Browsing: BoatUS

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More People Boating, More Boating Accidents

Many more people were boating last year, during the pandemic, including many who were boating for the first time. The result, according to the Coast Guard: about 25 percent more deaths, and 26 percent more accidents, than the year before. Now, BoatUS has looked into the reasons behind the statistics. The top five: Operator inattention, operator inexperience, improper lookout, excessive speed, and machinery failure. Read the BoatUS report here: ANNAPOLIS, Md., July 16, 2021 – The U.S. Coast Guard recently released the 2020 Recreational Boating Statistics, and reports of accidents, fatalities and injuries were significantly up over the prior year.…

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Top 10 Boat Names from BoatUS

SPRINGFIELD, Va., June 29, 2021 – It’s been a tumultuous year for Americans, and getting away from it all on a recreational boat has given many the respite they’ve needed. With lives upended, some recreational boat owners have chosen to reflect on the times when selecting a name for their boat. “Social Distancing” rocketed to the No. 2 spot on the BoatUS Top 10 Boat Names list for 2021. The choice of boat names, which were requested from the BoatUS online Boat Graphics service, may also tell you a little about the owner. Here’s this year’s Top 10 Boat Names…

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How To Prepare for a Hurricane, from BoatUS

SPRINGFIELD, Va., May 10, 2021 – It’s a double whammy for coastal boat owners this Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1 and runs through November 30. Not only are more storms predicted for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, but also the average annual number of storms has increased from 12 to 14 because of updated storm season data. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is urging boaters to adjust to this new reality for the potential for more frequent storms that can damage, sink, or total their vessels, and offers free help – boat prep videos, downloadable…

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5 Tips for Earth Day from BoatUS

Here’s some solid advice from BoatUS about how to observe Earth Day, April 22. Although a lot of these tips deal with smaller boats, the principles are the same, no matter how big, or how small, your personal vessel may be. The basic idea is that the Earth, and all the water on it, belong to us all. Read on: ANNAPOLIS, Md., April 13, 2021 – Back in 1970 on the first Earth Day, going out boating often meant tolerating polluted waterways. We’ve come a long way since then. Largely gone are the foul-smelling air and unswimmable waters, remnants of…

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How To Get Your VHF Ready for the Season

Here’s some timely advice from BoatUS about how to get your VHF ready for the season: ANNAPOLIS, Md., March 23, 2021 – In recreational boating, cellphones are just fine for routine communications. So why do you need a VHF radio – either a handheld or fixed mount – on your boat? Because in an emergency it’s the only thing that can directly connect you to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Rescue 21 system, giving you access to high-tech emergency response and Digital Selective Calling (DSC) capabilities that can hasten your rescue. All you have to do now is to ensure VHF…

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BoatUS Warns of Documentation Letter Scams

Here’s a new warning from BoatUS that’s important for anyone with a documented boat: SPRINGFIELD, Va., Dec. 15, 2020 – Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is advising boaters with vessels that have a U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation to be wary of any letter arriving by U.S. mail offering renewal. BoatUS advises that while the Coast Guard does send official annual renewal notices by U.S. mail, other notices being received by members are not from the Coast Guard, but rather third-party companies whose name or return addresses may appear similar to that of the official U.S.…

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Get Ready for Winter: Thorough Advice from BoatUS

Ready or not, winter is coming. For those of us living in the northern part of the country, that means getting our boats ready for snow, cold, and ice. Here’s about the most thorough advice I’ve seen about how to best protect your boat from what’s coming, from BoatUS. You can download an entire PDF with worthwhile advice at the end. It’s that time of year again. The leaves have started to change color, and the nights are getting longer and cooler. Before the mercury dips below freezing, you need to prepare your boat for the coming winter. At its most…

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BoatUS: What A Boat’s Name Can Tell You

SPRINGFIELD, Va., July 22, 2020 — While a boat’s name can be as varied as the owner at the helm, certain themes do stick out, according to Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS). The national advocacy, services, and safety group has issued its annual list of Top 10 Boat Names, which it compiles from those using the services of BoatUS Boat Graphics to design and purchase boat name graphics. “It’s always a challenge to decide on a boat name because the options are endless,” said BoatUS Vice President of Public Affairs Scott Croft. “However, after 28 years of…

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New FCC Decision Could Hurt GPS Accuracy

Despite initial opposition from the Coast Guard, the Pentagon, the Departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Commerce and Interior, plus NASA and the FAA, the Federal Communications Commission has given a private equity firm permission to run a 5G wireless network that could harm the reliability of GPS signals. BoatUS, part of a new group called the Keep GPS Working Coalition, also opposes the ruling. “With this decision, the FCC is permitting one private company to upend the entire reliability of GPS,” said David Kennedy, the BoatUS manager of government affairs. “It’s unfathomable that the lone federal caretaker of our national…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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New Closings on the Erie Canal?

This isn’t good news for anyone planning on cruising the Great Loop or the inland portions of the Northeast this summer. Now, on top of all the problems with closings and delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it turns out that the Erie Canal might not open on time. The Canal, a historic 363-mile stretch from Albany, on the Hudson, to Buffalo, on Lake Erie, may not open as scheduled on May 15 because of delayed maintenance and repair work on seven locks there, starting with Lockport, at the western end of the canal, and running east. An eighth canal…

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