First Annual Jersey Shore Boat Sale & Expo

The Marine Trades Association of New Jersey (MTA/NJ) is holding the First Annual Jersey Shore Boat Sale & Expo on September 18-20, 2009 at FirstEnergy Park, Lakewood, NJ. For more information, including an exhibitor list, hours and directions visit their website at: Jersey Shore Boat Show and Expo

Lack of boater education linked to rise in recreational boating fatalities

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has expressed concern over statistics reporting a rise in recreational boating fatalities in a recently released publication of the 2008 boating safety statistics.

The fatality rate, a measure of the number of deaths against the number of registered recreational boats, increased from 5.3 in 2007 to 5.6 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational boats in 2008. During this time, the Coast Guard recorded 709 deaths, 3,331 injuries and approximately $54 million dollars in damage to property, stemming from 4,789 recreational boating accidents.

Operator inattention, careless or reckless operation, no proper lookout, operator inexperience and passenger or skier behavior rank as the top five contributing factors to recreational boating accidents.

Alcohol consumption continues to be of major concern in fatal boating accidents and is listed as the leading contributing factor in 17 percent of the deaths.

Rear Adm. Kevin Cook, the Coast Guard's director of prevention policy, emphasized the importance of boating education saying, "The 2008 report shows a clear link between safety and boating education by highlighting that only 10 percent of deaths occurred on boats where the operator had received boating safety education. This statistic indicates that boaters who have taken a boating safety course are less likely to be involved in an accident. In addition, two-thirds of all fatal boating accident victims drowned; and of those, 90 percent were not wearing a life jacket. The Coast Guard urges all boaters, whether as an operator or passenger, to take a boating safety course and to always wear your life jacket."

For seventy years the Coast Guard Auxiliary has provided boater education to the American boating public. Courses are taught by experienced and knowledgeable instructors committed to the highest standards of the U.S. Coast Guard. For more information about Coast Guard Auxiliary boater education course please visit http://www.cgaux.org/boatinged/. In addition to boater education courses the Auxiliary also offers free Vessel Safety Checks. (http://www.cgaux.org/vsc/)

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard created by an Act of Congress in 1939. The Auxiliary, America's Volunteer Guardians, supports the Coast Guard in nearly all of the service's missions.

To view the 2008 recreational boating safety statistics, go to: http://www.uscgboating.org/statistics/accident_stats.htm
For more information on boating responsibly, go to http://www.uscgboating.org/.

BoatUS Reports Recreational Boating Traffic Flat

BoatUS Reports Recreational Boating Traffic Flat,
But More Boaters Using On-The-Water Towing

ALEXANDRIA, Va., August 24, 2009 – The summer of the great economic downturn continues to have an effect on recreational boating, says the nation’s largest recreational boat owners group. On-the-water boat towing and ungrounding services provided to members of Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) were up 8% at the midsummer mark, when compared to 2008. “Boaters have less money in their wallets this year, which translates to fewer outings, less maintenance, and an increase in calls for on-the-water assistance,” said BoatUS Towing Service Vice President Jerry Cardarelli. The Association’s BoatUS Towing Service operates a fleet of 600 TowBoatUS and Vessel Assist towing vessels across the country.

Good weather and lower gas prices, which typically lead to an increase in overall boating traffic, have been offset by the recession. “Except for the Northeast, weather has generally been good, and fuel prices remain around $3.50 per gallon at the fuel dock, down about a dollar or so from last summer’s highs. But the economy has been a bigger factor,” added Cardarelli.

A May 2009 survey of BoatUS members foreshadowed today’s news. When asked how they planned to use their boat this summer, about half of the respondents said they would reduce cruising distances, stay closer to home and reduce the number of boating trips/days, among other cost-cutting measures. “The middle class is boating’s bread and butter, and like everyone else, these families are feeling the strain on their budget for discretionary activities,” added Cardarelli.

“However, breakdowns can be costly, and experienced boaters know it’s prudent to have an on-the-water towing plan that will safely get you home — with your wallet intact,” added Cardarelli. Much like an auto club, BoatUS Towing Services offers “unlimited” towing plans for boaters starting at just $34 year. Without a towing plan, the national average out-of-pocket cost for a tow is about $600.

For membership and towing information visit www.BoatUS.com or call 800-888-4869.

Boat Wakes Make People Angry

Boat Wakes Make People Angry - And Can Injure

ALEXANDRIA, Va., August 26, 2009 – Boat wakes — those long, frothy, V-shaped waves trailing from the stern of a powerboat as it slices through the water — have a sinister side. When other vessels encounter them, they can hurt people. They can make people angry, and they can bring the wrath of law enforcement, for good reason.

Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) recently looked into the issue of boat wakes by combing through the insurance claims case files, where swampings, broken teeth, and back injuries are found. “You avoid being the recipient of gestures from other skippers by using a little common sense and courtesy,” says BoatUS Director of Damage Avoidance Bob Adriance. “This means coming completely off plane when you enter a no wake zone or anywhere your wake could compromise the safety of other boats,” he adds.

Here are some tips to help prevent boat wake injuries to you and other boaters:

Slow early: Boat wakes travel distances, so slow down before you reach a slow-speed zone, not as you pass the marker.

