The Trouble With Buying Kids' Life Jackets

"You'll Grow Into It" Doesn't Work!

Kids grow fast. That's why frugal parents often buy their kid's shoes a little bigger than the actual size. However, when buying a kid's life jacket that's too large - a common mistake - the results can be heartrending because children in a wrong-sized life jacket can easily slip out. 

"I've sent my own kids to school with slightly bigger shoes," says BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety President Chris Edmonston. "However, if a too-big life jacket slips off a child when their arms go above their head, there could be tragic results." Edmonston, himself a father of five, knows what he's talking about. Here are some tips on having the right-sized kids' life jacket:

• Kid's life jackets come in three sizes: infant (under 30 lbs.) which offer greater floatation for the head; child (30-50 lbs.) and youth (50-90 lbs.). Any child more than 90 lbs. should wear an adult life jacket. Only purchase life jackets that are US Coast Guard approved.

• "Every season I have my kids put on their life jacket to check for comfort and the proper size," said Edmonston. If you boat year round, it may be good to do this a couple times a year.

• To check for proper fit: 1.) Have the child stand with the jacket on and all buckles, zippers, crotch straps fastened. 2.) Grab the life jacket's shoulder area and pull straight up. The jacket should not move up to (or over) the child's ears. If it does, it's likely to be too big, and mom or dad need to find another one.

• The best fit for a kid's life jacket is one that fits snugly yet comfortably. If all of the fasteners cannot be attached, it's likely too small.

"If a child has a good fitting life jacket, they won't complain about wearing it," added Edmonston. "Better yet is to set the example and wear one yourself." 

A short video on how to pick a right-sized kid's life jacket is available at http://www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/LJLP/fit_video.asp. BoatUS also offers a Kids' Life Jacket Loaner Program at 530 locations where right-sized life jackets can be borrowed for the day or weekend. To find a location near you, go to www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/LJLP/map.

"Towing" And "Salvage" Who Pays for Each?

On-the-water breakdowns, running aground or other mishaps can ruin a day of boating or fishing fun. But when the towboat arrives on the scene, do you know if the service is a "tow" or a "salvage" job? If you?re ever in doubt, the safest bet is to ask the towboat crew. That?s because there could be a big difference in the cost of each service, and it also determines who pays the bill, says Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS). 

While there is sometimes a fine line between the towing and salvage, there are a few clear indicators that point to each. "Salvage requires the existence of ?peril? to the distressed vessel or persons aboard, or peril to the rescue boat and its crew, or the marine environment," said Vice President of BoatUS Towing Services Adam Wheeler.

Historically and legally, salvage is any voluntary and successful rescue of a boat, its cargo, and/or passengers from peril at sea. Today that definition includes the successful avoidance of damage to a legally protected marine environment. 

Vessels hard aground, on rocks, taking on water or sunk are salvage, as are collisions, fires, breakaways or other types of immediate danger. Salvage also comes into play when specialized equipment such as pumps, air bags, or divers are called for - even if the boat is at the dock.

All TowBoatUS and Vessel Assist companies are committed to informing the owner of a boat - before beginning any work - if the procedure will be declared salvage. If the owner is not on board or the conditions are so perilous and the rescue of the boat requires immediate action, they?ll be notified as soon as possible after saving the boat. 

"On the other hand, when there is very little or no peril or damage to the vessel - you have a towing situation," said Wheeler. "A typical example is when you run out of gas or have a dead battery, and have subsequently dropped anchor to await assistance. Waters are calm, you?re no threat to navigation, your crew and boat are fine and there?s no peril to those on the response boat." Of the 65,000 requests for assistance made last year by boaters to BoatUS 24-hour Dispatch Centers, 98% were for routine towing services.

When it comes to soft ungroundings, BoatUS members enjoy a special agreement with the TowBoatUS and Vessel Assist on-the-water towing fleets which ensures that if there is little peril and no damage to the BoatUS member?s disabled boat, and only one towboat is needed to remove the softly grounded vessel from a shoal, it?s a simple towing job. Other commercial towing companies may or may not honor this agreement. 

