CYC Bulletin Board

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com

Photo Available at: http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom/previewImg/hiRes/562.jpg
Photo Caption: Boaters heading down the ICW can get discounts on fuel, transient slips and repairs at BoatUS Cooperating Marinas.

Snowbirds Begin Migration South;
BoatUS Cooperating Marinas Ready with Discounts

ALEXANDRIA, Va., September 21, 2010 - As autumn's cooler days arrive, the annual migration south for millions of birds has begun. Joining the avian flocks are "snowbirds" - recreational boaters traveling down the eastern seaboard to escape winter's cold grasp. And along the way, they'll have over 250 BoatUS Cooperating Marinas ready to offer discounts on fuel, overnight slips and repairs.

The discounts, which range up to 10 cents on a gallon on fuel, 25% on transient slips and 15% off repairs, are only available to BoatUS members. To join BoatUS at a special online annual rate of $24, go to www.BoatUS.com/membership.

"Heading down the Intracoastal Waterway, snowbirds need plenty of fuel and places to rest for the night," said BoatUS Cooperating Marina Program Manager David Mann. "Just filling up once with the fuel discount could easily pay for itself. And if something breaks down, it's nice to know your BoatUS membership can help you save on repairs."

To see a map of the BoatUS Cooperating Marina locations, go to www.BoatUS.com/ServiceLocator.

If you have questions, call the BoatUS Cooperating Marina Program at 888-333-2628.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:  D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
Photo Available at: http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom/previewImg/hiRes/547.jpg
Photo Caption: Satellite and phone-based weather services can help you stay clear of bad weather.

BoatUS Foundation's Top Picks For On-the-Water Weather Services

A Look at Cell Phone, Smart Phone, Chartplotter, and
Computer-based Weather Services

ANNAPOLIS, Md., August 12, 2010 - On the afternoon of July 25th, a fast moving storm packing 70 mph winds, rain and lighting swept across the Chesapeake Bay. Over the next two hours, US Coast Guard Sector Baltimore, MD, received 37 calls from mariners in distress. Unfortunately many boaters and anglers, unaware of the supercell's fury, were caught unprepared. But it didn't have to be this way.

Today there are dozens of hi-tech ways to receive up-to-the-minute weather information aboard your boat. The BoatUS Foundation recently reviewed 28 products and services to see which provided mariners with the best information and has issued its recommendations for its top "picks."

"Sometimes bad weather can approach with few visual signs," said Program Manager David Carter. "Having these resources available can complement your VHF radio's weather broadcast."

The review, which covered satellite and phone-based weather services for the coastal inshore and inland boater, included free cellular phone text messaging services to fee-based subscription services that display weather information on a chartplotter. Each weather service includes hardware, such as a standard flip phone, smart phone, computer or chartplotter, as well as the software designed to present the information.

Foundation staff limited their focus to the actual content and depth of weather information provided. This included the ability to deliver local, land-based weather information (current conditions such as temperature, wind or barometric readings), hazardous weather warnings, radar imagery, land and marine forecasts, and NOAA buoy reports.

The BoatUS Foundation's weather service "picks" are:

Best Free Flip Phone Option: NOAA's mobile.weather.gov
Best iPhone App: MarineCast
Best Blackberry App: Mobile Mariner
Best Free App: WeatherBug
Satellite Weather: XM WX Weather

To view the full report and details on each pick's features, Foundation Findings #49 - Weather to Go, go to BoatUS.com/foundation/Findings/49.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
Photo Available at: http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom/previewImg/hiRes/541.jpg
Photo Caption: There's plenty of good fishing in the Gulf, as BoatUS' Chris Edmonston reels in another one for the cameras while shooting footage for the Cabela's Fisherman's Handbook TV show.

Oil Spill's Impact on Boating and Fishing Chronicled in
Cabela's Fisherman's Handbook TV Show

Series Airs 10 a.m. Sundays on Fox Sports Net; Presented by BoatUS Angler

VENICE, La., July 27, 2010 - A new 13-week television show series aims to show an up close view of the devastating impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Gulf of Mexico boating and fishing communities.

Airing Sundays at 10 a.m. (EDT) on Fox Sports Net and presented by BoatUS Angler , Cabela's Fisherman's Handbook portrays a realistic picture of conditions out in the field. Visits to bird recovery facilities, documenting the oil spill's damage to sensitive marshes and bays, and most importantly, fishing trips on the large swaths of unaffected areas are all included.

Traveling to the region with show host and TV fishing personality Wade Middleton is Chris Edmonston of BoatUS, who presents segments on how to avoid and take care of oil spill damage to your boat, hurricane preparedness, and boating safety topics. "'I have spent my entire life on the water, but you just can't understand how important the water is to Gulf residents until you go down there," said Edmonston. "The water is life to them."

"This show doesn't go into the politics," said Middleton. "It tells the compelling stories of the anglers, guides, captains, boaters and many others whose lives have been irrevocably affected by the spill. We've traveled to four states and fished many spots, seeing first-hand how this region is coping."

