Author: BoatUS

Isaias is coming on quickly and is looking like some version of an East Coast fly-by. Boat US has offered up a list of preparations boaters can take to weather the storm.

Boaters across much of the country are getting ready to put their boats to bed for a long winter’s nap, but not every boat owner knows all the secrets of winterizing a recreational boat. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) shares some quick tips to ensure safe storage until next season. Despite mild winters, California, Florida, and Texas have the most engine winterizing claims. Boaters in northern climates know to winterize but all it takes is one deep freeze in a normally balmy state to cause major damage to your boat. Unless you’re in an area that never…

BoatUS video shows how to repair boat gelcoat DIY Gel coat is the finish that keeps your fiberglass boat both shiny and protected from the elements. While major damage is best left to professional repairs, small dings are easily fixed by any accomplished DIY boater with a basic set of tools. This quick, detailed video from the BoatUS YouTube page shows just how to get the job done. A ding (a word first used in reference to damage to fiberglass surfboards) is any small crack, shatter, gouge or puncture that breaks through the gelcoat and the inner glass composite overlay.…

With boatyards, backyards, marinas, and clubs now coming to life, spring commissioning time has arrived. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has a Spring Commissioning Checklist to help boaters start the season right: Before You Launch Inspect and replace hose clamps as necessary. Double-clamp fuel lines and exhaust hoses with marine-rated stainless steel hose clamps. Keep seacocks closed when you are away from the boat. Inspect all hoses for stiffness, rot, leaks and cracking, and replace any that are faulty. Make sure they fit snugly. Inspect prop(s) for dings, pitting and distortion. Make sure cotter pins are secure.…

When recreational boaters are in grave trouble, the captains of the on-water recreational boat-towing service, TowBoatUS, don’t hesitate to act. Six captains who acted as good Samaritans to save lives in 2018 were recently honored by their peers at a ceremony held at the annual BoatUS Towing Conference in Arlington, Virginia, on Jan. 17. The captains serve TowBoatUS towing locations in South Dade, Florida; Tarpon Springs, Florida; Mystic, Connecticut; Long Beach, California; and Lake Havasu, California. These are their actions: Woody Pollack Lifesaving Award Capt. Lee Hartman, TowBoatUS South Dade, Florida: A man aboard a 40-foot motor vessel tied up to a…

A panel of distinguished boating leaders who serve as a sounding board for Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) gathered last week along with esteemed guests and BoatUS staff in Newport Beach to discuss key issues impacting recreational boating, including the changing boat-ownership model and shifting boater demographics. BoatUS is the nation’s largest recreational boat owners group in the U.S. with more than a half-million dues-paying members. The group also discussed legislative issues that help keep the association’s focus on the evolving needs of recreational boaters, including some who now get on the water without having to own…

How to recover your boat after a hurricane? With the remnants of Hurricane Florence now on the way out to sea and high waters still posing a threat in some regions, boat owners are starting recovery efforts. The BoatUS Marine Insurance Catastrophe Team began field operations on Sunday, Sept. 16, in the Carolinas. To help affected boat owners with the recovery effort, BoatUS offers these five tips to assist boaters in recovering their vessels and starting the salvage process. Get permission first. Never try to enter a storm-affected marina or boat storage facility without permission. Spilled fuel combined with the…

In a data-driven world, knowing your “numbers” is a crucial part of achieving success. And in the halls of power of Washington, D.C., and 50 state capitals, credible data carries extra weight when it comes to advancing policies and laws that benefit recreational boaters. That’s why Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is calling attention to today’s release of economic data by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that shows the significance of the outdoor industry – and boating in particular – to the U.S. economy. Recent Boating Numbers Outdoor recreation accounted for $412 billion…

Will you have a recreational boat located in hurricane country as of June 1? According to recently released predictions by experts at Colorado State University, the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season could be a doozy. If your boat may be in the crosshairs of one of the 14 tropical storms or seven hurricanes predicted, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) recommends that boat owners check their boat insurance policy now for these six most important things to know about hurricane insurance. Top 6 Tips For Boat Hurricane Insurance 1. Who pays for salvage? When a hurricane throws your boat across…

The first major hurricane to strike the U.S. in 2018, Hurricane Florence, is expected to make landfall in the Carolinas potentially as a Category 4 storm later this week. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has issued hurricane-preparation alerts to its members in the Southeast and is urging all recreational boaters to begin making preparations to prevent damage to their vessels. Boat owners can start by tracking the storm with the free BoatUS.com/app (after downloading, go to settings to enable “push notifications” for your region). Hurricane planning help is available online at BoatUS.com/Hurricanes 1. “Boater’s Guide to Preparing Boats and Marinas…

The autumn boating season has arrived, and with it comes cooler water temperatures. A fall overboard can get serious quickly, and wearing a life jacket could give you extra time to survive. It’s time to check your inflatable life jacket! While many boaters have traditional floatation-filled life jackets, an increasing number have switched to more modern inflatable life jackets, which require a little preparation each year. If you haven’t inspected your inflatable life jacket and it’s gone through a summer’s worth of hard boating, now is a good time to take a close look at it. Here’s a quick four-step…

Editor’s Note:  In a world of electronic reviews and quick surveys, it is often hard to know who to listen to.  We want to share some heartfelt BoatUS Testimonials from Members who took the time to share their BoatUS and TowBoatUS experiences with their fellow boaters. TowBoatUS Testimonials My family and I first met one of your TowBoatUS captains at the West Marine store in Friday Harbor, Washington, during a store event. We were somewhat familiar with BoatUS at the time, and TowBoatUS. TowBoatUS Captain Deb was an excellent ambassador in explaining the towing services that BoatUS offers. She asked us all…

