CYC Bulletin Board

Boating Community Announcements

Author:  Mary Jane Hayes
Book:  Serena to Sea Story II, published by Nautical Publishing of Rockledge, Florida

      Mary Jane Hayes has been a freelance writer/photographer for almost forty years. Hundreds of her articles, essays and poems have appeared in a variety of publications, nautical and non-nautical and thousands of her photographs, including 200 covers. Her first book:  Eye on the Sea:  Reflections on the Boating Life, published in 1999 by Breakaway Books of New York, won the Boating Writers International’s First Place Award (book category) for being the best book on recreational boating published in the years 1998-1999.

     Her new book:  Serena to Sea Story II, published by Nautical Publishing of Rockledge, Florida, chronicles the adventures of Mary Jane and her husband (and skipper) Warren aboard three of the four boats they’ve owned--- a Sabre 28-foot sailboat named Serena, a Grand Banks 32 foot trawler yacht named Sea Story and a 36 foot Grand Banks trawler named Sea Story II. All of their boats have been moored in the harbor at Scituate, Ma.

     Aboard these boats, readers of Serena to Sea Story II voyage with the Hayes’ as they cruise all over the south and north shores of Boston, to Maine, Cape Cod and the Islands, Narragansett Bay, Long Island Sound, the East River and New York Harbor, up the Hudson River and down the Intracoastal Waterway to Florida. They cope with every kind of sea and wind condition including a squall in Buzzards Bay and zero visibility fog in Maine; many an instrument and engine breakdown; the psychological factors of forever putting out into the unknown; searching for, sailing, living aboard and salvaging a boat; the nitty-gritty of getting ready for a cruise; the absolute glories boating grants that can’t be found anywhere else. Mary Jane’s favorite is the first time they ever ran the East River and into New York Harbor and “the beating heart of the busy-ness of the world!” But short of sinking, catching fire, colliding with another vessel or having one of them go overboard, everything that can happen to mariners has happened to them. Ashore now on an extended sabbatical, Warren is insuring other peoples’ boats and Mary Jane is working on another book.

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
D. Scott Croft, BoatU.S., 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
Photo available at: http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom/previewImg/475.jpg
Caption: Can't think of a good name for your boat? The BoatU.S. Graphics Service has a list of over 8500 boat names to choose from.

"Bail Out" Makes Annual List of Top Ten Boat Names

ALEXANDRIA, Va., February 4, 2010 - Boat names can reveal much about the personality of a boat owner. Or, they can also serve as signposts of the modern era. With the release of the annual Top Ten List of Most Popular Boat Names by Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.), one newcomer to the list stands out. "Bail Out, the number five pick, clearly speaks volumes about what's on boaters' minds," said BoatU.S. President Nancy Michelman. "With today's economic uncertainty, naming a boat Bail Out could indicate that boating is a survival mechanism for the family that will keep them afloat," she added.

The list is assembled each year by the BoatU.S. Boat Graphics service which offers a free library of over 8,500 boat names and also allows boaters to easily select, custom design and preview boat names online - without having to pay up front. For more information or to view videos on how to install a vinyl boat name, visit the online service at www.BoatUS.com/boatgraphics . A list with the annual top ten boat names -- starting from 1991 -- can also be found at the Web site.

Here is the Top Ten List of Most Popular Boat Names :
1. Second Wind
2. Seas the Day
3. Lazy Daze
4. Jolly Roger
5. Bail Out
6. On the Rocks
7. Pegasus
8. Serenity Now
9. Namaste
10. Comfortably Numb

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
Photo Available: http://www.boatus.com/newpressroom/previewImg/hiRes/453.jpg
Caption: The BoatUS Foundation's 2010 Kids Life Jacket Loaner Program calendar makes a great stocking stuffer this holiday season. Credit: BoatUS Foundation

Twelve Months Of Kids in Life Jackets Spurs Safety Message

BoatU.S. Foundation Calendar Great for Parents, Clubs, Marinas, Safety Groups

ALEXANDRIA, Va., November 17, 2009 -- Most boating parents tell their kids they have to wear their life jacket because it's the law. However, getting young boaters to embrace life jackets just got a little easier with the <<2010 BoatU.S. Foundation Life Jacket Loaner Program Wall Calendar>> . The calendar offers 12 months of photos -- submitted by boaters -- showing kids staying safe on the water by wearing life jackets provided by the Foundation's no-cost Kid's Life Jacket Loaner Program (LJLP).