BoatUS Angler is a membership program for anglers from the nation's largest recreational boat owners group, Boat Owners Association of The United States. The organization has also set up a website, www.BoatUS.com/oilspill , which can help boaters and anglers stay informed, safeguard their boats, and assist with recovery efforts.

The show repeats Fridays at 4:00 p.m., but check your local listings to be sure. The show is produced by Careco Multimedia . For more information on BoatUS Angler, go to www.BoatUSAngler.com .

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NEWS From BoatU.S.
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
BoatU.S. Press Room at http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
Video Available at: http://www.BoatUS.com/videos/default.asp?catID=25

Rented at the Last Minute, Emergency Beacon From BoatU.S. Foundation
Saves Three Lives Off California Coast

Crew Sends Mayday Just Before Capsizing

ALAMEDA, Calif. July 8, 2010 -- The day before departing Crescent City, California, on July 1 for an offshore passage bound for Alameda, California, the shore-bound father of one of three crewmembers aboard the 32-foot catamaran sailboat Catalyst wanted to ensure his daughter was safe. So he went to www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/epirb to rent an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB).

Normally costing about $800, the BoatU.S Foundation rents the life-saving units for just $65 per week. The rental program is intended to fill the short-term safety need for occasional offshore cruisers. When activated by immersion in water or manually by pressing a button, the units broadcast an emergency mayday signal via satellite along with precise location information of the vessel in distress, allowing for a speedy rescue. A dedicated global satellite system relays 406-MHz EPIRB distress signals to rescue stations around the world.

The last-minute rental saved all three this past weekend when stormy seas led the crew to activate the beacon just minutes before massive waves capsized the vessel, plunging all three into the frigid Pacific waters 20 miles off Fort Bragg on the Northern California coast.

On Saturday July 4 with winds gusting past 50 mph and seas treacherous, the three crew -- two men in their 40s and a woman of unknown age -- activated the EPIRB at about 12:44 p.m. Soon after, 15-to-20-foot waves knocked the boat completely upside down, pinning all three underneath. Once they freed themselves from the overturned boat, the three lashed themselves to the overturned vessel, but without survival suits to protect them from the cold water, hypothermia quickly set in.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter was able to home in on the signal given by the EPIRB, and after commencing a search pattern, quickly found the floating wreck awash in the sea. With the help of a rescue swimmer, Catalyst's three crew were quickly loaded into the helicopter for a life-saving flight to the hospital. The female crew member's body temperature was only 79ºF and pulse barely 30 beats per minute. All are expected to fully recover.

The signal from the EPIRB was the only distress signal received by the Coast Guard from Catalyst. The Coast Guard also credits the crew for staying with the boat after it capsized and filing a float plan, which allowed the rescuers to expedite the search.

"That EPIRB saved their lives," said USCG Lt. George Suchanek, an MH-65C Dolphin helicopter pilot that responded to the call.

The BoatU.S. Foundation EPIRB Rental Program is funded by the voluntary contributions of BoatU.S. members, and 65 lives have been saved since 1996. For more information, call 888-663-7472 or visit www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/epirb .

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NEWS From BoatUS
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
BoatUS Press Room at http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
Photo Available at: http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom/previewImg/hiRes/519.jpg
Photo Caption: Photo Caption: (L to R) Keith Christopher, National Sea Scouts Director; Spencer Rawlins Jr., Skipper, Ship 1659; Sam Sexton, Boatswain, Ship 1659; Connor Rieve, National Boatswain 2009-2010; and Charles Wurster, National Sea Scouts Commodore, at the BoatUS Flagship Award ceremony.

Sea Scout "Ship" Minnow Earns BoatUS Flagship Award

Texas Teens Could Teach Gilligan a Few Things

Dallas, TX, June 3, 2010 -- A Sea Scout unit with the diminutive name Minnow, is the winner of Sea Scouting's biggest recognition, the BoatUS Flagship Award for 2010. The unit, Ship 1659 , Minnow, serves youth in the Houston area and maintains a fleet of no less than six cruising sailboats at South Shore Harbor Marina on Clear Lake in Kemah, Texas. Sea Scouting is a part of Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Like all Sea Scout units (called "ships") Ship 1659 uses boats, seamanship and nautical skills to develop character and leadership qualities in young people, both male and female.

BoatUS recognized Ship 1659 for excellence in program quality, youth achievement and adult commitment. The Ship and its crew of 14 youth conducted 32 days of on-the-water activities last year and also carried out half-a-dozen community service projects, including a waterway cleanup that dealt with some remnants of 2008's Hurricane Ike.

Charles Wurster, a retired US Coast Guard vice admiral who chairs the National Sea Scout Committee, presented the award on behalf of BoatUS May 28 at the BSA annual meeting in Dallas, Texas. The meeting marked BSA's 100th anniversary.

BoatUS originated the Flagship Award in 2002 to mark the 90th anniversary of Sea Scouting, a co-ed program for young adults age 14-20. Approximately 6,000 youth participate in Sea Scouting in 557 Ships nationwide. A perpetual trophy bearing the names of the annual BoatUS Flagship winners resides at the BSA National Scouting Museum in Irving, TX. For more information, visit: www.SeaScout.org .

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