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April 2008 | Issue No. 36 |
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 DOWNLOAD WAYPOINTS |
| THE LAST ISSUE OF WAYPOINTS |
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For the past few years, Waypoints has been utilized as a method to share important boating safety information with the many partners involved in this vital program. It has been comprised of the much appreciated articles that you submitted to the Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Division and articles written by our staff. To all of you who have submitted articles, we extend our sincere appreciation to you; and to those of you who have regularly read Waypoints and benefited from it, know that this has been the sole intent and fulfillment of this publication.
In the March issue, we noted the diminishing quantity of contributions to Waypoints over the past few months, as well as that fewer and fewer of the submitted articles were focused on boating safety. This led to the question of whether Waypoints is still an effective tool for enhancing the mission of the program. Is it an effective use of the significant time and funding required to produce it? Thus, we asked you, our subscribers, to weigh in and tell us whether you thought Waypoints is valuable or whether it has outlived its purpose.
We received only three responses (not all were positive), from which we have had to conclude that most subscribers either see little value in Waypoints or aren't reading it. Therefore, the Boating Safety Division has decided to suspend publishing Waypoints with this April issue and instead focus our information sharing efforts through other venues, such as enhancing our www.uscgboating.org website. We will consider reinstituting Waypoints in the future if the demand warrants this action.
We wish to thank all of our subscribers and the many boating safety advocates who have contributed to Waypoints and the BoatSmart newsletter over the years. We're certain that the community will make great use of the many other vehicles for communication to continue the great work of improving boating safety and saving lives on our nation's waterways. |
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National Safe Boating Council Celebrates 50 Years |
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 This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding roots of the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC). While those 50 years have seen many boating safety milestones achieved, Virgil Chambers, NSBC Executive Director believes that the NSBC itself must not claim credit for these milestones; thousands of individuals and dozens of organizations – including the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, which celebrates its 50th in 2010 – have contributed to the reduction of accidents, injuries, and fatalities that has occurred because of the boating safety efforts.
What the NSBC can claim without question is great success in bringing together and empowering those dedicated to boating safety. Its 350 American and Canadian member groups – from local and national boating safety organizations to manufacturers of boats and water sport-related equipment – work together to bring boating safety messages to the public and to create and conduct advanced educational programs for boating safety professionals and volunteers.
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April 16-18, 2008
International Boating and Water Safety Summit, San Diego, California.
April 27-29, 2008
American Boating Congress, Washington, DC.
May 12-16, 2008
Spring Executive Board Meeting, NASBLA, Washington, DC.
May 13, 2008
Congressional Reception, National Safe Boating Week, Washington, DC.
May 17-23, 2008
National Safe Boating Week
Click Here for More Events... |
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| News from the North American Safe Boating Campaign |
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Relationships Make for Greater Impact
 Basketball legend Michael Jordan once said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”
No one group, no matter how dedicated, can change the behavior of all 78 million boaters on the water. That is one reason for North American Safe Boating Week (National Safe Boating Week): it is a specific period of time when hundreds of boating safety organizations are encouraged to do what they are able to promote life jacket wear. Reaching 78 million boaters is much more likely when groups come together. Simply put, it is about strength in numbers.
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| News from the RBS Specialists |
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| News from the BoatU.S. Foundation |
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BoatU.S. Launches Fundraiser to Expand Life Jacket Loaner Program
The BoatUS Foundation, which has infant, toddler and children's life jackets on loan at more than 350 locations nationwide, has launched a campaign to raise $50,000 in additional funds to establish new loaner locations at marinas, boat ramps, waterside resorts, boat clubs, bait shops, towboats, fire houses, and other public facilities. BoatU.S. will provide partial funding for the campaign.
"When boaters or anglers bring young guests aboard, they may not have the right-sized life jacket or a child may have outgrown their old jacket, so the youngster is sometimes put in one that is too big, or worse, goes without one," said BoatU.S. Foundation Program Manager Ted Sensenbrenner. "Putting a kid in an ill-fitting jacket can be dangerous. Once in the water, small children can easily slip out of them.”
Click Here for Full Article...
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| Nautical Terms of The Month |
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You know what Space Age means, but what about “Phase Age?” Nautically, Phase Age is the interval in time by which spring or neap tides follow the position in each of the periodic monthly cycles of the moon.
When you think of a saucer, where is the cup? You would assume that a saucer is a small shallow dish having a slight circular depression in the center for holding a cup. Nautically, a Saucer is an iron concave-shaped socket that leads into the step of capstan on which the spindle turns.
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2008 International Boating & Water Safety Summit Opens in San Diego |
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 The 12th annual International Boating & Water Safety Summit opened at the Sheraton Hotel and Marina in San Diego, California, on April 16th, with more than 400 participants on hand from across the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, and the Pacific Rim. Sponsored in part by a grant from the United States Coast Guard and hosted by the National Water Safety Congress and the National Safe Boating Council, the Summit’s multi-track program of information and training includes this year a core safety program, with breakout tracks on education, law enforcement, paddle-sport safety, accident prevention, risk management, waterways management, and outreach and communication, as well as hands-on training offered pre- and post-Summit.
Click Here for Full Article...
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News from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary |
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When a Storm Threatens, Hold on to Your Boat!
The rash of powerful storms lashing the United States in recent weeks provided recreational boaters with a much-needed wake-up call to take extra precautions when mooring their boats. Whether it’s a summer squall or a winter Nor’easter, storms can do a lot of damage to a boat not firmly secured – and a loose boat can potentially damage others moored in the same area.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary suggests that boaters think about adding more lines, specifically spring lines, depending on how their boat is docked or moored. Make sure chocks are securely fastened on both the boat and the dock. Add extra chafe gear to protect the lines. If the forecast is for unusually inclement weather, think about relocating the boat to either a more protected area or pulling it from the water altogether.
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The material in this newsletter is provided as an information resource only. The Coast Guard does not endorse any individual, organization, company, product, or service mentioned
in this newsletter.
Please submit comments to: newsletter@USCGboating.org
www.uscgboating.org
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