TIFFIN, Ohio – Ohio has set a boat registration record this year with 424,700 registered boats, according to the Ohio-based Advertiser-Tribune. It broke the record of 419,364, which was set in 2009. The Ohio Division of Watercraft reports 316,220 registrations (74 percent) belong to powerboats and personal watercraft; 89,859 (21 percent) are canoes and kayaks; 11,616 (2.7 percent) are rowboats; and 7,005 (1.6 percent), are sailboats without auxiliary power.

Advertisement Counties with the highest number of watercraft registrations are Franklin, Cuyahoga, Summit, Hamilton and Montgomery. The largest growth is in the canoe and kayak area, with an increase of 103 percent between 2000 and 2010.

The article reports that recreational boating has a statewide annual economic impact of $3.5 billion, which supports the equivalent of more than 26,000 full-time jobs, according to a 2007 Great Lakes Commission study. To read more about Ohio boating stats, go to: Boating season underway