Boaters to make up for lost time?
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – While the spring boating season may have started off slow due to inclement weather, boat owners association BoatU.S. is predicting a significant spike in July 4th weekend waterway traffic, it reported in a statement today.
Requests for on-the-water assistance to the BoatU.S. 24-hour dispatch centers on the East and West Coasts have traditionally been a reliable indicator of recreational boating volume on the nation’s waterways, the association said.
“To date we’ve seen lower than usual numbers for Monday to Friday call volume, with higher than usual volume on the weekends. The Memorial Day holiday surpassed our previous estimates of a modest increase. This trend of strong weekend ‘spikes’ in boating traffic will likely continue during the July 4th holidays, with boaters trying to make up for bad weather and lost time,” said Jerry Cardarelli, vice president of BoatU.S. Towing Services.
In addition, Cardarelli noted that while fuel prices may have had an impact on weekday boating patterns, they won’t be a factor on boating’s traditionally busiest weekend of the year.
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