Motorboating Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020635,883

Best year200415,856 earned

All-time popularity#59official, as of 2020#60by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1961. Peak year 2004 with 15,856. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19611,131 earned#93 of 101

19624,543 earned#56 of 101

19635,351 earned#52 of 102

19645,670 earned#54 of 107

19656,165 earned#52 of 109

19666,840 earned#49 of 110

19677,584 earned#49 of 112

19688,724 earned#46 of 112

19699,567 earned#46 of 113

19709,548 earned#47 of 113

19719,593 earned#45 of 113

19729,856 earned#49 of 124

19739,908 earned#47 of 122

197413,797 earned#52 of 121

197512,777 earned#55 of 128

197611,269 earned#54 of 130

19779,562 earned#53 of 130

19788,962 earned#49 of 131

19797,607 earned#48 of 132

19805,257 earned#45 of 132

19818,469 earned#45 of 134

1982No data available

1983No data available

1984No data available

1985No data available

1986No data available

1987No data available

1988No data available

1989No data available

1990No data available

1991No data available

1992No data available

199313,228 earned#41 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199613,566 earned#44 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200014,675 earned#44 of 128

200112,992 earned#45 of 129

200215,391 earned#44 of 129

200315,717 earned#42 of 130

200415,856 earned#41 of 121

200513,724 earned#42 of 121

200613,552 earned#43 of 121

200713,324 earned#44 of 121

200813,492 earned#45 of 121

200912,985 earned#46 of 122

201012,578 earned#46 of 125

201112,133 earned#47 of 129

201212,004 earned#46 of 132

201311,012 earned#34 of 129

201410,748 earned#55 of 136

20159,880 earned#61 of 138

20169,515 earned#57 of 138

20179,517 earned#54 of 139

20189,697 earned#55 of 139

20198,298 earned#60 of 139

20202,638 earned#107 of 137

2021No data available#62 of 137

2022No data available#59 of 138

2023No data available#63 of 138

2024No data available#62 of 138

2025No data available#65 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#65 of 141" means the badge was number 65 of the 141 merit badges earned that year. National counts have not been published since 2020, but the rankings have. The grand total comes from official reports and includes the years without a known count. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.

19611,131#93 of 101

19624,543#56 of 101

19635,351#52 of 102

19645,670#54 of 107

19656,165#52 of 109

19666,840#49 of 110

19677,584#49 of 112

19688,724#46 of 112

19699,567#46 of 113

19709,548#47 of 113

19719,593#45 of 113

19729,856#49 of 124

19739,908#47 of 122

197413,797#52 of 121

197512,777#55 of 128

197611,269#54 of 130

19779,562#53 of 130

19788,962#49 of 131

19797,607#48 of 132

19805,257#45 of 132

19818,469#45 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199313,228#41 of 123

1994—

1995—

199613,566#44 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200014,675#44 of 128

200112,992#45 of 129

200215,391#44 of 129

200315,717#42 of 130

200415,856#41 of 121

200513,724#42 of 121

200613,552#43 of 121

200713,324#44 of 121

200813,492#45 of 121

200912,985#46 of 122

201012,578#46 of 125

201112,133#47 of 129

201212,004#46 of 132

201311,012#34 of 129

201410,748#55 of 136

20159,880#61 of 138

20169,515#57 of 138

20179,517#54 of 139

20189,697#55 of 139

20198,298#60 of 139

20202,638#107 of 137

2021—#62 of 137

2022—#59 of 138

2023—#63 of 138

2024—#62 of 138

2025—#65 of 141

Grand total through 2020:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

Motorboating: workbook data

Printings (53)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	HC	Notes
x	1955		6	50M	1955				prototype cover
x	1962	January	6	10M	1962			HCJV2
x	1962	June	6	10M	1962			HCJV2, HCK
x	1963	May	6	20M	1962			HCK, HCL
	1964	not made
	1965	not made
x	1966	June	7	8M	1962			HCP
x	1967	May	7	9M	1962
x	1968	April	7	10M	1962			HCL
x	1969	February	7	12M	1962			HCL
x	1970	February	7	12M	1962			HCM
x	1971	March	7	12M	1962			HCL, HCLM, HCSV1
x	1972	September	8	10M	1962
	1973	not made
x	1974	January	8	11M	1962
x	1975	January	8	10M	1962
x	1976	March	8	8M	1962
x	1977	April	8	7M	1962
x	1978	May	8	6M	1962
	1979	not made
x	1980	February	9A	4.9M	1962
x	1981	March	9A	4.8M	1962			HCU
x	1982	April	9A	5M	1962
x	1983	February	9A	3M	1962
x	1983	June	9A	5M	1962
x	1984	May	9A	5M	1962
x	1985	April	9A	5M	1962
x	1986	April	9A	6M	1962
x	1987	January	9A	6M	1962
x	1988	January	9A	6M	1962
x	1988	November	9A	6M	1962
x	1989	October	9A	6.5M	1962
	1990	not made
x	1991	January	9A	7M	1962
x	1992	June	9B-1	7M	1992
x	1993	April	9B-1	6M	1992
x	1994	October	9B-1	6.5M	1992
x	1995	October	9B-1	6M	1992
x	1996	November	9B-1	6M	1992
x	1997	September	9B-1
	1998	not made
x	1999		9B-1
x	2000		9B-1
x	2001		9B-1
x	2002		9B-1
x	2003		9B-1		1992	33345	730176333458
	2004	not made
x	2005		9B-1
	2006	not made
x	2007		9B-2
x	2008		10A
	2009	not made
x	2010		10C
x	2011		10C
	2012	not made
x	2013		10C
	2014	not made
x	2015		10C
	2016	not made
x	2017		10C
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D
	2020	not made
x	2021		10D
x	2022		10D
x	2023		10D			660060	7310766600606		358
x	2024		10D			660060	7310766600606		00358n
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1961	1,131	93	101
1962	4,543	56	101
1963	5,351	52	102
1964	5,670	54	107
1965	6,165	52	109
1966	6,840	49	110
1967	7,584	49	112
1968	8,724	46	112
1969	9,567	46	113
1970	9,548	47	113
1971	9,593	45	113
1972	9,856	49	124
1973	9,908	47	122
1974	13,797	52	121
1975	12,777	55	128
1976	11,269	54	130
1977	9,562	53	130
1978	8,962	49	131
1979	7,607	48	132
1980	5,257	45	132
1981	8,469	45	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	13,228	41	123
1994
1995
1996	13,566	44	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	14,675	44	128
2001	12,992	45	129
2002	15,391	44	129
2003	15,717	42	130
2004	15,856	41	121
2005	13,724	42	121
2006	13,552	43	121
2007	13,324	44	121
2008	13,492	45	121
2009	12,985	46	122
2010	12,578	46	125
2011	12,133	47	129
2012	12,004	46	132
2013	11,012	34	129
2014	10,748	55	136
2015	9,880	61	138
2016	9,515	57	138
2017	9,517	54	139
2018	9,697	55	139
2019	8,298	60	139
2020	2,638	107	137
2021		62	137
2022		59	138
2023		63	138
2024		62	138
2025		65	141