Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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Boaters across 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. 1. 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 dama... Full story
Taxes Paid By Boaters Will Fund Boating Programs The explosive growth of paddlesports - including stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking and canoeing - has local, state and federal governments working to ensure there's plenty of paddler access, including paddlecraft-only launches that make it easy to launch a kayak, increasing efforts to ensure paddler safety, and minimizing user conflicts with traditional boaters. The question is, who pays for it? Under a nearly seven-decade-old federal funding mech... Full story
TowBoatUS San Diego responds to an incredibly strange distress call caused by a one-in-a-million missed waypoint. "There are not many times I can say it after 30 years as a towboat captain, but this was a first," says Capt. Rob Butler, owner of the TowBoatUS San Diego. Butler was describing his company's recent response to a 26-foot power boat stuck inside a deep sandstone cave along a southern California cliff wall. Butler's company is one of more than 300 locations across the nation that... Full story
BoatUS urges boaters to be aware of engine weight when repowering a recreational boat. Boaters Aren't the Only Ones Getting Heavier; Outboard Engines Catch Up One year ago the U.S. Coast Guard required new recreational boats to have more floatation to support the increased weight of newer four-stroke outboards if the boat becomes swamped. Now the agency is implementing those changes as reported in the Spring 2019 issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Circular. Boat Owners Association of... Full story
All across America boating season has begun. With some help from the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, here are six ways boaters can help keep waters clean and be good environmental stewards all summer long. 1. Cleaning and waxing: When making your boat sparkle, understand that some general cleaning soaps may have harmful chemicals, so consider using alternate cleaning methods. You'd be surprised, for example, of how effective (and affordable) having a spray bottle with the... Full story
Video: How To Prepare Boat Shrink Wrap For Recycling In Six Easy Steps Ohio Clean Marinas Program shows how anyone can recycle their boat's winter shrink wrap. With recreational boats now waking up from their long winter's nap and their protective shrink wrap covers coming off prior to spring launch, a new video from the Ohio Clean Marinas Program shows boaters everywhere how to prepare boat shrink wrap for recycling in six easy steps. Essentially plastic, shrink wrap is an effective winter... Full story
When Earth Day was created in 1970, mainstream America was largely tuned out to the benefits of recycling. Fast forward nearly half a century, however, to Earth Day 2019 (April 22) and it's fairly common to see local paper, glass and plastic recycling programs. But what about boats? A pilot project by recreational marine industry businesses in the state of Rhode Island aims to finally find a solution for recycling boats. The challenge today is that the most common way to dispose of an old boat... Full story
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 1. 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. 2. Inspect all hoses for stiffness, rot, leaks and... Full story
Beginning and experienced woman sailors can jump-start their sailing lives by heading to the National Women's Sailing Association (NWSA) 18th Annual Women's Sailing Conference slated for Saturday, June 1 at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Mass.... 
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With President Trump's December 31 signing of the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018 (Modern Fish Act), saltwater recreational anglers just got a big leg up when it comes to the federal management of the nation's fish stocks. "The Modern Fish Act is a big step forward in recognizing the value of today's recreational fishing," said Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) Manager of Government Affairs David Kennedy. "It will help improve public access to... Full story
Ethanol Misfueling Danger Laid Bare: Gas Pump Photos "The ethanol industry doesn't want you to see these photos." The President has officially moved to allow E15 (15 percent ethanol) gasoline sales have now been moved to allow E15 (15 percent ethanol) year-round - a fuel prohibited for use in recreational boats and a decision that recreational boating groups say will needlessly put 142 million American boaters at risk. New Website Protecting Boaters at the Gas Pump is a new website with a... Full story
Engine Cutoff Switch Requirement, Five-Year Vessel Documentation Included in Passage of Coast Guard Authorization Act Each year Congress authorizes the budget and overall spending level for the U.S. Coast Guard, which can have a direct effect on recreational boaters. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) applauds today's passage of The Frank Lobiondo Coast Guard Authorization of Act of 2018, which offers new safety and consumer-friendly benefits for boaters, anglers and sailors.... Full story
According to a 2017 BoatUS Foundation report (Foundation Findings #55 – Boat Burn Lessons Learned, http://www.boatus.org/findings/55/), "Electrical faults are the No. 1 cause of boat fires." Faulty shore power equipment can be one of the culprits, as it feeds a boat's entire AC system and transmits the full power load. The revolutionary SmartPlug System is the best defense a boat owner has to protect against the inadequacies of traditional twist-type shore connections. SmartPlug's 30A system o... Full story
