Boaters and fishermen alike are drawn to South Floridas year-round temperate climate and its thousands of miles of shoreline. So it should come as no surprise that Florid ranks among the top ten boating states with an estimated 865,000 registered recreational boats, according to the National Marine Manufactures Association. Powerboats make up a big part of that number, followed by personal watercraft, sailboats and other, according to the NMMA. In Palm Beach County, there are an estimated 40,000 registered vessles. No matter the type of boat, there are plenty of boat ramps from which to launch in Palm Beach County. Its also home to the second largest freshwater lake in the U.S. Lake Okeechobee in the city of Belle Glade. There are five county-operated saltwater boat ramps located in various parks. They are: Bert Winters Park, Juno Beach Burt Reynolds, Jupiter Jim Barry Light Harbor, Riviera Beach Juno Park, Juno Beach Phil Foster, Riviera Beach If you plan to park your car and trailer, a permit is required and have to be purchased in advance. There also are numerous other boat ramps from which to choose including: Burt Aaronson South County Regional Park, west of Boca Raton - Permit required for motorized vessels. Canal Point Park and Community Center, Canal Point City Docks, downtown West Palm Beach Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park, (formerly Boat Club Park), Boynton Beach John Prince Park, Lake Worth John Stretch Park, Lake Harbor Lake Ida West Park, Delray Beach (Lake Ida Road access) Okeeheelee Park, West Palm Beach (waterski lakes only) Paul Rardin Park, Pahokee South Bay RV Park, South Bay Stub Canal Park, West Palm Beach Torry Island Campground and Marina, Belle Glade