5 Things You Can Do To Help Celebrate Worlds Ocean Day & National Ocean Month!

Take the Seafood Pledge for Worlds Ocean Day!

Today is World Oceans Day and on behalf of the world’s oceans and the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, I want to acknowledge the hard work these fine folks are doing and ask your support to help protect sea turtles and our precious oceans for all of us. Please join me and my fellow cruisers and help any way you can!

June is worth celebrating!

President Obama recently signed proclamations designating June as Great Outdoors Month and National Oceans Month.

“Both proclamations are an exceptional recognition for the value of our nation’s waterways and reinforce the vital role fishing and boating play in strengthening the U.S. economy and providing a means for Americans to ‘explore, play and grow together,” the National Marine Manufacturers Association said in a statement.

In his proclamation of Great Outdoors Month, Obama says, “This month, let each of us resolve to protect our great outdoors; discover their wonders; and share them with our friends, our neighbors, and our children.”  You can Read the proclamation Here.

West Marine Grants $30K to non-profits who protect marine habitats

In honor of World Oceans Day, West Marine, the largest specialty retailer of boating supplies and accessories, today announced the recipients of their annual Marine Conservation Grants program.  Grants for a total amount of $30,000 are being awarded to non-profit organizations throughout the U.S. who are working to “improve and protect marine habitat,” which is part of West Marine’s mission.  This year’s grant recipients are located in Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, Maryland and California. For more info and a list of the recipients, go to Conservation Grants.

Here’s a few things you can do…

to participate in World Oceans Day and to help celebrate World Turtle Day on June 16th.

1. Celebrate World Turtle Day June 16 with sea turtle scientists at the Cal Academy Night Life in Golden Gate Park. Pacific leatherback expert Scott Benson will reveal the latest findings about these rare and mysterious sea turtles. Join the Sea Turtle Restoration Project community at a party for the sea turtles at the incredible California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco! If you can help STRP and volunteer, send an email to info@seaturtles.org

2. “I pledge to protect myself against mercury”

   Sadly, capture and drowning in shrimp trawl, swordfish and tuna fishing gear is the leading cause of deaths of sea turtles from human activity. By not eating this fish we can reduce demand for it and the need for more fishing. Much of this fish is also high in mercury. Join the over 1,100 ocean lovers and –  Take the Pledge Here!

3. Visit Your Local Aquarium
   Many aquariums do fantastic research an advocacy for oceans, and the funds they receive from patrons can help them keep afloat, so to speak. Not only that, but you learn so much about local and exotic sealife. It’s hard to visit an aquarium and not walk away with a soft spot for marine ecosystems and fish.
4. Donate to a Favorite Ocean Advocacy Group
   There are a range of nonprofits working to help the ocean, and they need your help. Why not send a little something (or a lot something) to one or a few groups making a difference. I recommend SeaTurles.org, Conservation International, or Save Our Seas, just to name a few.
5. Sign the Care2 “Save Sharks” Petition
   As many as 73 million or more sharks are killed every year for shark fin soup. Around the world populations of these important predators are collapsing and species are going extinct. Many species such as the oceanic white tip and great hammerhead have dropped by 99% in just the last 50 years. They may strike fear in many, but we really do need them in the big picture! Sign Care2’s petition to help save sharks today, and protect this vital species from extinction.

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After years of low tide in the marine industry, 2011 may be the year that finally refloats all boats

Marine Industry Grabs Hold As Boaters Buck Bad Economy, Welcomes Us to the Water

You can certainly tell that its boating season again. Even those hearty boaters up north are beginning to see a thaw in the frigid economic climate, in fact there’s more than enough water in most of the mid-west and south with the Mississippi River and tributaries at record flood levels. There’s even good news from the Government, promising lower fuel prices by Summer, If 2011 is anything like last year, we’ll be seeing record numbers of boaters hitting U.S. waterways again.

The marine industry is starting to see signs of recovery as we move past the recession,” said Jeff Malehorn, president and CEO of GE Capital’s Commercial Distribution Finance (CDF).

Now we all know that if those that hold the purse strings see fit to share some, things will most likely improve all around. Times are tough for almost everyone. Most of us working folks don’t have the funds to fly somewhere for a vacation this summer. But if you’ve got a boat, well then you’ve got a reason to be happy! Heck, last year, even as the troublesome economic times hit, millions of Americans — 75 million to be exact — found the perfect way to relax and de-stress: a weekend of boating.

Recreational Boating Tide Rises

According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), recreational boating saw numbers hit a record in 2010, when 32.4 percent of American adults participated in the leisure activity. That’s the highest percentage since 1999, even as other industries sank as the recession took hold.

Supporting this trend, results from a boating habits survey conducted in late April of a 4,200 person sampling of members of the nation’s largest boat owners group, BoatU.S., revealed that 95 percent of respondents said the current economy would not stop them from using their boat this summer and 23 percent noted they would go boating more often this summer than last.

NMMA President , Thom Dammrich, likens it to “…that whole concept of a staycation. For what it costs you for one week in Disney World, you could be out on the boat every single weekend.”

The only segment of the industry that’s still not enjoying increases is new boat sales. Nationwide, 188,230 new power and sailboats were sold last year, down about 10 percent from 2009.

Used boats are still as popular as ever. There were 929,900 pre-owned boats sold in 2010, a decrease of 2.4 percent compared to 2009, a likely result of continuing pent-up demand for boats and consumers looking for lower price points in the pre-owned market, this according to NMMA’s findings from its annual Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract.

