NMTA works with Discover Boating to bring national press to area waters

Discover Boating hosted writers from Men's Journal, New York Daily News, Hemispheres and Art of Manliness, on a press flotilla earlier this month in Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. The trip immersed these media in many facets of boating, including cruising, fishing, wakeboarding/wakesurfing, and sailing. Discover Boating worked closely with the Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA) and their network of members to develop and execute a well-rounded introduction to life on the water in the Pacific Northwest to help these writers generate story ideas for boating coverage.

 

The press flotilla kicked off in Seattle with the Downtown Sailing Series out of Elliott Bay Marina on Thursday, August 8. Aboard two of the more than 70+ sailboats that take part in the weekly summer event, the experience showcased the accessibility of boating in Seattle, as well as the passionate local boating community and picturesque views from the water. In fact, NMTA noted these two boats are available each Thursday of the sailing series for the general public to reserve a spot aboard at no charge.

 

On Friday, August 9, the group moved north to Anacortes to board three trawlers in the San Juan Islands. Their time aboard was spent fishing, crabbing, island-hopping, learning about the navigation, tides and tying lines, plus swapping boating/fishing stories with the captains and experiencing firsthand the fun, relaxation and overall appeal of the boating lifestyle as they cruised Lopez Island, Stuart Island/Reid Harbor, as well as San Juan Island’s Roche and Friday Harbors. On Tuesday, August 13, the trip wrapped with an on-water pick-up on Lake Washington by two powerboats where the writers got on boards and learned to wakesurf before cruising back to land past Husky Harbor and into Lake Union. 

 

It was an action-packed few days on the water for the writers. This type of intensive experiential trip provides the opportunity for newbie boaters to get their feet wet, learn new skills and connect with boating. All returned home with a love for life on the water, as well as a number of boating-related story ideas and content to explore for coverage. Stay tuned for trip coverage slated to run later this year and into 2014.  

Kenmore Waterfront Expands Recreational Programming with a Splash

Northern tip of Lake Washington becomes destination for water sports

 

KENMORE, Wash. (August 23, 2013) –  Locals and visitors are heading to Lake Washington’s shoreline in Kenmore to dive into numerous water activities that are new features this summer with additional waterfront improvements planned for next year.

 The northern tip of Lake Washington is ready to be enjoyed by residents and tourists with various opportunities to cool off during the summer months. New water sports are making a grand entrance in Kenmore with WhatsSup Stand-Up Paddle Board & Surf’s new kayak and paddle board concession at Log Boom Park. WhatsSup also offers packages for customers to paddle one way and rent a bike to pedal back along the Burke-Gilman Trail.

 

Headquartered in Kenmore, AV Water Sports has been operating from the pier at Log Boom Park since mid-June. Here, visitors with reservations can take advantage of flyboarding, wakeboarding, waterskiing, inner tubing and jetski rentals.

 

For those up for an adventure, flyboarding is a watersports apparatus where a flyboard is attached to a person to propel them underwater and into the air. Unique and easy to learn, flyboarding allows people the opportunity to fly through the air and dive back into the water, all under their control. Experienced certified instructors are on site to instruct and guide participants’ flights.

 

"These expanded recreational activities are contributing to Kenmore’s plan for a vibrant shoreline,” says Mayor David Baker. “It’s great to have residents and visitors enjoying our shoreline this summer with so many ways to play in the water.”

 

While new North Lake Washington recreation choices have been added, many public improvements are planned for the future. More improvements to Log Boom Park are in store, and by summer 2014, a new ramp and float intended for small watercraft will be installed on the south shore of the Sammamish River, just on the east side of the Sammamish River Bridge.

 

The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and the City are partnering to improve the Sammamish River boat launch near the mouth of the river, which will allow for double water entry and exit, restrooms and a new parking lot and landscaping.

 

“As the City develops its waterfront access strategy, we will enlist the help of local marinas, waterfront property owners and other stakeholders,” added City Manager Rob Karlinsey.

 

NMTA in the Seattle Times: One of world’s largest private yachts ties up on Elliott Bay

NMTA weighed in on the floating economic-stimulus package that arrived in Seattle over the weekend in today's Seattle Times:

SEATTLE - One of the biggest yachts in the world is moored in Elliott Bay.

