Like elsewhere in Queensland, recreational boating in all its forms is a fast-growing recreation in the Tin Can Bay region.

For example, the Bay To Bay race from Hervey Bay to Tin Can Bay started in 1980 with a reported fleet of 114 yachts. In 2004, the fleet numbered 180 yachts - a 58 percent increase in this feature event.

That growth is consistent with trends and statistics record by Maritime Safety Queensland.

MSQ reported there were 179,231 vessels registered as at December 2003 - a 10 percent increase over 2001.

Last year there were 184,000 registered vessels - that's one for every 22 Queenslanders but the rate of ownership, typically increasing at 5 percent a year, is far outstripping the population growth.

Simply, more and more people are owning and using boats.

Interestingly, registration does not apply to every vessel - only those with a motor of 4hp or more. Therefore the actual number of vessels operating in our waterways including many yachts, is significantly higher than the number of vessels registered.

Private and Government tourism promotion and advertising campaigns, the creation of additional and more diverse holidays-related accommodation, the explosion in popularity of info-tainment television programs promoting boating and fishing and other forms of recreation and other market drivers, all are contributing to the demand for marine-related facilities.