Looking for some sailing statistics

[Writerhall]

Does anyone know where I can find some statistics about sailing? I'm looking for things like numbers of pleasure registered sailboats in the U.S.and is this a past time that is growing, or decreasing during this recession. I'm not even sure if these are statistics that are available anywhere, but any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Linni

[sailingdog]

Try contacting BoatUS, which has a lot of boating related information.

[paulk]

US Sailing would also have this sort of info. Looking up "Saving Sailing", the book by Nick Hayes, may also provide the type of data you want. He's essentially researched this thoroughly, and determined that numbers have fallen off so much in the last 20 years that sailors are practically an endangered species. He promotes a variety of methods to rebuild numbers, including debunking the myth that going sailing has to be expensive. He came to our club and told us, IIRC, that sailing centers across the U.S. enabled people on average to go sailing for an entire season for about $350, if they wanted to. It was a LOT less than golfing, in any case. Recent fuel cost increases may actually help to boost sailing, as people who want to be out on the water see that can be done more cheaply without engines.

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by paulk

US Sailing would also have this sort of info. Looking up "Saving Sailing", the book by Nick Hayes, may also provide the type of data you want. He's essentially researched this thoroughly, and determined that numbers have fallen off so much in the last 20 years that sailors are practically an endangered species. He promotes a variety of methods to rebuild numbers, including debunking the myth that going sailing has to be expensive. He came to our club and told us, IIRC, that sailing centers across the U.S. enabled people on average to go sailing for an entire season for about $350, if they wanted to. It was a LOT less than golfing, in any case. Recent fuel cost increases may actually help to boost sailing, as people who want to be out on the water see that can be done more cheaply without engines.

Without a complete reliance on engines... Most sailboats, at least the larger ones, have engines.

[Writerhall]

Thanks for the info and websites and mention of the book. This is for a project I'm working on. One of the best books we have on sailing and cruising on less is SENSIBLE CRUISING: The Thoreau Approach by Don Casey and Lew Hackler.