More than 20 members of the Ohio General Assembly were treated to a day on the water, organized by members of the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association, that included the release of the association’s latest report on the economic impact of the state’s marine industry. The day was a featured part of a Chamber of Commerce conference.
“It was a perfect, sunny day with great boating conditions,” says LEMTA president Michelle Burke. “Many of the guests aboard said they were in awe of the boats they were riding in and their chance to experience Lake Erie. And that was precisely our goal — for them to taste our boating lifestyle and recall it when we’re down in Columbus talking to them about boating issues.”
LEMTA member dealers provided boats, along with their time and local expertise, to take the lawmakers from the mainland out to the Lake Erie Islands. They docked at Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island, from which Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry sailed out of to defeat the British in the War of 1812.
Heading into the battle, Perry famously raised the flag reading “Don’t Give Up The Ship.” It was the only Naval battle ever fought on the Great Lakes, and winning that “Battle of Lake Erie” allowed Americans to control the lake and eliminate British attacks from Canada. The British surrendered Detroit after losing this battle.
At Put-in-Bay, a towering 352-foot Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial overlooks western Lake Erie. It’s 47-feet taller than the Statue of Liberty and is the only such monument in the National Park Service. This Doric column serves as a powerful testament to everlasting peace and friendship between two nations, and from the top visitors can see what seems like forever. (I know this, having boated on Lake Erie for 40 years and been on the top of the magnificent column countless times.)
“We were delighted to have 20 members of the Ohio Senate and House leadership, plus former Ohio Lt. Governor Mary Taylor, aboard our boats,” Burke says. “Moreover, we were able to introduce them to our just completed “Boating Means Big Business in Ohio” book, our latest
economic impact study that describes just how extensive and popular boating is along our state’s more than 7,000 miles of shoreline.”
Ohio ranks fifth in the nation in registered boats, with 631,563. The studies show the state’s boating industry produces an annual economic impact of $6.5 billion, while directly providing 20,380 jobs.
In addition, it’s estimated 241,993 additional non-registered boats are used in the state. And last year, Ohioans spent 315 million human exposure hours (187 million hours in motorized boats, 128 million hours in non-motorized) plying the state’s waterways.
“The boating community lifts up the economy for local communities all across Ohio,” says Department of Natural Resources director Mary Mertz, who is a sailor. “The boost ripples out from the water into local businesses and supports jobs all along our shores, from marinas and boat dealers to restaurants and hotels along the shores and further inland.”
The study was conducted through a survey of nearly 100,000 boating households and more than 200 marine businesses. Dealers that participated included Catawba Moorings (Port Clinton), Clemons Boats (Sandusky), Pier 53 (Port Clinton), Skipper Bud’s (Marblehead), and True North Yachts (Sandusky).