“Despite decreases in new boat sales last year, the industry remains alive and well as existing boaters took to the water in record numbers and had a willingness to spend on their boats and boating outings,” notes Dammrich.

Image courtesy of NMMA.org

Signs of a Recovery

Over the winter, NMMA – the largest boat show producer in the U.S., saw 70 percent increase in attendance at its 15 boat shows, an indicator that buyers were returning. Echoing these attendance increases, exhibitors at NMMA shows reported improved sales over last year, strong leads and more attendees looking to make a purchase.

Leading the way back to the water is Discover Boating, the industry’s premier PR campaign. Launched back in 2005, it is the industry’s official national public awareness effort to help Americans get started in boating. The industry credits its campaign with helping bolster boating participation in 2006, 2007 and 2008. As a result of the economic recession, Discover Boating was forced to scale back its PR efforts in 2009 and 2010.

This summer, however, the Discover Boating campaign is being re-ignited with a new theme titled “Welcome to the Water” designed to encourage the existing 75 million U.S. boaters to share their passion for boating by inviting their friends and family to the water.  The campaign features a new and exciting Facebook app (their fan page has added 27,000 fans and now totals 68,245 fans as of today!), online advertising, TV, radio and of course, print ads and an inspiring new video short entitled “A Good Run.”

Regional Rebound

The report claims that the Great Lakes region has remained one of the strongest for new boat, engine, trailer, accessory and services sales in 2010 with six out of the eight Great Lakes states seeing growth and the remaining two seeing just single digit declines.

In order of sales growth:

Pennsylvania increased 11.9 percent from $202 million in 2009 to $226 million in 2010
Michigan increased 10.6 percent from $317 million in 2009 to $351 million in 2010
Ohio increased 5.5 percent from $222 million in 2009 to $235 million in 2010
New York increased 5.3 percent from $381 million in 2009 to $401 million in 2010
Illinois increased 5.2 percent from $234 million in 2009 to $246 million in 2010
Indiana increased .5 percent from $144 million in 2009 to $145 million in 2010.

The remaining two Great Lakes states: Minnesota decreased 5.5 percent from $305 million in 2009 to $289 million in 2010 and Wisconsin decreased two percent from $298 million in 2009 to $292 million in 2010.

NMMA’s Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract also shows two out of ten boaters live in the Great Lakes region which translates into nearly 17 million boaters residing in these states alone, making the Great Lakes region the top region for recreational boating in the U.S.

Link to complete abstract: http://www.nmma.org/news.aspx?id=17966

See you on the water!

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Mobile Boat Ramp Application Receives Honorable Mention at NMMA Awards

The Boat Ramps Mobile App

The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) was honored today for innovative achievement by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Boating Writers International (BWI) at the 70th annual Miami International Boat Show & Strictly Sail Miami. RBFF received an Honorable Mention in the 2011 Innovation Awards for its Take Me Fishing Boat Ramp App.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Boating Writers International (BWI) honored eleven marine products with 2011 Innovation Awards on Thursday and one as an Honorable Mention. The recognition took place during a State of the Industry Breakfast at the Miami International Boat Show & Strictly Sail Miami.

The Innovation Awards, organized by NMMA and judged by BWI, recognize products that best meet the following criteria: innovative distinction from other products currently being manufactured; benefit to the marine industry and/or consumer; practicality; cost-effectiveness; and availability to the consumer within 60 days of award receipt.

Among the winners for the Consumer Electronics and Software category, NMMA bestowed Honorable Mention to the Take Me Fishing Boat Ramp Mobile App. Available on iTunes and in the Droid Market, the FREE app allows users to search an impressive database of more than 35,000 launch points by city or zip code and even offers turn-by-turn directions. It’s already been downloaded by more than 27,000 mobile users.

BoatU.S. Mobile App

The app was developed by Derek Trauger & Associates who have a number of useful apps available for boating enthusiasts on both iPhone and Android phones. Traugers’ most recent: The BoatUS app that helps members call for a tow and includes helpful location and tracking features just for boaters, sailors and anglers. The moment you hit the App’s ‘Call Now for a Tow’ button, it automatically provides TowBoatU.S. with critical information before their crew even answers the phone.

Traugers’ other apps include Padi, Dive Spots, Bait Shops and iBoatShows. With over 60,000 downloads to date, Derek is on his way to becoming the top App Developer to the Marine Industry.

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Yes, They Do Get It! NMMA Goes Mobile at MIBS

Miami Beach Anchorage

MIAMI BEACH – The 70th annual Miami International Boat Show opened this morning riding a wave of renewed consumer confidence, with expectations that the industry will ride the big bow wake once again in 2011.

“We have been here before and we have come out of it,” Thom Dammrich, president of the NMMA. Adding, “We have momentum on our side.”

In this morning’s industry breakfast, NMMA’s VP of Marketing, Carl Blackwell introduced the newly redesigned Discover Boating campaign which focuses on the mobile tech market.

NMMA has taken the lead once again and in an attempt to bring younger tech-savvy consumers to the sport, have just launched an app for the Miami Show for both Droid and iPhones. Also in the works is a new Facebook campaign to invite non-boaters to join in on the fun. The FB app will encourage those with boats to invite their friends to come out on the water and then hopefully “catch the bug!” Blackwell said he hopes the campaign will go viral.

Let’s give a big round of applause to the National Marine Manufacturers Assoc. for finally getting with the program and acknowledging the power of going mobile.

More than 2,000 exhibitors are at the Miami show this year, showcasing more than 2,500 boats, according to the NMMA. Along with Strictly Sail, the show runs through Monday.

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