Alert: Crime Rings Stealing Boats, Yamaha Outboards, Garmin Electronics - BoatUS offers seven tips to slow down thieves...... Website
The recent fatalities of an 11-year-old girl in New Jersey and a 19-year-old man in Ohio are bringing scrutiny to an age-old summer ritual that’s common on waterfronts across America: swimming near boat...... Website
SAN DIEGO, June 12, 2017 -- If you're an angler, the mention of the word "yellowtail" sends a shiver down your spine just thinking of large, fast, sleek, hard-fighting fish at the end of a taught line. With the 2017 Yellowtail Shootout, presented by Costa , coming to San Diego June 23-25, anglers from all over the West Coast will converge at the tournament's base in San Diego to compete to catch this most prized gamefish. More than $50,000 in prizes and cash is at stake, with local on-water... Full story
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) Consumer Protection Department is advising boaters with vessels having a US Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation to be wary of any letter arriving by US mail offering renewal. Members Complain An increasing number of BoatUS members have complained that these letters direct them to Web sites that may be mistaken for the actual US Coast Guard Vessel Documentation Center located in Falling Waters, W. Va., and appear to show a significant... Full story
Across the United States, there are over 550 BoatUS Foundation Life Jacket Loaner sites that collectively loan out children's life jackets more than 140,000 times each year. That makes it one of the largest and most successful boating-safety programs in the country. Becoming a new loaner site is now easier with an application cycle that allows marinas, boat clubs, waterfront restaurants or government agencies to apply at any time, speeding the review process. There is no cost to set up a loaner... Full story
Getting corroded boat canvas zippers to work smoothly by using two common kitchen items has never been so popular, according to Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS). The national boating advocacy, services and safety group announced today the number one most widely viewed online "BoatTECH" how-to-fix-it tip this spring is author Don's Casey's simple saran wrap and vinegar repair. "Zippers with metal slides have a bad habit of becoming frozen with corrosion even though the teeth... Full story
Hazardous shoaling reduces depth to less than 5 feet in several sections. The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the famed 1100-plus mile coastal waterway stretching from Norfolk, Virginia to Miami, Florida, is getting "thin." Shoaling has created hazardous conditions in some areas with depths reported less than 5 feet – which reflects a remarkable 7 feet of water depth lost in the waterway's authorized minimum depth of 12 feet. The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association (AIWA), a waterways i... Full story
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is asking its more than half-million members - and any recreational boat owner concerned with having a safe fuel supply - to petition the Trump administration and Congress to reform the ethanol mandate, also known as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In a communication to members, BoatUS urged boaters to go to Fix the Ethanol Mandate http://www.capwiz.com/boatus/issues/alert/?alertid=74718646&type=CA to easily send a communication to their l... Full story
As the boating season begins in the southern climates, some boaters may be looking to find a trailer to store or haul the boat. If you're looking to buy a used boat trailer now or planning on buying a boat that comes with a used trailer, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has four buying tips: Bring a measuring tape: With older trailers, the capacity plate or sticker may be long gone or too hard to read after being outside in the weather for years. But if you'd like to know a... Full story
A lot goes on inside a boat engine, and akin to drawing blood, and an engine oil sample analysis (OSA) can tell you a lot about the health of your boat's motor. While a single sample may not give you the whole story, an OSA creates a "baseline" that helps you look at your engine's health over time. That's why some mechanics and surveyors recommend taking one sample every year. But what does a typical oil sample analysis include and what does it tell a boat owner or buyer? BoatUS, the nation's... Full story
BoatUS, the nation's advocate for boat owners, applauds passage of a bipartisan bill signed on December 16 that will provide critical funds for water-resource infrastructure projects at emerging harbors, channels, locks and dams. The Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WINN), which encompasses the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) legislation of 2016, authorizes the needed investment in the maritime and waterways transportation system and provides flood protection for... Full story
Water that is mistakenly left in a boat's engine block to freeze over the winter is sure to become an expensive repair bill come springtime. As the ice expands, it can crack the block and ruin the motor, damage fiberglass, split hoses, or destroy a boat's refrigeration system. To prevent a mishap while putting the boat away this season, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), a boating advocacy, services and safety group offers the free 15-page "Boater's Guide to Winterizing."... Full story