2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season Florida Hurricane Irma, FloridaWith the start of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season on Friday, June 1, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) urges boaters, marinas and boat clubs to prepare now for a potential landfall, and offers free help online at BoatUS.com/Hurricanes. The national advocacy, services and boating safety group says that it doesn’t take a direct hit to damage or sink recreational vessels or to cause havoc at boat-storage facilities. Storm-planning help available from BoatUS includes the following guides: 1. BoatUS Hurricane Tip Sheet – This easy-to-read, short two-pager is also simple to…

With the start of boating season and next week’s National Safe Boating Week, May 19–25, the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water has three tips to get boaters thinking about boat safety aboard any type of boat. National Safe Boating Week is May 19–25. 3 Boat Safety Tips 1. Open up your boat for a boat safety check: You may think getting a vessel safety check from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary or U.S. Power Squadrons can open yourself to problems. However, a no-risk, free vessel safety check does the opposite. It points out both the required and…

You may have seen former pro angler and outsized fishing personality Mark Zona hosting the Bassmaster Elite Series on TV, or appearing on his own Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show. Now is your chance to go fishing with Mark Zona! Submit a photo of any catch, past or recent, to the BoatUS “Best Catch” Photo Contest and you could find yourself in a fishing boat with rod, reel and none other than the “Z-man,” as he’s known to fans. The contest runs May 1–31, 2018 and entry details and contest rules can be found at BoatUS.com/Catch. You Could Win A fishing trip…

U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke addressed the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council at its recent meeting held April 4 and 5 at the Department of Interior in Washington, D.C. “Boats are good. A lot of boats are better,” The secretary emphasized the importance of outdoor recreation, specifically as it relates to boating, and included a message directed squarely at America’s nearly 12 million registered boat owners: “Boats are good. A lot of boats are better,” said Zinke, as he discussed his priorities to update and modernize visitor facilities on federal lands and “Bring them into the 21st…

BoatUS Intro Boating Classes In CA Want to learn the basics of powerboating with affordable boating classes? The nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water together with Freedom Boat Club Huntington Beach offer an affordable and fun Intro to Boating, boating classes taught aboard 21-foot powerboats on Friday, April 20, and Saturday, April 21, at the club’s location at 16360 Pacific Coast Hwy #212. Priced at $149 per person and starting at either 9 or 9:30 a.m., the three-hour Intro to Boating boating classes covers shifting and steering, basic docking, open-water handling and basic navigation. Class size is…

With boatyards, backyards, marinas, and clubs now coming to life, spring commissioning time has arrived. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has a Spring Commissioning Checklist to help boaters start the season right: Before You Launch: Hose clamps should be inspected and replaced as necessary. Double clamp below-waterline connections, including all hose and fuel lines with marine-rated stainless hose clamps and keeping seacocks closed when you are away are wise moves. Inspect cooling hoses for stiffness, rot, leaks and cracking. Make sure they fit snugly. Replace deteriorated sacrificial anodes. Inspect prop(s) for dings, pitting and distortion. Make sure…

TowBoatUS captains from around the country are on call 24/7 to help those in need.  Here is a peek into their world and what makes being a TowBoatUS captain so rewarding. TowBoatUS captains assist in a wide variety of ways, it’s not just towing. BoatUS has a national network of expert captains who are always on call and trained to assist boaters in need who experience breakdowns on the water. Boating has some inherent possibility of needing assistance, and BoatUS Members can take comfort in knowing that someone is fully capable of assisting them should the need arise. The other big plus…

Next week, Mar. 18-24, is a great time to take a boat safety course. Why? It’s perfect timing just before the start of the boating and fishing season and the week-long ‘Spring Aboard’ public service campaign makes it easy for boaters to take a boating safety course. The educational effort is a partnership of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), government, and nonprofit partners including the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. The BoatUS Foundation offers a no-cost NASBLA and state-approved online boating safety course for 36 states at BoatUS.org/Free. The course fits into busy schedules, allowing…

BoatUS: Boaters Stand to Gain With Government’s Recognition of the Outdoor Industry It’s no surprise that the industries that produce the most goods or services and keep the economy humming often receive favorable attention from legislators in Washington. Now with the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) February announcement that the outdoor recreation industry’s 2016 annual gross output is 2 percent ($373.7 billion) of the US gross domestic product (GDP), Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) believes boaters stand to gain from the news. “Having a strong industry behind you is important when working in the…

Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) urges recreational boaters and anglers residing in states with U.S. Senate Commerce Committee members to speak up now in favor of passing the Modern Fish Act. The bill, which will be voted on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018, aims at improving federal marine fisheries management for recreational anglers. If the bill passes the committee, it will go to the full Senate floor for a vote. “The bill corrects a long-running mistake of regulating recreational fishing in the same way as we do commercial fishing,” said BoatUS Manager of Government Affairs David Kennedy. “They…

Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) in partnership with the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) went to Capitol Hill yesterday to address Congressional Boating Caucus members and invited legislative staff for the annual State of the Industry briefings at the Russell Senate and Rayburn House office buildings. The caucus is an informal bipartisan group of US senators and representatives formed in 1989 to advocate for the interests of the recreational boating industry. Speaking to the groups gathered, NMMA President Thomas J. Dammrich reported on the recreational boating industry’s financial rebound,…

The BoatUS Foundation reminds boaters that they can get a free vessel safety check.  Make sure your “i” is dotted with a no penalty or cost inspection (coast guard vessel inspection). Click here to set up an inspection. Both the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the United States Power Squadrons have certified vessel examiners who will perform a free Vessel Safety Check (“VSC”) at your boat, at a time of mutual convenience. There is no charge, and no consequences if you don’t pass. Our goal is simply to help make boating as safe as possible for you, your family and…