The Costs
Nationwide, towing and soft ungrounding costs average about $600 and $800, respectively. These are either paid by an annual towing service plan or out-of-pocket by the boater. 

Salvage cases are usually covered by insurance - or out-of-pocket if self-insured - and are much more expensive than a tow. Salvage continues to be the way to award a rescuer who maintains a 24-hour state of readiness to risk life, limb and vessel for others, and often results in a charge based on the length of the vessel saved or a request for a percentage of the boat's post-casualty value. While it?s a reward for extraordinary service, the dollar amount awarded factors in the degree of peril as well as the risk to the salvor and their crew.

"There are significant expenses in operating and maintaining a professional towing operation," says Wheeler, "such as Captain?s and staff salaries, insurance, equipment maintenance and increasing fuel costs, not to mention capital expenses such as towboats and other specialized recovery equipment - and it all has to be ready to go at a moment?s notice," he added.

Time and circumstances permitting, Wheeler suggests that if it?s a salvage job, boaters should try to call their insurance company so they may attempt to negotiate with the salvor before the operation gets underway. If circumstances don?t allow this, ask the salvor for a fixed price and try to get it in writing. 

Wheeler also says that boaters should review their boat?s insurance policy to ensure it fully covers salvage. Some policies have limits, high deductibles, or may not include environmental damage - all of which would have to be paid out of pocket.

BoatUS also suggests having a copy of the BoatUS Open Form Yacht Salvage Contract aboard at all times, which assures that any salvage claim will go to local binding arbitration if negotiations between your insurance company and salvor fails. Designed to be more understandable, relevant to US laws and potentially money saving for all parties, the Open Form Contract is available free of charge at BoatUS.com/salvage or by calling 800-937-1937. 

For more information on BoatUS towing plans, go to BoatUS.com/towing or call 1-800-888-4869.

FOUR SALVAGE TIPS:

• Protect yourself by having both a towing service plan for basic towing assistance needs and an insurance policy that fully covers the costs of salvage.
• If you do have an incident, ask questions first, not later, to confirm whether the job is towing or salvage.
• Have your insurance claims department phone number aboard. If it?s salvage, you?ll want to try to contact them to help negotiate a fixed price.
• When all else fails, have a copy of BoatUS Open Form Yacht Salvage Contract aboard. You can get one for free at BoatUS.com/salvage.

How to Keep Working Waterfronts at Work

National Symposium March 25-28

Preserving and Growing Working Waterfronts 

Waterfronts are getting squeezed. Traditional activities once considered vital to coastal communities -- boat building, fishing, recreational boating and other water-dependent businesses -- must now compete for limited space on the shoreline. Residential development, zoning changes, shifting populations and energy production are just some of the pressures against a robust working waterfront. There's also a new factor -- more frequent, massive storm events -- that is inflicting massive change, begging the question: "How should devastated areas be redeveloped?" And if so, what are the best uses for waterfront land? 

All of these topics and more will be presented at the National Working Waterfronts & Waterways Symposium in Tacoma, Washington on March 25-28 and presented by Washington / Oregon; Sea Grant Programs. Boat Owners Association of The United States BoatUS; is a Patron Co-Sponsor and created the first Working Waterfronts Symposium in 2007 to draw national attention to the critical loss of recreational boating access. Local policy makers, elected officials, government agencies, planners, economic development, tourism and marine interests, non-profit organizations, community activists, grassroots groups and interested citizens are all invited to attend.

Topics on deck include economic and social impacts of working waterfronts, successful local, regional, state and federal strategies to address working waterfront issues, the future of working waterfronts including the potential impacts of changing climate and how to keep water-dependant businesses commercially viable. Sessions include: Coastal Smart Growth Approaches, Government Funding Programs, Strategies for Recreational and Commercial Fishing, Dynamics of Port Sizes on the West Coast, Sustaining Small Community Waterfronts, as well as Financing Tools, Economic Strategies, Sustainable Seafood and Environmental issues and more. 

