Recreational boating

Of all nautical sport activities, recreational boating is the most significant. Recreational boating (or pleasure boating) refers to leisure nautical activities using boats powered by sail and/or motor, with a design that prioritises comfort and safety. It is the heir to yachting, an elite form of recreational sailing that emerged in England in the early 19th century.

It mainly involves two types of vessels: a sailboat and a motorboat, the latter encompassing a wide range of practices (sea outings, recreational fishing, cruising, etc.). Small vessels such as dinghies or beach catamarans are generally not included, since they do not require a permanent berth in a marina or a mooring area and belong to the broader field of water sports, the category of “light sailing” rather than recreational boating, strictly speaking.

Recreational boating, the most significant water sports activity

Recreational boating is the most substantial of all nautical activities in terms of the number of participants, the financial flows it generates, and its impact on coastal landscapes owing to the infrastructure it requires (marinas, slipways, mooring areas). Over the past fifty years, the activity has experienced significant growth, driven by increased leisure time, growing enthusiasm for coastal leisure activities and the widening range of recreational vessels. With these generally requiring berths in harbour facilities, the geography of recreational boating largely corresponds to that where marinas are present.

On a global scale, recreational boating is very unevenly distributed. It is particularly well developed in coastal regions open to tourism: the northern Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the coasts of Florida and California, etc. Western European countries, Scandinavian nations and some Southern Hemisphere countries (Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Uruguay around the Río de la Plata) also enjoy strong recreational boating activity. Recreational boating is also very common on certain inland waters, such as natural or artificial lakes in North America. By contrast, the practice remains relatively undeveloped in Africa and Asia, including in major coastal tourist destinations, except for a few concentrations around luxury marinas (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Seoul, Tangier, etc.).

A more generalised practice in France

France is one of the countries where recreational boating is the most widespread. The fleet has grown significantly in recent decades: it was estimated at around 40,000 vessels in the early 1960s, 158,000 ten years later, 550,000 in the early 1980s, 775,000 in 1990 and about 940,000 registered recreational craft in 2010. According to data from the Maritime Affairs administration, the registered fleet exceeded one million units in 2020.

This strong growth can be explained by the high number of purchases in recent years, as well as by the considerable longevity of pleasure craft built from composite materials, which can last 30 to 40 years or more if properly maintained.

However, it is difficult to determine the exact size of the fleet because, although regulations require owners to declare their purchase to the relevant Maritime Affairs office, they are not required to cancel the registration when the boat is no longer in use. As a result, registrations accumulate. The Maritime Affairs administration updates its records from time to time. Despite this, the total still includes an unknown, and probably increasing, number of unused vessels. The gradual establishment of a recreational boat “deconstruction” sector will probably help correct this situation in the long term (on this subject, see Bernard, 2021). Therefore, official statistics should be treated with caution: the fcurrent figure of 650,000 vessels in navigable condition is probably closer to reality.

The evolution of the fleet differs depending on whether sailing boats or motorboats are considered. The latter are more resilient to fluctuations in the boating market. They account for around 75% of all registered vessels.

The regional distribution of the fleet shows the importance of the Brittany and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regions. Together, they account for around 500,000 vessels, namely half of the national fleet.

The distribution of the fleet by main propulsion type reveals major regional differences: although motorboats account for 75% of the fleet nationally, they exceed this average in 7 of France’s 10 maritime regions. Only three regions in western France are below this threshold, in particular Brittany, with just 64% of motorboats. This distribution reflects a specific geography of recreational boating practices: sailing, which requires a higher level of technical skill, is less common in regions that attract a large clientele from outside the region (as in the PACA region, where many users reside in the Paris region). Motorboating, which is easier, tends to attract a clientele that is generally less experienced at sea. By contrast, a region such as Brittany, with a deeply rooted maritime culture and a dense network of sailing centres, has a much higher proportion of sailing boats.

Across all regions, it should be noted that boating practices are evolving and no longer solely involve owning a boat for personal or family use: for various reasons (financial, practical, social, environmental, etc.), different forms of the “shared boat” concept is gaining ground, whether “traditional” (rental, co-ownership), or more recent forms (co-boating or shared navigation).

Nicolas BERNARD

Bibliography

• Bernard Nicolas, 2021, «Déconstruction et bioconception des bateaux de plaisance: de nouveaux paradigmes pour l’industrie nautique française». Développement durable et territoires, vol.12, n° 2, juin, en ligne.