The calendar is available in three sizes with pricing starting at $18.95. A portion of each sale goes back to the Foundation to support the much needed program, which lends out over 90,000 life jackets each year at over 500 locations across the country, and has saved three youngsters' lives to date.

"Everyone needs a calendar and boaters will love the photos of these cute kids being safe on the water," said LJLP Program Manager Alanna Keating, "However, it will also help show children and parents that wearing a life jacket is cool. The calendar is great for hanging up at the boat club, the marina office or home, and will help kids get familiar with these lifesaving devices -- and remind them all year round how much fun it is to go boating," she added.

Endorsed by Kids

Aiden Croft, age 6, whose photo was selected by the Foundation to appear for the month of February, said, "I wear my life jacket because the boat is fun. I like playing with my squirt guns on my boogie board on the river. If I don't wear my life jacket, I might get hurt."

To order your calendar, go to: www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/nauticalstore .
 

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

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

Boaters Can Help Save Their Own "Working Waterfront"

Working Waterfronts Act of 2009 Needs Co-Sponsors

ALEXANDRIA, Va., October 7, 2009 - Working waterfronts are a dying breed. With developer's eyes on waterfront parcels, water-dependent businesses like marinas, boat yards, commercial fishing operations, boat builders, and charter boat fleets are getting pushed out from the only place they can do business. A bill now in Congress would provide federal funding to coastal and Great Lakes states to help preserve and protect working waterfronts. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.) urges boaters and anglers to contact their members of Congress to co-sponsor and support H.R. 2548, the "Keep America's Waterfronts Working Act of 2009."

Introduced in May by Rep. Chellie Pingree, (D-ME) and cosponsored by Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA), the legislation would allow local governments to use federal grant funds to purchase a threatened marina outright or a non-profit group could obtain a grant to buy development rights in order to keep a working boatyard in business, rather than see it sold for residential development.

In introducing her bill, Rep. Pingree said, "Water-dependent, coastal-related, businesses are economically and culturally important places to many coastal communities and working waterfronts are quickly disappearing under the tremendous pressures from incompatible uses," she added. Passage of H.R. 2548 would be particularly timely in that it would amend the federal Coastal Zone Management Act, now up for congressional reauthorization.

Grants made under the Pingree bill must "provide for expansion or improvement of public access to coastal waters" and be matched at 25% by non-federal funds. The act would authorize $25 million, $50 million and $75 million to the states over three successive years. To be eligible for grant funding, a state would have to develop a working waterfront plan and appoint an advisory committee to oversee the program. "That would put decision making where it should be, closer to the people and the businesses that depend on the waterfront in a given state," said BoatU.S. Assistant Vice President of Government Affairs Ryck Lydecker.

For more information on the bill as well as suggestions for writing your member of Congress, go to www.BoatUS.com/workingwaterfronts .

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

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

BoatU.S. Recreational Boating Access Award Seeks Entries:
Deadline Is October 1, 2009

ALEXANDRIA, VA, September 9, 2009 - Residential development, poor land use planning, highest-use tax rates, and even sometimes public indifference make it hard for boaters to get to the water, but ultimately, the lack of boating access is a local issue. But there are answers. BoatU.S. wants to share recent successful grassroots solutions to the problem. The nation's largest boat owners group will recognize those who are turning the tide through its national Recreational Boating Access Award . However, time is running out -- nominations are due October 1, 2009.