In one panel, BoatUS Assistant Vice President of Government Affairs Ryck Lydecker will discuss the Federal Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program that can help attract cruising boaters to local communities. Shepherded by BoatUS through Congress in1998, the program offers matching grants to build transient slips or moorage for people who travel by boat. "The BIG Program is the off-ramp and safe parking lot that delivers the economic impact of passing boaters ashore," said Lydecker.

Lydecker will also represent recreational boating in a symposium wrap-up session intended to chart a course for the future of the nation's working waterfronts. 

The Symposium begins March 25 with a full day of field trips around the Tacoma waterfront region. For more information, go to http://depts.washington.edu/uwconf/workingwaterfronts/ or contact Nicole Fagin at wwaters2013@uw.edu or 206-685-8286.

Learning from Sandy: Securing Boats to Protect Marinas, Clubs

Three Webinar Series March 5, 12, 26, Looks at
Cause and Prevention of Hurricane Damage

 

Hurricane Sandy was the single-largest recreational boating industry loss ever recorded, with over $650 million in damage to boats alone. Not included in that figure are the hundreds of millions of dollars in damages to marinas, boat yards and yacht clubs. Boats that didn't stay put in Sandy's exceptional storm surge caused damage to other boats, marina infrastructure, and private and public property. The Association of Marina Industries (AMI) and the Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) are teaming up to offer a series of three online webinars on March 5, 12 and 26, 2013 at 2:00 EST for marine facility operators and others interested in learning about how to secure boats to avoid damage in future storms. 

"When boats get loose in a storm like Sandy, it creates problems both within and beyond your marina's property line," said BoatUS Technical Services Director Beth Leonard. "It is a double whammy: your boating facility is devastated and the surrounding community's recovery is impacted as well, so keeping boats in place is essential to limiting damage. Our goal is to give boating facility operators the information that can help them make informed decisions about planning for the next big storm, with an eye towards reducing damage to their own infrastructure, their neighborhood, and their customers' boats."

The first in the series, "Sandy Overview: What We've Learned," (March 5), will look at what made Hurricane Sandy so destructive and the types of damage it caused to boats and to marinas, and share some survival stories. It will also try to answer the question: Was hauling boats, as BoatUS has long advocated, the right answer this time? 

The March 12 webinar, "Securing Boats on Land," will focus on the challenges of securing boats inside storage structures as well as outside on the hard, and discuss some potential solutions and best practices.

The March 26 webinar, "Securing Boats in the Water," will look at the challenges presented by moorings and by various dock structures such as fixed or floating docks, and also look at solutions and best practices. 

Much of the information included in the webinars comes from the industry-leading BoatUS Catastrophe (CAT) Team, which has over three decades of storm salvage and claims experience, and faced its biggest challenge ever with Hurricane Sandy. The team, which hit the ground running just one day after the storm made landfall, was the largest ever assembled in the Association's history and worked in seven states recovering hundreds of boats. 

The cost to attend is $10 per webinar for members of AMI or BoatUS, and, for non-members, $25 for one webinar, $40 for two and $60 for all three. NY and NJ facilities are invited to attend for free, compliments of AMI and BoatUS, but they must still register. Any proceeds after costs will be donated to the NJ Recovery and Relief Fund to aid recreational marine businesses damaged during Hurricane Sandy. 

Online registration begins Monday, Feb. 18. Go to http://marinaassociation.org/training/online-webinars, or, for more information, call (866) 367-6622 or visit MarinaAssociation.org.

Five On-the-Water Towboat Captains Honored for Heroism

With over 600 tow boats spread across North America, the law of averages dictates that, eventually, BoatUS towing captains will be thrust into the middle of life-threatening emergencies. BoatUS Towing Services recently honored five of its captains - four with Meritorious Service Awards and one with the BoatUS "Woody Pollack Lifesaving Award" - at a ceremony that recently capped off the group's annual conference held in Clearwater Beach, FL. The Woody Pollack award is named after the well-respected towboat captain in the fleet who died at an early age. 

