Making Waves, by Scott Peters, describes Michigan’s long boating history. Image: University of Michigan Press
In Michigan, you are never more than six miles from a lake or stream.
That makes the state’s boating history as rich as that of the automobile industry, Scott M. Peters says in his new book, Making Waves: Michigan’s Boat-Building Industry, 1865 — 2000.
“There is a high level of boat usage in the state, that is why it is an important story to tell,” Peters said recently.
In fact, Michigan remains the 3rd largest marine market in the country, behind Florida and Texas, according to the Michigan Boating Industry Association. As of February 2015, there are 898,289 registered watercraft, which includes smaller watercraft such as jet skis.
Peters’ book explains how boating has affected all demographics through Michigan’s history.
For example, a Michigan boating company hired high school students to make boat plugs during World War II. Boat plugs are used to plug a whole that drains water from the bottom of a boat. After school, the students made the plugs to help in the war effort.
That’s an example of how World War II changed the workforce of the boating industry like it did in many other industries. Women began working in the factories to help assemble the boats for the war, Peters said.
Peters, who grew up as a recreational boater in Michigan, describes how the industry once boomed. Since then, most of the industry has relocated out of Michigan, he said.
Chris Craft, one of the largest leaders in the boating business, began in Algonac in 1874 near the Saint Clair River. Now it is based in Sarasota, Florida.
Some boating business remains in Michigan, but there is just “a different landscape,” said Peters. Nowadays many of them are focused on building and restoring classic boats.
“The sheer number of companies,” is what makes Michigan’s boating history so unique, Peters said. Over a thousand different boating firms have started in the state.
Recreational boating sales are experiencing a fifth year of consecutive growth, according to the Michigan Boating Industry Association Executive Director Nikki Polan.
In 2010, Michigan boaters spent $350 million on new boats, motors, trailers and accessories. In 2014, boaters spent $705 million.
“The industry is continuing to rebound,” Polan said. The market grew 91.2 percent from 2010 to 2014.
Just as Peters describes in his book, the boating continues to grow and contract. The market is currently growing, continuing the history of Michigan boating.
Making Waves is available in hardcover at Barnes and Nobel for $60.48 and online in paperback for $28.95.