Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2019 (H.R. 3409). NMMA played a critical role in shaping the legislation, which includes provisions that would improve the safety of the 142 million Americans who take to the water each year. Specifically, the bill includes language that would mandate the wear of engine cut-off devices ...

Yesterday, the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2019 (H.R. 3049). NMMA played an important role in shaping the bill, which includes key provisions that would improve safety measures for the 142 million Americans who take to the water each year. The legislation includes a provision that would mandate the wear of ...

SureShade, the U.S. designer and manufacturer of patented retractable sunshade systems for outdoor recreation industries, announced that Kirk Fistick has joined the company as director of manufacturing to lead production and manufacturing operations at SureShade’s headquarters in Philadelphia, Penn. As director of manufacturing for SureShade, Fistick will be responsible for overseeing the entire production operation of the SureShade plant, leading ...

You obey the pedestrian crossing signals but trip on the curb. Wear safety glasses but saw through a power cord. Map out a complex trip but miss a simple turn. It’s the same in boating: Neglecting the little things can lead to big problems. (Just ask the guy who forgot to install the hull drain plug.) Want to avoid the ...

Crack up your car, and the responding police officer, sheriff’s deputy or state trooper files any required report. If you’re the operator or owner of a boat involved in an accident though, you must complete and file an official accident report with your state’s boating authority. It’s not busywork: The U.S. Coast Guard compiles and maintains statistics drawn from boating ...

Running the inlet, navigating the channel, backing into the slip: So much of what constitutes seamanship involves forging ahead with confidence. (Poetic license allows me to use the phrase “forge ahead” to reference the phrase “backing in.”) Well, there are times when taking one’s time, if not stopping altogether, proves the best and most seamanlike course of action. Let’s start ...

In talking with boaters, be they readers, marina mates or folks I meet on the water, it’s become apparent that some are baffled by buoys. The crux of the problem, as I’ve discerned it, is the supposition that navaids tell loads of detailed information — that they are supposed to be interpreted, only after long experience, like hoodoo chicken bones, ...

You’re on your way home, feeling the last warmth of the sun as it kisses the horizon, when the cellphone rings. A buddy, with his wife and three kids aboard, can’t get his motor started, and there isn’t a commercial towing vessel nearby. Consider this advice before offering a tow back to port. Boat and Gear Limitations Your cleats and ...

With the passage and subsequent presidential signing of the 2018 Frank Lobiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act last month, the U.S. Coast Guard will now seek to develop a clear and effective procedure on how emergency maritime distress calls are dispatched to authorities, which could result in a quicker, more efficient response and countless saved lives across the country. According to ...

The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced Wednesday that at the 36th Annual Salute to the U.S. Coast Guard, which was held in New York City Oct. 6, President Anne B. Brengle was recognized with the Coast Guard Distinguished Public Service Award. The award was ...