13

 The average years of boating experience for those in the treatment group was 24.96

years (SD = 15.5) and 24.02 years (SD = 14.7) for those in the control group.

 Within the treatment group 28.7% reported boating in Tampa Bay more than 50

times in the past year, 47% had boated 11 to 50 times, 16.8% less than 10 times, and

7.4% said they hadn't boated in Tampa Bay in the past year.

 Twenty-two percent of people in the control group reported boating in Tampa Bay

more than 50 times in the past year, 43.6% boated 11 to 50 times, 23.3% less than 10

times, and 11.5% said they hadn't boated at all in Tampa bay in the past year.

 Fifty-eight of respondents in the treatment group and 51.9% in the control group

said their primary activity in Tampa Bay was sport fishing.

 The two groups differed in the time of year people reported boating: within the

treatment group 3.0% said they boated in the summer, 2.5% said they boated in the

winter, and 89% reported boating year round. In the control group 9.2% reported boating

in the summer: 4.5% boated in the winter, and 77.7% boated year-round (t =-2.1,

df= 491, p =0.04, Table 2).

 Boating Behavior

 Three items with scaled choices measured desirable boating behavior: carrying

nautical charts while boating, maintaining a slower speed while boating in shallow water,

and watching out for manatees while boating in shallow water. The two groups did not

differ in any of these items (Table 3). The percentage of respondents that indicated

positive boating behavior is shown in Appendix G.

 Two open-ended items also measured boating behavior. One asked what boaters do

if the boat runs aground; answers included using a push pole, getting out and pushing the

boat, calling a towboat, turning off the engine or starting the engine up. The two groups'