Recreational Boating News

Many problems in our “New World” can be solved more quickly than ever due to the speed at which information now travels. Gone are the countless long days of research, because often our questions can be answered instantaneously at a computer terminal or on a handheld mobile device. Traditional investment, research, science and industry have all attempted to reconfigure their business practices to accept that information speed. Unfortunately, government regulation and bureaucracy have not…

An emergency dredging project is set to begin and be completed by the end of August to restore navigability in the Murderkill River, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced on Tuesday. Permitted by and with modification approvals from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and DNREC regulators, the project calls for removing approximately 52,000 cubic yards of sediment from the river’s navigation channel. DNREC will then make beneficial reuse of the dredged sand to nourish up to 1…

The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned a new station, Coast Guard Station Paducah, during a ceremony held Thursday at the Carson Center in Paducah, Ky.Presiding over the ceremony was Capt. Amy Beach, commander of Sector Ohio River Valley. Station Paducah’s officer in charge is Chief Petty Officer Michael Sheahan.The station is responsible for search and rescue, recreational boating safety, ports, waterways, flood response, and coastal security. The station's area of responsibility ranges from mile marker 867 to mile marker 981 on the Ohio River…

Marine shock mitigation technology provider Allsalt Maritime Corporation announced Thursday it has opened new sales and support offices in the U.S. and Singapore in response to market growth in the commercial and recreational boating industries.Victoria, B.C.-based Allsalt Maritime, owner of the Shoxs and Kinetix brands, said its new U.S. office is located in Edgewater, Fla., and will be led by newly appointed brand development and U.S. managing director Lisa Wood, a marketing and business development professional with more than 20 years of experience managing brands such as Stanley…

Fugro will use its new uncrewed surface vessel (USV) to chart the waters of South Australia’s Gulf St Vincent and Investigator Strait as part of the Australian Government’s HydroScheme Industry Partnership Program (HIPP).The Dutch-based offshore survey services company will carry out  the 998 km2 survey will be conducted on behalf of the Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO), which will use the data to update nautical charts for safer navigation. Data will also be shared with scientific agencies…

Unique among the nation’s armed services, the Coast Guard’s missions include national defense, law enforcement, natural disaster incident management, recreational boating safety and environmental protection. This diversity of mission scope presents opportunities for the Coast Guard at the strategic, operational and tactical levels as the service works to make their efforts as effective and efficient as possible.Contributing to the service’s overall execution effort is the Coast Guard Research and Development Center (RDC), based in New London, Connecticut.

As the nation continues to be impacted by COVID-19, there are silver linings to the crisis: family time and togetherness, gratitude for what we had before it was taken away, and a chance to seek opportunities to be better and more productive.As funding bills related to the COVID-19 crisis move forward, there may be an opportunity for the nation to better itself by modernizing its infrastructure.Congress has, to date as of this writing, passed three phases of a coronavirus relief package.

First Coast Guard District command center crews, from Maine to Northern New Jersey, have a new tool to help distressed mariners come home to their families after being out to sea.The i911 program allows for watchstanders to use a mariner’s cellphone number to assist in finding their location for Coast Guard rescue crews to locate them faster. Once the number is entered, the mariner receives a text message authorizing them to share their location with the U.S. Coast Guard. Once shared…

Located on the Merrimack River in Massachusetts, the Lowell Police Department recently took delivery of a new RIBCRAFT 5.85 for patrol and enforcement duties as well as search and rescue operations. The new RIBCRAFT increases the departments on-water presence and visibility and greatly expands their response capabilities on an increasingly busy stretch of water with good public access, a large beach, collegiate rowing clubs and boathouses, and growing weekend recreational boating activity.RIBCRAFT worked with the department to build a boat that meets their diverse operational requirements.

International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN body, announced that a major five-year project to help protect marine biodiversity has been kick-started at a global workshop at IMO Headquarters in London, United Kingdom (18-20 March).The IMO-executed GloFouling Partnerships project will address bioinvasions by organisms which can build up on ships’ hulls and other marine structures. The project is a collaboration between the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and IMO.Representatives from 12 lead partnering countries, four regional organizations, IOC-UNESCO, the World Ocean Council and…

From high-traffic ports to bustling boatyards, and busy shipyards to expanding marinas, marine professionals operate in a challenging environment. They work on land, on or around water, and are exposed to all kinds of weather. And the challenges won’t ease up any time soon. Our nation’s ports continue to expand as trade surges. Add in increased commercial vessel traffic and recreational boating, and it’s clear that marine businesses have to be in shipshape condition. It means that the marine insurance industry has to stay on its toes too…

The Inland Waterways View.At the start of any new year, we are often asked what our challenges will be or what we are going to do differently in the year ahead. However, in 2019, just like each year since Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) was founded in 2003, we intend to stay the course to advocate for full and efficient funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue its Civil Works mission to construct and maintain navigation projects on the inland waterways.The Corps’…

