Small-Boat Sailing Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020725,921

Best year200220,429 earned

All-time popularity#50official, as of 2020#50by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1964. Peak year 2002 with 20,429. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

196455 earned#107 of 107

1965775 earned#98 of 109

19661,376 earned#94 of 110

19672,069 earned#83 of 112

19682,500 earned#80 of 112

19692,732 earned#79 of 113

19703,247 earned#72 of 113

19713,733 earned#67 of 113

19723,923 earned#74 of 124

19734,268 earned#74 of 122

19747,519 earned#67 of 121

19758,155 earned#66 of 128

19768,991 earned#58 of 130

19778,848 earned#55 of 130

19788,831 earned#53 of 131

19798,140 earned#46 of 132

19806,129 earned#40 of 132

19819,359 earned#40 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

199316,261 earned#34 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199617,813 earned#32 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200019,664 earned#34 of 128

200116,410 earned#37 of 129

200220,429 earned#33 of 129

200319,384 earned#34 of 130

200419,121 earned#32 of 121

200517,224 earned#35 of 121

200617,961 earned#34 of 121

200717,852 earned#33 of 121

200817,968 earned#33 of 121

200919,145 earned#34 of 122

201018,471 earned#33 of 125

201119,895 earned#30 of 129

201218,740 earned#33 of 132

201316,857 earned#27 of 129

201416,511 earned#38 of 136

201515,092 earned#39 of 138

201614,108 earned#39 of 138

201714,182 earned#36 of 139

201813,886 earned#38 of 139

201913,202 earned#39 of 139

20203,142 earned#98 of 137

2021No data available#38 of 137

2022No data available#36 of 138

2023No data available#37 of 138

2024No data available#37 of 138

2025No data available#40 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#40 of 141" means the badge was number 40 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.

196455#107 of 107

1965775#98 of 109

19661,376#94 of 110

19672,069#83 of 112

19682,500#80 of 112

19692,732#79 of 113

19703,247#72 of 113

19713,733#67 of 113

19723,923#74 of 124

19734,268#74 of 122

19747,519#67 of 121

19758,155#66 of 128

19768,991#58 of 130

19778,848#55 of 130

19788,831#53 of 131

19798,140#46 of 132

19806,129#40 of 132

19819,359#40 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199316,261#34 of 123

1994—

1995—

199617,813#32 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200019,664#34 of 128

200116,410#37 of 129

200220,429#33 of 129

200319,384#34 of 130

200419,121#32 of 121

200517,224#35 of 121

200617,961#34 of 121

200717,852#33 of 121

200817,968#33 of 121

200919,145#34 of 122

201018,471#33 of 125

201119,895#30 of 129

201218,740#33 of 132

201316,857#27 of 129

201416,511#38 of 136

201515,092#39 of 138

201614,108#39 of 138

201714,182#36 of 139

201813,886#38 of 139

201913,202#39 of 139

20203,142#98 of 137

2021—#38 of 137

2022—#36 of 138

2023—#37 of 138

2024—#37 of 138

2025—#40 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.

Small-Boat Sailing: workbook data

Printings (56)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC	Notes
x	1965	December	7		10M	1965					HCL, HCQ
x	1966	July	7		10M	1965					HCL
x	1967	April	7		10M	1965
x	1967	December	7		12M	1965
	1968	not made
x	1969	February	7		12M	1965
x	1970	March	7		12M	1965					HCL
x	1971	April	7		11M	1965
x	1972	May	7		11M	1965					HCSV1
x	1973	April	8A-1		14M	1965
x	1974	April	8A-1		14M	1965
x	1975	February	8A-1		12M	1965
x	1976	February	8A-1		12M	1965					HCT
x	1977	March	8A-1		12M	1965
x	1978	March	8A-1		11M	1965
x	1979	April	8A-2		10M	1965
x	1980	March	9A		10M	1965
x	1981	April	9A		10M	1965
x	1982	March	9A		10M	1965
x	1983	January	9A		10M	1965
x	1983	August	9A		12M	1965
x	1984	June	9A		14M	1965
x	1985	July	9A		12M	1965
x	1986	July	9A		11M	1965
x	1987	May	9A		12M	1965
x	1988	June	9A		12M	1965
x	1989	January	9B		12M	1989						states 1988 printing in front of book
x	1990	February	9B		14M	1989
x	1991	June	9B		12M	1989
x	1992	July	9B		12M	1989
x	1993	May	9B		12M	1989
	1994	not made
x	1995	January	9C		12M
x	1995	November	9C		11M	1995
x	1996	October	9C		15M	1995
	1997	not made
x	1998		9C			1995						front states revised 1997 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
x	1999		9C			1995
x	2000		9C			1995
x	2001		9C			1995
x	2002		9			1995
x	2003		9			1995
x	2004		9			2004
x	2005		9
	2006	not made
x	2007		9D
x	2008		10A
x	2009		10B
x	2010		10C
	2011	not made
	2012	not made
x	2013		10C
x	2014		10C
x	2015		10C
x	2016		10C
	2017	not made
x	2018		10D
x	2019		10D
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D
x	2023		10D				656885	7301766568852				358
x	2023		10D				660063	7301766600637				358
x	2024		10D				661049	7301766610490				358
x	2025		11A	back-1125			35950	7301766610490	661049	300084988		358

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1964	55	107	107
1965	775	98	109
1966	1,376	94	110
1967	2,069	83	112
1968	2,500	80	112
1969	2,732	79	113
1970	3,247	72	113
1971	3,733	67	113
1972	3,923	74	124
1973	4,268	74	122
1974	7,519	67	121
1975	8,155	66	128
1976	8,991	58	130
1977	8,848	55	130
1978	8,831	53	131
1979	8,140	46	132
1980	6,129	40	132
1981	9,359	40	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	16,261	34	123
1994
1995
1996	17,813	32	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	19,664	34	128
2001	16,410	37	129
2002	20,429	33	129
2003	19,384	34	130
2004	19,121	32	121
2005	17,224	35	121
2006	17,961	34	121
2007	17,852	33	121
2008	17,968	33	121
2009	19,145	34	122
2010	18,471	33	125
2011	19,895	30	129
2012	18,740	33	132
2013	16,857	27	129
2014	16,511	38	136
2015	15,092	39	138
2016	14,108	39	138
2017	14,182	36	139
2018	13,886	38	139
2019	13,202	39	139
2020	3,142	98	137
2021		38	137
2022		36	138
2023		37	138
2024		37	138
2025		40	141