Like many others on this forum I am sure, over the decades I have been boating I have introduced many, many people to the 'sport/hobby', I guess you'd call it. Just talking recreational boating, inland lakes...no offshore or commercial stuff. I would say that the number of people from that group still remaining is maybe 40%? And really, it comes down primarily to (3) things:
- loss of interest
- unexpected expense level - payments, fuel, insurance, maintenance, storage fees, marina fees, etc
- health
When the so-called "pandemic" hit and people were buying boats and campers and all sorts of similar items, there was bound to be a reciprocal fall-off, which was expected.
To me, the saddest stories are about the guy, maybe his wife as well, that truly LOVED boating and had all the happy memories of the kids and/or grandkids growing up on the boat, doing all the "lake things" until one day, those children were no longer children, and had lives of their own, and their interests no longer included lake time. Kind of like 'Puff the Magic Dragon' story...