I sincerely believe that boating, in general, has gone by the wayside, even in the confines of Chesapeake Bay where recreational boating was at one time $billion dollar a year business with a huge number of boat and outdoor shows. Many of the boat shows are mere skeletons of what they were just two decades ago, and more than half of the shows no longer exist.
Some of this is due to the lack of funds to enjoy what at one time was a relatively inexpensive pastime. Additionally, recreational fishing is extremely expensive, and the catch limits have been reduced to next to nothing, therefore making it impracticable to spend a day on the bay and hoping to catch enough fish to feed the family for more than a single meal.
When I was young, about 23 years of age, I owned a 30-foot mahogany cabin cruiser powered with a flathead, Ford six that had been converted for marine use. I paid $1,500 for the boat, had to finance it, and the bank really didn't want to give me the loan. I kept it at Deep Creek on the lower Magothy River, and the slip rent back then was $1 per foot per month and included water and electricity. My wife and I would purchase a bushel of soft shell clams for bait, which cost about $2, motor across the bay to the Dumping Grounds, which is situated about 1/4-mile west of Kent Island, and chum for striped bass. We were usually accompanied by at least another 500 or more boats, all doing the same thing. Out catches consisted of striped bass to 5 pounds, croaker to 3 pounds, and an occasional bluefish or weakfish to 10 pounds. It usually only took a couple hours to fill an 80 quart cooler chest with fish, then we motored back to the marina and cleaned our catch before heading home.
Today, you would be hard pressed to find a dozen fishing boats in that same area, and those that are there will likely be trolling, because chumming is way to expensive, even with ground menhaden for chum. The vast majority will be lucky, after 10 hours of fishing, to catch their 2 fish per person limit of striped bass. TWO FISH - THAT'S IT!
The other thing that is wiping out recreational boating, IMO, is young people want everything instantly. It's that instant gratification attitude that keeps them staring at a tiny screen of an I-phone most of their waking minutes. If they left home without it, they would be in a state of sheer panic. If it's not lightning fast, they really don't seem to want any part of it. Of course, there are some exceptions, but they are indeed rare. A great example of this was seen just today while I was sitting in the waiting room of my cardiologist. Nearly everyone under age 50 had a phone in their hands, both thumbs popping the keys as fast as possible, this despite three relatively large signs that said "POSITIVELY NO CELL PHONES USE ALLOWED IN THIS OFFICE!" I guess the geniuses that texting didn't count.
Finally, considering that the average American household income has dropped more than $4,000 in the past 7 years, for many the cost of boating is out of the question. A fair number of younger couples have moved into my neighborhood during the past decade, your professionals, and for the most part, both parents are working full time jobs just to make ends meet. Boating, even sailing, is fairly expensive, even if the boat is paid for. At the very least, slip rent is going to set you back about $300 a month in my part of Chesapeake Bay for a 30 footer. Add to that the cost of winter storage, water and electric, maintenance and repair costs, and there's no wonder that a lot of younger folks will not likely be getting into recreational boating, sailing or power.
Just my .02 cents worth,
Gary