"Sometimes the routine of a normal day is interrupted by a life-threatening mayday call or an incident that unfolds in front of them, and our captains step in without hesitation," said BoatUS Vice President and Director of Towing Adam Wheeler. "They are not in the rescue business, but their actions save others. We are very proud of them." US Coast Guard Chief of Search and Rescue, Captain Peter Martin, presented the awards on behalf of Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS). Here are the details on the incidents: 

1. Woody Pollack Lifesaving Award: Captain Sean McKinney of Vessel Assist Lake Havasu, AZ 

One Saturday afternoon last summer, Capt. Sean McKinney was providing a routine tow to a BoatUS member in Havasu Springs Marina until piercing screams shot through the field of boat slips. McKinney quickly dropped the tow and found the source of the sound a few slips way - it was the mother of a seven-year-old boy who had jumped off the stern of the family's powerboat as the boy's father was backing into the slip.

Carrying his first aid kit, just like the one he had in the US Army as a combat lifesaver, McKinney raced into action. The boy had two deep prop cuts to the bone on the calf, and was bleeding badly. Captain McKinney quickly applied a tourniquet, advised Vessel Assist Lake Havasu Base to summon help, and continued to care and comfort the boy and his family for 20 minutes before emergency responders could arrive to the remote location. The boy was medevac'd to a Phoenix hospital and survived. McKinney's quick actions, and his ability to keep the boy and his father calm during the emergency, saved the life of the young man. 

2. Meritorious Service Award #1, Capt. Joe Burkett, TowBoatUS Fernandina, FL: 

On a midday fall afternoon last year, four ladies were boating on Florida's St. Mary's River in Fernandina Beach, when the BoatUS 24-hour dispatch center indicated a boat was disabled near the mouth of the river's entrance channel. During the call, it became clear that one aboard the vessel had gone for a swim, was caught in the unexpectedly swift current and swept away from the boat - without a life jacket. Capt. Joe Burkett was requested to respond immediately and dispatch notified US Coast Guard sector Jacksonville, FL. 

Arriving on scene within 15 minutes, Captain Burkett started a search pattern down current. Burkett strained his eyes to locate the woman and was only able to see her when he noticed her arms occasionally break the water like a dolphin, as she attempted to swim to a nearby jetty. The woman, shaken, was safely brought aboard. 

3. Meritorious Service Award #2: Capt. Mitch Kramer, TowBoatUS Oyster Bay, NY: 

The sky over New York's Long Island Sound had been ignited moments earlier by an extravagant 4th of July fireworks display - and was suddenly bright again with the light of a signal flare illuminating a marine disaster unfolding just moments after the show. A 34-foot cruiser with an unimaginable 27 persons aboard had capsized in the maelstrom of hundreds of vessels all departing the show at the same time, and people were trapped. Captain Mitch Kramer of TowBoatUS Oyster Bay was soon on scene, strapped on his fins and mask, stuck an air hose in his mouth, and plunged in among the dozens of boats that had responded. Adult passengers were frantically trying to free three children, from ages 8 to 12, from inside the boat's cabin.

A hot summer night rainstorm swept in, knocking the half-submerged boat around making it impossible for Kramer to push past the debris and canvas covers, squeeze through a hatch, or open the cabin door. After many futile attempts with the boat upside down and submerged, Kramer was finally forced to retreat. The body of one girl was found before the boat sank. Two other children who were trapped aboard lost their lives as well. 

4. Meritorious Service Award #3: Capt. Harold "Smitty" Smith, TowBoatUS Sandy Hook, NJ:
Shortly after lunch one early fall afternoon last year, Captain Smitty of TowBoatUS Sandy Hook heard a distress call on the VHF advising of a collision in the Shrewsbury Channel near a cove popular with boaters and known for its sandy beach. Captain Smitty responded to the scene where he found a capsized boat and two persons in the water. Smith quickly brought accident victims aboard, one with severe internal injuries. 

