Recreational vessels in the U.S. 2011-2021, by propulsion type
Boating vessels can be primarily distinguished according to the type of propulsion used to run the vessel. Mechanically propelled boats are those that require the use of engines, while non-mechanically propelled vessels are those that can be powered manually or by sails. According to the source, there were just over 11 million mechanically propelled boats in the United States in 2021. Meanwhile, there were fewer non-mechanically propelled boats, at approximately 893 thousand in that year. This made up a total of around 11.96 million registered boating vessels residing in the U.S. in 2021.
