraft
Responsive Management
Boating access issues have taken away from my enjoyment of boating in the past 5 years.
8
11
2
36
43
11
53
33
1
10
3
3
53
32
5
5
2
1
44
30
10
14
1
0
46
27
3
14
11
4
33
41
4
11
7
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly agree
Moderately agree
Neither agree nordisagree
Moderatelydisagree
Strongly disagree
Don t know
Percent
16' - 26' motorboat
Greater than 26' motorboat
Sailboat
Fishing or row boat
Canoe or kayak
Personal watercraft
Responsive Management
Boating access issues have caused me to boat less than I wanted in the past 5 years.
9
9
2
28
51
02
56
29
1
6
6
4
58
25
6
5
2
1
55
22
8
14
1
3
49
19
0
22
8
4
37
22
4
19
15
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly agree
Moderately agree
Neither agree nordisagree
Moderatelydisagree
Strongly disagree
Don t know
Percent
16' - 26' motorboat
Greater than 26' motorboat
Sailboat
Fishing or row boat
Canoe or kayak
Personal watercraft
Responsive Management
Assessment of the Needs of Recreational Boaters
in Washington State
A Case Study
Responsive Management
Why This Study? Boating interest groups were seeking money for Boating interest groups were seeking money for
more servicesmore services
State Parks needed more money for its safety and State Parks needed more money for its safety and law enforcement serviceslaw enforcement services
Legislative action resulted in SHB 1651Legislative action resulted in SHB 1651• Creates a “Boating Activities Program”Creates a “Boating Activities Program”• Features grants for boating services and facilitiesFeatures grants for boating services and facilities• Tells Washington State Recreation and
Conservation Office (RCO) to “complete an initial study of boater needs”
Responsive Management
Overall Methodology Focus Groups of Boating Services Providers
Three Telephone Surveys
• boating services providers
• registered boat owners
• Washington state general population• unregistered boat owners (i.e., boats less than
16 feet in length with a motor smaller than 10 horsepower)
• non-owners who accompany others• non-owners who rent and/or charter boats
Boating Services Providers Survey Results
Responsive Management
Responsive Management
Ratings of the Amount of Resources Directed Toward State Boating Programs and Services
Responsive Management
Q74-88. Percent who indicated that more time and money should be directed toward the following boating program and
services in his/her area of service in Washington.
52
55
62
74
71
70
70
66
63
46
45
36
32
29
23
0 20 40 60 80 100
Boater safety
Education
Public access
Development of new boat launch ramps
Law enforcement
Marine sanitation
Providing recreational boating opportunities
Management of existing boat launch ramps
Boating information and publications
Site operation
Development of new marinas
Navigation aids
Management of existing marinas
Registration and titling
Administration
Percent
Responsive Management
Ratings of the Quantity of State Boating Facilities and Services
Responsive Management
Q114-129. Percent who indicated that he/she would like to see more of the following facilities and services in his/her area of
service in Washington.
36
586262
726968
666363
5352
50494948
0 20 40 60 80 100
Parking at boat launch rampsBoat launch ramps
Boating safety coursesLaw enforcement on the water
DocksPumpout stations
Restrooms at boat launch rampsCourtesy tie-ups
Dump stationsMooring buoys
Camp sites or refuge sitesFish cleaning stations
MarinasParking at marinas
Info/pub on boating launch ramps/marinasRestrooms at marinas
Percent
Responsive Management
Ratings of the Quality of State Boating Facilities and Services
Responsive Management
Q91-106. Percent who rated the quality of the following facilities and services in his/her area of service in Washington
as excellent or good.
18
3537
41
5554
525251
47
3433
30282827
0 20 40 60 80 100
MarinasBoating safety courses
Law enforcement on the waterInfo/pub on boating launch ramps/marinas
DocksRestrooms at marinas
Boat launch rampsCourtesy tie-ups
Camp sites or refuge sitesParking at marinasPumpout stations
Mooring buoysRestrooms at boat launch ramps
Dump stationsParking at boat launch ramps
Fish cleaning stations
Percent
Responsive Management
Boater Survey Results
Ratings of the Importance and Performance of State Boating
Programs and Services
Responsive Management
Responsive Management
Q110-121 Mean ratings of the importance of the following boating programs and services managed and provided in
Washington.
6.05
6.16
6.92
7.77
7.83
7.86
8.04
8.33
8.64
7.70
7.11
7.10
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0
Public access
Management of existing boat launch ramps
Education
Management of existing marinas
Navigation aids
Providing recreational boating opportunities
Law enforcement
Registration and titling
Development of new boat launch ramps
Boating information and publications
Development of new marinas
Administration
Mean
Responsive Management
Q124-135 Mean ratings of performance in the following boating programs and services managed and provided in
Washington.
4.45
4.45
5.68
6.38
6.40
6.42
6.63
6.79
7.13
6.26
6.15
6.00
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0
Registration and titling
Navigation aids
Providing recreational boating opportunities
Public access
Law enforcement
Management of existing marinas
Boating information and publications
Management of existing boat launch ramps
Education
Administration
Development of new boat launch ramps
Development of new marinas
Mean
Responsive Management
Ratings of the Amount of Resources Directed Toward State Boating Programs and Services
Responsive Management
Q138-149 Percent who indicated that more time and money should be directed toward the following boating programs
and services in Washington.
33
35
37
60
56
54
48
47
46
27
11
11
0 20 40 60 80 100
Public access
Education
Development of new boat launch ramps
Providing recreational boating opportunities
Management of existing boat launch ramps
Law enforcement
Boating information and publications
Navigation aids
Development of new marinas
Management of existing marinas
Administration
Registration and titling
Percent
Responsive Management
Ratings of the Quantity of State Boating Facilities and Services
Responsive Management
Q175-190 Percent who indicated that he/she would like to see more of the following facilities and services in the county in
which he/she boats most often in Washington.
2829293131
3438
50505051
5455
494242
0 20 40 60 80 100
Parking at boat launch rampsBoat launch ramps
Courtesy tie-upsRestrooms at boat launch ramps
DocksCamp sites or refuge sites
Boating safety coursesLaw enforcement on the water
Info/pub on boating launch ramps/marinasMooring buoys
Parking at marinasRestrooms at marinasFish cleaning stations
MarinasDump stations
Pumpout stations
Percent
Responsive Management
Information About Boating in Washington
Responsive Management
Q203. What types of information on boating would you be interested in receiving?
3
1
0
0
0
0
27
32
32
32
34
34
22
22
1
0 20 40 60 80 100
Access info on boat launch ramp and marinalocations
None of these
Maps and charts
Boating safety in general
Boating rules and regulations
Fishing information
Wildlife information
Washington boating programs
Recreation
Facility locations
Camping
Navigation info
Fuel information
Other
Don't know
Mu
ltip
le R
esp
on
ses
Allo
wed
Percent
Responsive Management