The Nation’s Largest Volunteer Recreational Boating Safety Nonprofit Partners with Marine Manufacturers to Champion Boating Safety and Boater EducationRaleigh, N.C. – With Americans taking to the water in record numbers to enjoy the socially distanced fun and relaxation that boating provides, boating accidents, injuries and fatalities increased by approximately 25 percent* from 2019 to 2020, according to the U.S. Coast Guard’s 2020 Recreational Boating Statistics.
To help reverse this alarming trend, the Nation’s largest and oldest volunteer recreational boating safety nonprofit, United States Power Squadrons®, America’s Boating Club® created the Boat With Confidence Campaign, a nonprofit-corporate partnership with boat and other marine manufacturers to champion boating safety and boater education. Funds raised through the campaign will allow America’s Boating Club to provide recreational boaters with an extensive suite of in-person, online and on-the-water training opportunities that nurture safe boating practices.
Verne Gifford, Chief, U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division, said that America’s Boating Club’s educational mission has become even more important given the pandemic-fueled increase in boating activity. “With more new and inexperienced boaters on the water, educational partnerships like the one led by America’s Boating Club are critical at a time like this.”
During its 2021 Governing Board Meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina, on September 4, the organization launched the campaign and welcomed its first Boat With Confidence Champion, Grady-White Boats.
“As the Nation’s largest group of volunteer boating safety instructors and advocates, America’s Boating Club is honored to welcome Grady-White Boats as our first campaign Champion,” said Mary Paige Abbott, Chief Commander, America’s Boating Club. “One of the world’s most respected boatbuilders, Grady-White has a reputation for excellence and integrity, and we are pleased to have them onboard as we work to make our waterways safer for all recreational boaters.”
Shelley Tubaugh, Vice President of Marketing for Grady-White Boats said stepping up as the first campaign Champion made perfect sense. “From the very beginning, our owner, Eddie Smith, established safety as a top priority for our team members and for our customers, so partnering with an organization that has been teaching boating safety for over 100 years is a natural fit for us,” Tubaugh said. “We hope more marine industry companies join this campaign to help keep our waters safe through boater education.”
To support this critical boater safety initiative, leading marine publisher Bonnier Corporation will provide an added incentive to marine manufacturers joining the campaign. “Bonnier has generously agreed to provide one free ad** in any of its publications to Boat With Confidence Champions,” said Tammy Brown, America’s Boating Club Marketing Director. “Thanks to the support of Bonnier, Grady-White and other campaign Champions, America’s Boating Club can continue its work of ensuring that boaters receive the education, skills training and safety resources they need to boat with confidence.”
For more information or to join the Boat With Confidence Campaign, contact Tammy Brown at brownt@hq.usps.org. To learn more about America’s Boating Club and its mission, visit americasboatingclub.org.
*From 2019 to 2020, boating accidents across the U.S. increased 26.3%, non-fatal injuries increased 24.7%, and fatalities increased 25.1%. Source: 2020 U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics.
**Free ads must be new, incremental ads, not already committed ads.
About America’s Boating Club®:
America’s Boating Club® is a registered trademark of United States Power Squadrons®, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to boating safety and education. Our members are boaters and boating families who boat together, learn together, and contribute to their communities by promoting safe boating through education. America’s Boating Club has over 20,000 members organized into more than 300 squadrons across the country.