Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has more than 740,000 dues-paying members.
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Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has been fighting for boater’s rights and helping them get more out of boat ownership since 1966.
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SPRINGFIELD, Va., July 30, 2025 – 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 that has more than 740,000 dues-paying members.

BoatUS Membership       

740,645: Total number of BoatUS members nationwide

$25: BoatUS annual Basic Membership dues

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

$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 DSC-VHF radios to help provide a swift rescue in an emergency ($25 for nonmembers)

1,254: BoatUS Partner Network businesses that provide discounts to BoatUS members for a range of services and goods including transient slips at marinas, fuel, guides, tackle shops and more

363: 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, The Moorings, Avis, Budget, Waterway Guide, Dockwa, SiriusXM Marine and more that offer BoatUS members exclusive discounts and special offers on goods and services

BoatUS Magazine

583,958: Circulation of BoatUS Magazine, the nation’s largest recreational boating publication

520: The number of pages BoatUS Magazine published last year, loaded with award-winning boating stories, features, reports, updates, news and information

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

61,579: The number of hours boaters spent watching BoatUS videos on YouTube in 2023

42: The number of years BoatUS has been helping members avoid boating mistakes through boat-damage avoidance content

18: The number of BoatUS editors, contributors, publishing, art and design staff that work to produce each issue of BoatUS Magazine

On-Water, On-Road Towing and Assistance

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

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

$109 / $175: The cost of an annual BoatUS on-water Unlimited Freshwater / Saltwater Towing Membership (respectively), a savings of up to $74 when compared to a national competitor

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)

111,928: Annual number of requests from recreational boaters across the nation for TowBoatUS on-water towing and assistance services.

$1,091: The nationwide average cost paid out of pocket for on-water towing services provided to non-BoatUS members

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

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

17: TowBoatUS towing port locations in California

5: TowBoatUS towing port locations on the Lower Colorado River in Nevada, California and Arizona

15: TowBoatUS Pacific Northwest towing port locations from Oregon to British Columbia, Canada.

7,688: The number of tows provided by TowBoatUS Aquia over her more than 30 year career responding to boater requests for on water assistance in New York and Maryland, just one of more than 650 TowBoatUS response vessels in a nationwide TowBoatUS fleet.

$25,521: The amount raised by five TowBoatUS companies for October Breast Cancer Awareness Month and donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

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)

9,033: 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 bearing failure (21%) were second, followed by trailer axle (11%), trailer failure (6%) and tow vehicle failure (5%)

Government Advocacy

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

45: Individual legislative and boating community issues, including U.S. Coast Guard funding, Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, boating-access issues, aids to navigation, funding for small harbors, recreational fishing, and boating-safety education, that BoatUS Government Affairs worked on in an average year.

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

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

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

$36.8 billion: The economic impact of “boating/fishing,” the largest conventional activity for the nation as a whole, surpassing RVing, motorcycling, hunting, and snow activities

BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water

501(c)(3): The federal tax code designation for the non-profit BoatUS Foundation, the boating safety and clean water sister organization of Boat Owners Association of The United States that’s funded primarily by BoatUS member donations as well as U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA Marine Debris Program grants.

2,910,371: 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 37 states

$13 million: How much American boaters save annually by having access to the free online Boating Safety Courses provided by the BoatUS Foundation

212: The number of attendees, including the boating and recycling industry, environmental agency staff, business leaders, and community members who heard from 30 experts over three days at the first-ever BoatUS Foundation’s “Turning the Tide Online” summit about the challenges and solutions for reducing marine debris such as boat shrink wrap, derelict fishing gear and recycling abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs)

22: The number of On-Water Training partner locations across the country that offer affordable BoatUS Foundation On-Water Training courses taught under the watchful eye of U.S. Coast Guard-licensed instructors that offer practical on-water powerboat handling experience and boost confidence behind the helm

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

$1: The cost of the highly popular BoatUS Foundation nautical “Rules of the Road” sticker now available online, which, for more than 40 years, has helped boaters at the helm navigate with confidence

30 minutes: The average amount of time boaters take to complete the free S.C.A.N. accident avoidance micro course which focuses on reducing distracted boating

3,687: Marina staff trained through the free BoatUS Foundation “Spill Prevention Training for Marinas” online course

38,492: The number of boaters and crew who have relied upon an Emergency Position-Indicating Rescue Beacon (EPIRB) or Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) from the BoatUS Foundation EPIRB Rental Program to give them peace of mind with the ability summon rescuers in an emergency.

1,013: The total length in feet of all boats donated to the BoatUS Foundation Boat Donation Program last year. The average length of a donated boat was 29.8 feet

Staff

28: Volunteer (unpaid) positions held by BoatUS management on outside boating-related advisory boards, professional associations and philanthropic organizations

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Suggested Tweet and Facebook post:

Strength in numbers: Take an inside look at the facts and figures that power @BoatUS, the 740,000-plus member advocacy, services and safety group  https://bit.ly/45rboNb  #BoatUS #TowBoatUS #RedIsReady #ByTheNumbers #BoatingSafety #BoatingBenefits #RecreationalBoating #BoatingDiscounts #BoatTowing #BoatingLife #MarinaSavings #BoaterAdvocacy

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

Celebrating nearly 60 years, BoatUS is the nation’s largest advocacy, services and safety group with more than 740,000 dues-paying members. BoatUS is the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill, fighting for their rights. The TowBoatUS® fleet is available 24/7 to assist our members on the water when boats break down or run aground with some 600 vessels and 300-plus locations across North America, bringing our members safely back to the launch ramp, marina or dock. On the road, we are The Boat Owners Auto Club™, helping ensure roadside trailer and tow vehicle breakdowns won’t slow you down. BoatUS offers GEICO boat insurance policies that give boat owners affordable, specialized coverage and the superior service they need. Award-winning BoatUS Magazine is the largest circulation recreational marine publication in the U.S. 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.