It’s been reported that Bill Belichick has changed the name of his boat to reflect the number of big game rings he has won.His boat – currently named ‘VII Rings’ (for his seven championship-winning seasons) – stands to be changed to ‘VIII Rings’ if his team comes out with the “W” this Sunday. Discover Boating, an initiative from the recreational boating industry designed to get people out on the water, is kicking off this weekend by offering Coach Belichick a FREE paint job on his boat to update the name and design if he adds another ring to his collection.In addition to the free paint job…

A Strategic Look Forward.It is my honor to serve as PVA’s President. My company, Padelford Packet Boat Co., Saint Paul, MN, has proudly, and actively, been a member of this organization since its inception almost 50 years ago when it was previously known as the National Association of Passenger Vessel Operators (NAPVO).While PVA is rich in history, it by no means is stuck in old ways. PVA is always evolving to mirror the ever-advancing world of passenger vessel operations. As the voice of the passenger vessel industry…

Marine Jet Power (MJP) has welcomed its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mia Vikner. In this role, Vikner will be responsible for operational efficiencies as well as process implementation to drive the continued growth of the company. Vikner joins the company after serving in various roles within Uson Marine Group, where she most recently held the post of CEO at the company’s headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. With over ten years of experience in the marine industry, Mia is…

The US Coast Guard has published its Maritime Commerce Strategic Outlook. This forward-facing document should be read by everyone in the Coast Guard and by those associated with the US maritime sector. It is intended to guide the Service’s efforts in securing the strategically critical maritime transportation system (MTS) and the marine environment. To accomplish this, the Coast Guard must be Semper Paratus – Always Ready, as it has been for most of its 228 years. The Coast Guard must also be relevant – ready and able to accomplish the tasks important to the MTS and marine environment.

The global recreational boat market is expected to reach revenues of more than $50 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of approximately 4 percent during 2017-2023, said a research report.The exponential growth of the travel and tourism industry across the European region will positively impact the development of the global market, said the market report by Arizton on the global recreational boat market."The rapid economic development and the increasing demand for charter services in Southeast Asia will boost the demand for new products in the market. The global recreational boat market is driven by growth in travel and tourism across the European, Russia, APAC, and Latin American region.

British engineering firm Cox Powertrain has signed a lease to take over a 28,000 square foot production facility in Cecil Pashley Way, near Shoreham (Brighton City) Airport. The building, currently undergoing renovation, will be the assembly plant for Cox Powertrain’s CXO300 diesel outboard engine which goes into production in Q2 2019.The U.K. engineer currently employs 70 staff and plans to grow its workforce to meet the demand for its new diesel engine, aiming to recruit an additional 78 staff before 2020.

A busy market, fraught with risk, needs specialized protection. The marine construction business is booming in the United States for many reasons. Nationwide, ports are expanding, deepening their channels to accommodate the bigger, so-called post-Panamax vessels. And, that means more than just deepening the channel. Docks, piers, cranes and other shoreside infrastructure need to be bolstered in order to stand up to heavier vessel impacts. Other infrastructure and bridges also need updating to be brought into the 21st century.

Yanmar has already introduced several new products for the marine market in 2018, including a new common rail inboard marine diesel engine touted as the world's smallest, higher horsepower offerings in its mid range series, and expanded joystick controls. Yanmar Marine International has launched the latest addition to its family of new generation common rail (CR) diesel engines, the compact Yanmar 3JH40 inboard engine, at boot Düsseldorf. The three-cylinder 3JH40 has been developed as the marine industry’s smallest CR inboard diesel engine, Yanmar said.

Using HEPR solutions satisfies regulatory compliance, sustainability initiatives and performance demands. There are numerous factors that are driving global environmental regulatory growth and the growth in renewable lubricant technologies, such as natural resource constraints, standardizing requirements due to globalization, public opinion and pressure, increase in climate change concerns, new technologies, new evidence from research and overall growing Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) concerns…

Diversification is the key at Oregon-based North River Boats. Listening closely to the customer’s needs recently won the day on a multi-hull U.S. Navy contract, but that’s not all that’s happening in Oregon. Roseburg, Ore.-based North River Boats has, over time, thrived by delivering one of the most diverse vessel portfolios in North America. Those offerings include both domestic and foreign deliveries, as well as recreational, commercial and military hulls. And, if that formula has taught them just one thing, then that metric would be that different customers need different features. And, for a firm known initially for cranking out a well-known brand of nearly identical recreational craft, it has also learned that flexibility in design and offerings can also win the day.

Navionics, the leader in content and location-based services for the recreational boating and outdoor markets, announced today the release of Navionics+ Regions in five coverage areas throughout the U.S. and Canada. At the affordable price of $149 per region, Navionics+ Regions is a tremendous value that includes Nautical Chart, SonarChart 1foot HD bathymetry map and Community Edits, as well as easy access to daily updates for one year.With both Nautical Chart and SonarChart  preloaded, Navionics+ Regions ownershave all the best cartography available right out of the box. To keep their Navionics+ charts current, customers can up date their cartography anywhere within the coverage area.