As he sped to shore, he notified the Coast Guard who arranged for EMS to meet them at the dock. The more seriously injured boater had to be medevac'd to a local trauma center, and both survived. 

5. Meritorious Service Award #4: Capt. Robert Estrada, TowBoatUS Lake Lanier, GA: 

Last June, with the boating season in full swing, 13-year-old Griffin Prince was with his 9-year-old brother, Jake, aboard the family's pontoon boat when it was struck by a fishing boat helmed by a drunk driver. Both Griffin and his brother were killed. In the mayhem and carnage of the collision, Griffin's body fell overboard and along with debris from the mangled boat, descended to the depths of the lake.

They were lost to recovery divers and grieving parents for nine days before a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) with a camera was able to locate the boat debris field, ultimately allowing the divers to recover the child's body at 113 feet below the surface. The ROV camera, borrowed from a friend, was volunteered to law enforcement authorities by Captain Robert Estrada of TowBoatUS Lake Lanier, GA. Estrada paid for its rush shipping to the lake and also remained part of the search and perimeter operation throughout the entire recovery operation.

National Park Service Keeping Staten Island Marina Open

Boat Owners Association of The United States Applauds
National Park Service for Keeping Staten Island Marina Open

After Damage by Sandy and Closure Decree, Agency Reverses Course

STATEN ISLAND, NY, January 23, 2013 - In a stunning reversal of a decision made shortly after Hurricane Sandy devastated Nichols Great Kills Park Marina on New York's Staten Island, the National Park Service has agreed to extend the marina operator's permit for three years, the maximum allowable under the law. The 350-slip marina, located on the grounds of the Gateway National Recreation Area, lost all of its docks in the storm and was to be shuttered by April 15, 2013, with the Park Service formerly maintaining that services for 2013 were "not possible." 

However, today's decision by National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis allows the marina operator to invest in the facilities and rebuild docks. The marina is also likely to receive some funding made available to the Park Service by the recently passed Sandy Relief Bill, according to Senator Charles Schumer, who along with Representative Michael Grimm, the grassroots group Committee to Save Great Kills Park Marina Community, BoatU.S. and the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, worked together to keep the marina open.

Fred DiLise with The Committee to Save Great Kills Park Marina Community, stated "The boaters of Staten Island and Great Kills Marina knew their community must be preserved. Many thanks to BoatU.S. for helping to carry that message to Washington and the leadership of the National Park Service." 

Boat Owners Association of The United States lobbied the Park Service and met with Cong. Grimm's staff in the quest to keep the marina open for the 2013 summer boating season.
The Park Service had initially chosen to deny the renewal of the marina operator concessionaire lease, which expired on Dec. 31, 2012. 

"We thank all of those who spoke up loudly to ensure another valuable boating access point was not lost forever," said BoatUS President Margaret Podlich. "The loss of the marina, the largest in Great Kills Harbor, would have meant a substantial economic loss for the community as well as the generations of boaters who have called Nichols home for decades. We believe the National Park Service ultimately recognized the value and seafaring tradition that Nichols provided. And we appreciate that the Service recognized that recreational boating should remain part of the mix of recreational opportunities our parks can offer." 


Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its over half-million members with government representation, services such as 24-hour on-the-water boat towing as well as roadside assistance for boat trailers and tow vehicles, feature-rich boat insurance programs, money-saving benefits that include marina and West Marine shopping discounts, and vital information that improves the boating, fishing and sailing lifestyle. Its member-funded BoatUS Foundation is a national leader promoting safe, clean and responsible boating.

US Coast Guard 2012 Video of the Year

This video is from the crews of Coast Guard Station Coos Bay, Ore. The compilation of first person footage was put together by crews at Station Coos Bay and features the extreme environment of the Pacific Northwest as boat crews battle waves and weather off the Oregon Coast.