Boating as a recreational activity was popularized by sailing regattas held on Lake Erie in the late 1800s while land-locked Ohioans flocked to the rivers for recreational boating and fishing. The production of the first outboard motors over a century ago opened the doors to modern recreational boating, but participation was limited to relatively few people because of its expense. Economic conditions in the 1930s followed by the war years further limited exposure and growth of this leisure activity.
In the late 1940s, the recreational boating industry truly came of age after World War II with a surge in productivity, affordability and popularity. This was especially true during the 1950s as recreational boating, fishing and hunting gained an unprecedented foothold and period of growth among Ohioans. Responding to the emerging growth of this leisure industry, the Ohio Legislature in 1955 established the Waterways Safety Fund that was then administered by the former Division of Shore Erosion within ODNR. Monies from this fund were used to improve public boating access to state waterways and also were matched by federal funds to further establish harbors of refuge along the Lake Erie shoreline.
In 1958, the Federal Boating Safety Act was passed in Congress that allowed the U.S. Coast Guard to establish a nationwide system of watercraft registration. In response, the Ohio Legislature in 1959 passed legislation that adopted provisions of the Federal Boating Safety Act and established the Division of Watercraft within ODNR. On January 1, 1960 the Division of Watercraft became operational to essentially register recreational boats and motors and to fund capital improvement projects such as boat launch ramps and marinas.
During its initial months of operation, the Division of Watercraft lacked authority to enforce state boating rules. There were no state boating safety education programs, grant programs or specialized training programs.
Now 50 years later in 2010, Ohio’s Division of Watercraft is among the nation’s most respected state watercraft agencies. The Division today has been long recognized for its leadership in providing high quality boating safety education and skills development programs at the national, regional and local levels. You can read more about the Division of Watercraft – then and now – by obtaining a copy of our 2009 annual report (2010 calendar) at a boat show near you this winter.
Reprinted with permission from:
Buckeye Boater, ODNR Division of Watercraft.
Providing News and Insights to All Ohio’s Boaters January 2010
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