Boating Information
Complete boating information Web site, visit www.boat.wa.gov. You’ll get information on:- Places to boat
- How to register your boat
- Weather and tide information
- How to get a fishing license
- Boating laws
- Boating safety classes
- Boating grants
- Green boating
Recreational Boaters’ Survey
What do boaters want? Read the results of a contractor's survey of Washington boaters – kayakers to cruisers – about their priorities for state investments.
The report by Responsive Management of Harrisonburg, Virginia, presents data on how boaters rated the importance of facilities and services, how those facilities and services are performing, and whether the state should invest more time and resources in boating activities. The report also discusses what providers said are the challenges and opportunities they face in meeting boaters’ needs. The report includes Responsive Management's recommendations to state government on priorities for better serving both the boating public and providers.- Executive Summary (PDF, 8 pages)
- Full Report (PDF, 49 pages)
- Full Data Compendium (PDF, 543 pages)
Implementing the Recommendations
A key recommendation of the survey is that the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board use the data to guide its funding decisions for rating grants. In response, staff has developed a Boating Programs Policy Plan that explores the broad context of recreational boating in Washington and proposes policies for guiding grant funding. These policies are intended to help ensure that grants go to projects that satisfy boater needs, address provider challenges, and respect the environment.
The report also found that boaters perceive some fragmentation of services and suggests that boating services providers better coordinate and communicate. Taking action, the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board approved funds to contract with a facilitator to help state agencies develop recommendations that would improve the coordination of their boating and boating-related programs. The result of the facilitated process is the report Improving Coordination of State Services to Recreational Boaters. RCO is now working with its partner agencies to implement the recommendations. For information contact staff Jim Eychaner at jim.eychaner@rco.wa.gov or 360-902-3011, (TDD 360-902-1996).
