Marinas/Boatyards

Freedom Boat Club of Jacksonville and St. Augustine has promoted Mark Vickers to the new position of general manager for its three local boating clubs. Vickers was a member for five years before joining Freedom Boat Club as a membership executive in January of 2020. Vickers will be managing the Julington Creek, Jacksonville Beach and St. Augustine locations to ensure ...

Yesterday marked the first day of the 2020 virtual American Boating Congress (ABC) event where, despite not being able to meet in person, over 800 participants from across the country attended to learn about NMMA’s advocacy efforts to protect the boating industry during the current COVID-19 crisis. The programming – which was covered by Beltway media – included a variety ...

National Safe Boating Week, which begins this Saturday, May 16, and runs through Friday, May 22, is the traditional early boating season reminder to help recreational boaters embrace safety all season long. However, the important National Safe Boating Week recommendation urging life jacket wear is now joined by an equally important boating safety message — how to stay safe during ...

Freedom Boat Club of Tampa Bay experienced record high sales this March and April amid COVID-19 pandemic. The boat club ran campaigns focusing on enjoying a “staycation” and exploring your own backyard, while maintaining to follow CDC guidelines.  Starting in March Freedom Boat Club focused on promoting the exploration of your own backyard. With travel plans being cancelled the Tampa ...

Yesterday, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced that his administration is lifting restrictions on motorized boating starting today at 7:00 a.m. ET. In response, NMMA applauded the decision, calling the move a responsible approach to balancing the need for social distancing with access to outdoor recreation. Leading up to the announcement, more than 1,000 Boating United advocates contacted Governor Hogan in ...

A local business that helps boaters with routine on water assistance was recognized for its professionalism at the 2020 BoatUS Towing Services Annual Conference held in Orlando, Florida. TowBoatUS Islamorada, which is owned and operated by Capt. Carlos Galindo and Ilene Perez, took “Tower of the Year” honors besting more than 100 TowBoatUS companies. Upon receiving the honor Perez said, “A ...

The Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) and Atlantic Technical College (ATC) have selected Jonathan Lowell, founder of Iguana Marine, as the instructor for the first yacht service technician apprenticeship program in Florida. The two-year program, which will be administered online for the time being, gives apprentices a basic set of shipyard skills to jump start a career in ...

NMMA’s Q1 2020 Marine CEO Sentiment Report, a quarterly survey to assess the state and needs of U.S. marine manufacturing, is now available. As a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new section of the survey was added to capture specific feedback relating to business impacts – from supply chain disruptions to plant closures and labor separations. This feedback will ...

As part of an ongoing effort to keep marina operators informed and prepared as the boating industry gradually reopens, the team at Dockwa is hosting a series of live educational webinars: Preparing for Recovery. This Thursday, April 30, Dockwa CEO Mike Melillo will host How to Successfully Reopen and Keep Boating Safe this Summer in partnership with the Association of ...

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently announced marinas, boatyards and marine manufacturers will be allowed to open for personal use as long as strict social distancing and sanitization protocols are followed. Chartered watercraft services or rentals will not be allowed, and restaurant activity at these sites must be limited ...