Just a little slowing down isn’t good enough: Upon entering a no wake zone, some boaters react by only slowing the vessel slightly, and then plow through with the bow way up and stern dug down, actually increasing the wake. Come completely off plane.

Make her level: Without using trim tabs, a slowed vessel should be level in the water. With some smaller boats, shifting passengers around can help, as too much weight aft increases wake size.

Watch the shallows: Shallow water increases wake size.

Small boats aren’t innocent: Wakes are not just a big boat issue — small vessels in the stern-down position can throw surprisingly large wakes.

When approaching a wake, slow down but don’t stop: Motorboats are more stable when underway, so stopping could make things worse. Avoid taking a wake on the beam or head on. The best approach is at a slight angle. This will keep your passengers in your boat.

Take care of older crew: The BoatU.S. insurance claims files show that persons over the age of 50 have the most personal injuries, mostly as a result of being seated near the bow when the boat slams into a wake. It’s best to seat passengers — especially older passengers — amidships.

Warn the crew: A simple “Hold-on. Boat wake” should do the trick, just as long as you shout the warning well before the wake arrives.

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BoatUS – Boat Owners Association of The United States – is the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its 600,000 members with government representation, programs and money saving services. For membership information visit www.BoatUS.com or call 800-395-2628.

2009 Storm Names

The National Weather Service's names for the 2009 Atlantic tropical storms:

Ana
Bill
Claudette
Danny
Erika
Fred
Grace
Henri
Ida
Joaquin
Kate
Larry
Mindy
Nicholas
Odette
Peter
Rose
Sam
Teresa
Victor
Wanda

Requirements for PFD Use in NY Changed

Life Jacket Wear Requirements

Beginning November 1, 2009, Section 40, Subdivision 1 of the Navigation Law shall be amended by adding new paragraph (e), which reads as follows:

No owner or operator of a pleasure vessel less than twenty-one feet, including rowboats, canoes, and kayaks shall permit its operation, between November first and May first, unless each person on board such vessel is wearing a securely fastened United States Coast Guard approved wearable personal flotation device of an appropriate size when such vessel is underway.

Failure to wear a lifejacket on such vessels will be considered a violation under Section 73-c if the Navigation Law and is punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $250, applicable to either the operator and/or the owner of the vessel.

24th Annual International Coastal Cleanup

Ocean Conservancy's 24th Annual International Coastal Cleanup to be Held Saturday, September 19th: Online Registration Opens with 2,500 Cleanup Sites Around the World, Thousands More to be Added Soon
Sign up to Clean up! Locate a Cleanup site near you and join the hundreds of thousands of volunteers around the world Start a Sea Change this September

Media Contact: Tom McCann

August 4, 2009

(Washington DC) — Today, Ocean Conservancy announces a new searchable online registration system for the International Coastal Cleanup helping volunteers find a Cleanup site in their hometown. The International Coastal Cleanup is the world's largest volunteer effort to help protect the ocean. Last year, nearly 400,000 volunteers hit their local beaches, lakes, and rivers with a common mission of improving the health of the ocean and waterways. On one day, they removed and tallied 6.8 million pounds of debris, from 6,485 sites in 100 countries and 42 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. To find a 2009 Cleanup site near you visit: www.oceanconservancy.org and search on a world map or by town or zip code.

"The ocean is our life support system yet marine debris continues to threaten its health. We know that trash travels. Wherever we live, each of us has a responsibility to prevent litter from trashing our beaches and hurting coastal economies, injuring and killing marine wildlife, and choking an already threatened ocean ecosystem," said Vikki Spruill President and CEO of Ocean Conservancy. "Trash in the ocean is one of the most widespread pollution problems threatening our ocean and waterways and it's entirely preventable."

Each year, volunteers from around the world spend a few hours removing trash and debris from beaches, lakes, rivers and other waterways keeping track of every piece of trash they find. Ocean Conservancy uses that information to produce the world’s only annual country-by-country, state-by-state index of the problem of marine debris. The report is shared with the public, industry, and government officials as we work together to end to problem of marine debris.

“The Cleanup gives everyone a chance to be a part of an important global movement to end the tide of ocean trash,” says Dianne Sherman, Director of the International Coastal Cleanup. “This new automated registration system will help volunteers from Boston to Bangladesh find a site near them and join in the effort to start a sea change."

Coca-Cola has been supporting the International Coastal Cleanup since 1995 and has been the lead sponsor since 2005 raising awareness of the issue of marine debris and the personal responsibility we all share in solving the problem. In 2008, Coca-Cola activated a network of over 50,000 employees and associates in 35 countries to help clear beaches and waterways of debris. As part of its $20 billion, 10-year initiative to address climate change, Bank of America has supported the International Coastal Cleanup for the past several years, with thousands of associates participating in Cleanup events across the United States and around the world. Other national sponsors include Booz Allen Hamilton; The Dow Chemical Company; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Philip Morris USA, an Altria Company; and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

For additional information about the International Coastal Cleanup, and to sign up to be a part of the next wave of volunteers visit: www.oceanconservancy.org/cleanup