The BoatU.S. Recreational Boating Access Award will honor an individual, group, government body, business or non-profit organization that has succeeded in preserving or improving public waterway access. Judges will look at four criteria: First, the challenges faced in retaining or increasing access in an area; Second, the direct impact or measurable results of the solution; Third, the level of success in increasing awareness of the issue in a community and; Fourth, "repeatability," or the ability to take the successful approach and adopt it in other areas.

Examples of solutions could include creative public/private partnerships, changes in land use planning or permitting processes, tax incentives, legislation or public ballots, publicity or public education. Eligible activities include those undertaken in the last three years.

Winners will be announced by October 31, 2009. To apply or for more information including a look at last year's winners, go to www.BoatUS.com/gov/AccessAward .

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

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

Tropical Storms Flare Up And Remind Boaters To Prepare

"All it Takes is One"

ALEXANDRIA, Va., August 19, 2009 - One. That is the number of hurricanes a national boat owners group says it takes to wreck thousands of recreational boats in only a few hours. And with tropical storm activity heating up over the last few days, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.) is offering a no-cost, online storm preparation tool at www.BoatUS.com/hurricanes that can help boaters ensure their vessel makes it safely through the next storm.

"It's been a slow hurricane season, so far," says BoatU.S. Director of Damage Avoidance Bob Adriance, "which leads some to forget the importance of storm preparation. However, research has shown that the chances of a boat being damaged can be significantly reduced with the right preparation. The time to think about storm preparations is now, before a hurricane watch is posted for your area."

Storm preparations include hauling boats from marinas or removing them from boat lifts and securing them ashore with tie downs, reducing windage by removing things like biminis and sails, adding extras lines and chafe protection to boats in a slip, and other measures.

At the online BoatU.S. Hurricane Resource Center , boaters can find a downloadable 12-page Guide to Preparing Boats and Marinas for Hurricanes, a hurricane preparation worksheet, and current hurricane tracking charts with up-to-the minute storm tracking tools with landfall strike probabilities, wind band information and "spaghetti" models showing forecasters' predicted storm paths, "Our goal with the web site is to give everything you ever wanted to know about hurricane preparation, and it's open for anyone to use," adds Adriance.

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

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

Nominations Sought For BoatU.S. Recreational Boating Access Award

ALEXANDRIA, VA, July 9, 2009 - With boaters in some parts of the country continuing to have a hard time gaining access to the water, the nation's largest boat owners group, BoatU.S., says there have been successful grassroots solutions to the problem. However, many civic-minded boaters may not be aware of these initiatives, which is why the association is sponsoring the third annual BoatU.S. Recreational Boating Access Award.

With nominations now being accepted until October 1, 2009, the award recognizes those individuals or groups who have succeeded in preserving or improving public waterway access, and hopes to share their strategies with others. "Ultimately, boating access is a local issue. The aim of this award is to recognize those advocates across the U.S. who are succeeding in reversing this trend, and to share those efforts with others so that they may also be successful in improving boating access," said Nancy Michelman, president of the 600,000-member association.

Waterfront residential development, regulatory red tape, increased taxes, poor land-use planning and more restrictive zoning are just some of the factors contributing to the decline of waterway access for recreational boats.

"Some municipalities are levying hefty tax hikes for marinas. Boat clubs and yards are often assessed at highest use tax rates, which can be the last nail in the coffin for a public marina. Some marina operators simply give up after being stymied for years of increasing taxes as well as miles of red tape required to get a permit to dredge, maintain or expand docks," added Michelman.

Judges will look at four criteria: First, the challenges faced in retaining or increasing access in an area; Second, the direct impact or measurable results of the solution; Third, the level of success in increasing awareness of the importance of boating access to a community and; Fourth, "repeatability," the ability to use the successful approach as a model for other areas.

Examples of solutions could include creative public/private partnerships, changes in land use planning or permitting processes, tax incentives, legislation or public ballots, publicity or public education. Eligible activities must to have been undertaken in the last three years.

The deadline for applications is October 1, 2009 and winners will be announced by October 31. For more information or a look at last year's winners, go to BoatUS.com/gov/AccessAward Previous entrants are asked not to reapply.

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