Weekly 5: Coast Guard releases long-range plan for boating safety
The BI Weekly 5 is a collection of tips, news and data affecting the boating industry this week. Be sure to look for the BI Weekly 5 every week on BoatingIndustry.com.
1. Coast Guard releases long-range plan for boating safety
The U.S. Coast Guard has released the third in a series of five-year strategic plans aiming to keep boaters safer on the water. The latest phase of the National Recreational Boating Safety Program (RBS) for 2017 to 2021 was released Wednesday.
The plan includes three primary initiatives: improve and expand recreational boating education, training and outreach; update, leverage and enforce policies, regulations and standards; and improve and expand recreational boating data collection and research.
2. FLIBS opens to large crowds, good weather
“Perfect weather and an enthusiastic crowd” made for a strong opening to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the Sun Sentinel reported.
The annual show kicked off Thursday and ends Monday. According to show organizers, advance ticket sales were up 20 percent over last year.
3. Minnesota boat dealer faces charges
The former owner of Avon Marine is facing charges that accuse him of swindling, and stealing from, his customers, the St. Cloud Times reported.
Randy Alan Pierson, 54, had previously been charged with three counts of theft by swindle and one count of felony theft. The new charges against him include 12 counts of theft by swindle and three counts of theft, all felonies, the paper said.
Among other charges, Pierson is accused of selling storage boats without the owners’ permission.
4. Discover Boating PR efforts reach more potential boaters
Discover Boating’s 2016 PR program generated more than 2,500 stories across the U.S., NMMA reported. The 2016 coverage also saw a 36 percent lift in reach, with more than 683 million media impressions targeting potential boat owners around the U.S.
According to Discover Boating, the PR program generated approximately $7.1 million in advertising value for print, online and broadcast coverage this year.
5. Year-end small business tax tips
If you’re a small business owner, you still have time to significantly reduce your 2016 business income tax bill. Here’s, via MarketWatch, what they call the best year-end tax-saving moves to consider.
