Hawaii back in
familiar spot

The story that followed -- based on information from a 2004 study -- explained how Hawaii's recreational boat registration had finally exceeded Wyoming's to move us from the 50th to the 49th state in the country.

I even went so far as to suggest that perhaps there was a trend here and our island state was beginning to move up the boat ownership ladder to challenge the likes of Vermont or even West Virginia.

I should have known it was all too good to be true.

Last week's mail brought me the latest recreational boating statistical analysis from the National Marine Manufacturers Association and not only is Hawaii back in its position of dead-last, but the earlier ranking had apparently been a typo.

As best as I can tell from this new information, Hawaii is still last and has lagged behind the other 49 states in reported boat registrations for at least the past eight years, and more likely decades.

That single statistic exemplifies the problems inherent in our state-run boating facilities.

For years, while the waiting lists grew, there were too few marinas and boat ramps created or expanded for the needs of our population statewide.

Additionally, the state's curious system of deferring facility maintenance until the infrastructure crumbled increased the ratio even further.

And yet all the while, Hawaii's tropical livability began attracting the well-known baby boomers: that huge wave of humanity that came into life in the eight years following the end of World War II.

Their reported ranks of some 78 million have historically overwhelmed our nation's schools, colleges and job and housing markets.

Now, as they enter their 40s, 50s and 60s with an estimated $2 trillion to spend on goods and services, their demand for recreational facilities -- including boating -- will be overwhelming as well.

Privately held boating facilities, such as the Ko Olina Resort and Marina, or the Waikiki Yacht Club for that matter, reacted to this fact in recent years by expanding their facilities with state-of-the-art infrastructures and charging commensurate fees.

Whereas, our state's politicians and bureaucrats have, year after year, continued to argue over how to fund any improvements and how much the current -- absurdly low -- slip fees should be raised. And then, in the end, done absolutely nothing.

It's a commonly accepted notion in Hawaii that how things are done on the mainland isn't applicable here. But, on the other hand, it's often been said that doing the same thing over and over, and yet expecting different results, is a sign of insanity.

Surely the public/private partnerships established by municipal and county governments -- that are nearly universally used across the nation -- can be used as good examples here.

In nearly every case I'm aware of, such partnerships have ended in a win-win-win situation: for the public, recreational boaters and the economy.