April 2015

  • Published On: April 29, 2015

    The Maryland Office of Tourism has partnered with private businesses to launch www.fishandhuntmaryland.com, a website promoting the state’s fishing and hunting opportunities. Cecil County, Maryland, tourism chief Sandy Maruchi-Turner told the Associated Press the website was created by the public-private Sportsmen & Women’s Marketing Initiative, “after a survey last year indicated many people elsewhere were [...]

  • Published On: April 28, 2015

    The Hill, a Washington, D.C., newspaper that covers the workings of the U.S. Congress, reports the National Marine Manufacturers Association has joined Cost Recovery Advances the Nation’s Economy (CRANE), a coalition of companies and industry groups that will lobby legislators to preserve a provision of the U.S. tax code that involves “accelerated depreciation.” According to [...]

  • Published On: April 27, 2015

    The Association of Marina Industries, which produces National Marina Day, is asking marinas to open their doors and kick off boating season June 13 by enticing people to learn about the boating industry through activities and entertainment. National Marina Day events provide opportunities to get newcomers interested in boating, motivate lapsed boaters to reconsider their [...]

  • Published On: April 24, 2015

    For the first time in a year, boat dealers saw same-store sales decline year-over-year, according to a report at boatingindustry.com. Overall same-store sales dropped 1.5 percent in January 2015 from January 2014, according to a report from CDK Global Recreation. It was the second year in a row that the report, based on data from [...]

  • Published On: April 22, 2015

    Richard Schwartz, chairman and founder of the Boat Owners Association of the United States (USBoat), died in Alexandria, Va., this spring. He was 85, and led the organization for 46 years before retiring two years ago. Serving more than half a million members, Schwartz served as chairman of both the board of directors and the [...]

  • Published On: April 21, 2015

    Don Racine, a longtime Marine Fabricators Association member and supporter, died on April 18 as the result of a heart attack. He was 61. Racine was a frequent presenter at MFA conventions, workshops and IFAI Expo. He was also a regular featured author of instructional techniques in Marine Fabricator magazine and was a past winner [...]

  • Published On: April 20, 2015

    Former “Meet the Press” moderator David Gregory will be the keynote speaker at the 2015 American Boating Congress on May 13. Named one of Washington’s 50 best and most influential journalists by Washingtonian magazine, Gregory is known for his sharp intellect and quick sense of humor. He will speak about covering the most powerful office [...]

  • Published On: April 16, 2015

    Even as the economy recovers from the recession and its lingering effects, “sailing faces pressure from aging baby boomers turning toward powerboats and millennials enjoying broader leisure options,” the South Florida Sun Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale reported, citing industry leaders. According to U.S. Census Bureau data and industry research, the number of U.S. residents who [...]

  • Published On: April 14, 2015

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says more than $12.2 million in competitive grants will be awarded to 10 states for projects to support recreational boating through the service’s Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program. The service will also release another nearly $2 million in grants to 21 states willing to match a smaller program within [...]

  • Published On: April 13, 2015

    The U.S. Coast Guard's Office of the Auxiliary and Boating Safety has officially launched its redesigned Boating Safety website to provide easier navigation for recreational boaters to locate the information they need. The site offers users—whether a manufacturer, a boating safety partner or a recreational boater—a more streamlined route to quickly find the content or [...]