The Serene, a $330 million, 440-foot private yacht belonging to a wealthy Russian vodka distributor, pulled into Seattle’s Pier 90 over the weekend, right by the Interbay neighborhood.

The yacht’s owner, Yuri Scheffler, controls SPI Group, which distributes Stolichnaya vodka internationally.

The 2-year-old yacht, made in Italy by Fincantieri, has a 52-person crew and has been in Vancouver, B.C., for the past few months. The Serene flies the flag of the Grand Cayman Islands and illuminates the water with bright-green lighting at night. This is its first time in Seattle, and as the ninth-largest privately owned yacht in the world,according to Boat International magazine, it is likely the biggest one ever to enter Seattle’s waters.

You can read the complete article by clicking here.

Swantown Marina in Olympia, Shin-Nishinomiya Yacht Harbor in Japan form "sister marina" agreement

OLYMPIA, WA - Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, and Washington State will celebrate their 50^th Anniversary “sister state” relationship by forging a new bond: A “sister marina” friendship. Port of Olympia’s Swantown Marina & Boatworks and Shin-Nishinomiya Yacht Harbor were honored to be selected for this unique agreement to be signed August 18th at Swantown Marina in Olympia. 

Lt. Governor Brad Owen and Port Commissioner Bill McGregor will welcome guests including Hyogo’s Governor Toshizo Ido and legislators, and Toshikazu Hayashi, president of Shin-Nishinomiya Yacht Harbor. 

Said Lt. Governor Owen, “We have plenty of sister city agreements and sister port agreements, but this sister marina agreement is the first of its kind in Washington state, and perhaps in the nation. It is truly an example of how a strong government-to-government relationship such as the one Washington has had with the Hyogo Prefecture for 50 years can yield positive and sometimes unexpected results.” 
Commissioner McGregor said that the essential purpose of the sister marina relationship is the benefit that it will bring to the marinas, the local communities, the two states and even the nations. 

“We are agreeing to exchange information on the development of our marina services and operations, and share knowledge and activities on environmental stewardship,” said McGregor, “And at the heart of this agreement is our cultural exchange to promote mutual understanding and further relations between the citizens of Japan and the United States.” 

The signing ceremony will feature a gift exchange between the Port and the Yacht Harbor, and a barbeque and cruise of Budd Inlet for guests including civic representatives and members of the local boating community.

Underwater Music Festival a big hit at Point Ruston

More than 100 boats turned out for the reboot of the popular south Puget Sound event, the "Underwater Music Festival." The one-day, on-water live music event featured local bands playing on the hour from Noon - 6pm aboard a floating stage at Point Ruston, located on Commencement Bay in Tacoma, Wash. Boats ranging from inflatables and kayaks to 50'-plus yachts anchored and rafted to enjoy the concert.

The event was last held in the summer of 2011 near Cutts Island in the Gig Harbor area. In 2012, the event was cancelled due to permitting challenges between the event's organizer, Setlist Music, and Pierce County officials. The event was held at the Cutts Island location each summer since it was created in 2009. The move of the event to private tidelands at Point Ruston this year eliminated many of the permitting issues. The event was patrolled in the water, and on shore, by Tacoma Police and the U.S. Coast Guard.

NMTA's Grow Boating Committee voted to sponsor the event to ensure that it took place in 2013, helping to create an event that saw more than 100 boats participate during the day.

By the numbers...

Here are some data points that grabbed our attention in recent days.

BUI Citations were down by 40 percent at this year's Seafair (link). 

New boat sales data was released for the month of July. New unit sales were up a 63 percent and this (primarily capturing boats 30-feet and under).  Dollar sales for July are actually down because of three unusual multi-million dollar sales in July of 2012. 

236,945 boats were registered in the recently concluded fiscal year 2013, which ended on June 30. Boats under 16-feet and 10-horsepower are not considered registered boats in the Evergreen state.  (This 236,945 number is down from last year's number of 237,172)

 

Legislators tour Christensen

It's always great to see our state's elected officials take a tour of an NMTA member and then update their Facebook page to boot.

That's exactly what happened on Friday when the prime sponsor of the Marine Tourism Bill (Sen. Nick Harper) toured Christensen with his colleagues. Here's how he reported it.