Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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What Can A Boat's Name Tell You? BoatUS issues annual Top 10 Boat Names list. While a boat's name can be as varied as the owner at the helm, certain themes do stick out, according to Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS). The national advocacy, services, and safety group has issued its annual list of Top 10 Boat Names, which it compiles from those using the services of BoatUS Boat Graphics to design and purchase boat name graphics. "It's always a challenge to decide on a boat... Full story
Controversial order threatens reliability of hundreds of millions of GPS units. SPRINGFIELD, Va., June 25, 2020 – The nation's largest advocacy, services and safety group for recreational boaters, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), says an April 22 decision by the Federal Communications Commission to give mobile satellite services operator Ligado Networks, a private-equity company, the green light to build and operate a land-based industrial 5G (fifth generation) wireless n... Full story
BoatUS Foundation: Don’t try to have your own fireworks show. Celebrating America’s birthday, thousands of boaters are expected to hit the water this Fourth of July holiday weekend, recreational boating’s traditional busiest time of the year. With COVID-19, it certainly won’t be the same. The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water has a few boating safety reminders just in time for the holiday. While boaters will need to follow social distancing guidelines, that’s not the only... Full story
If you have not done so already, here is a check list from BoatUS to guide you through preparation for the summer boating season. By Charles Fort - Contributing Editor, BoatUS Magazine Last winter was likely a flurry of activity as you put your boat to bed, spending hours checking off every conceivable chore to make sure it was ready come spring. Or maybe, like a lot of people, you did just enough to make sure the boat wouldn't be damaged by the cold but left a few things for spring. If so,... Full story
Tonto Has Implemented Stage 2 Fire Restrictions The Tonto National Forest has begun Stage 2 Fire Restrictions in conjunction with other federal and state land management agencies in Arizona. According to Tonto National Forest Supervisor Neil Bosworth, rising temperatures and an increase in drying trends of grass fuel loads resulting from above average winter moisture prompted the decision to implement these fire restrictions. "Arizona's wet winter has created a carpet of grasses which are now cu... Full story
Customers encouraged to use online, phone and mail services. To protect the health and safety of customers and employees while continuing to provide services and support, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has temporarily modified in-person customer service. At press time, front lobbies at AZGFD offices were still closed to in-person transactions except those made by appointment. Appointments can be made by calling (602) 942-3000 (select item 4 if you wish to be connected to one of...
Editor's Note: The following information was applicable as we went to press. For updates, call (602) 942-3000, or email customerservice@azgfd.gov The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is committed to staying connected with its customers and continuing to provide exceptional service. As updates related to the COVID-19 situation become available, AZGFD will share any new developments or changes to processes. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Q: Is the Ben Avery Shooting Facility open? All r... Full story
During these times of heightened worry and isolation, we at Arizona Boating & Watersports/Western Outdoor Times wish you good health, safety, hope, and peaceful spirits. All of you who love the outdoors already know of the calm that can surround us when we are there, whether at a water side or in a forest, or in a beautiful desert-scape - whether we are watching the swaying trees, the soaring birds, or the budding cactus blossoms. It is in these places where our senses can be calmed and Mother... Full story
Welcome to 2020! It's hard to believe it has been 20 years since the century change. My, how time flies! As we begin another new year, outdoor folk can fill their 2020 calendars with many exciting events. One of the first is Arizona Yacht Club's Birthday Regatta & Leukemia Cup, and we thank Mike Ferring for the cover photo. Also ahead is the Arizona Game & Fish Department's annual awards banquet that recognizes many who have been excellent stewards of our state's incredible outdoor treasures.... Full story
Taxes Paid By Boaters Will Fund Boating Programs The explosive growth of paddlesports - including stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking and canoeing - has local, state and federal governments working to ensure there's plenty of paddler access, including paddlecraft-only launches that make it easy to launch a kayak, increasing efforts to ensure paddler safety, and minimizing user conflicts with traditional boaters. The question is, who pays for it? Under a nearly seven-decade-old federal funding mech... Full story
TowBoatUS San Diego responds to an incredibly strange distress call caused by a one-in-a-million missed waypoint. "There are not many times I can say it after 30 years as a towboat captain, but this was a first," says Capt. Rob Butler, owner of the TowBoatUS San Diego. Butler was describing his company's recent response to a 26-foot power boat stuck inside a deep sandstone cave along a southern California cliff wall. Butler's company is one of more than 300 locations across the nation that... Full story
Kid's Corner Enrichment Debuts At Havasu's Sand-Water-RV Expo In addition, the ever-popular corn hole competition returns to the Expo. Visitors to the 2019 Sand-Water-RV Expo on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 16-17 at Lake Havasu State Park, Windsor 3 & 4 will find a new attraction waiting for them and their children - "Kids Corner Enrichment" - a new, local 501c3 charity focusing on kids and two of Lake Havasu City's most abundant resources - "water and sun". Here's what they are determined to... Full story
New video outlines the unique precautions required when heading offshore to a marine sanctuary. The NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries include more than 600,000 square miles of marine protected areas, from the rugged Olympic Peninsula of Washington to the "shipwreck alley" of Michigan's Thunder Bay and the turquoise-hued shallows of the Florida Keys. These national treasures present great opportunities for recreational boaters, anglers, and sailors – but only if they're prepared and have the g... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department's Boating Safety Education courses include instruction on the basic skills required to safely operate a boat or personal watercraft, trailering your vessel, navigational rules, buoys, anchoring, legal requirements, boating emergencies, watersports and paddling. Take a boating education course now! Most insurance companies offer a discount on your boat or PWC insurance rate for completing one of our courses. Courses are offered in three formats: classroom... Full story
BoatUS urges boaters to be aware of engine weight when repowering a recreational boat. Boaters Aren't the Only Ones Getting Heavier; Outboard Engines Catch Up One year ago the U.S. Coast Guard required new recreational boats to have more floatation to support the increased weight of newer four-stroke outboards if the boat becomes swamped. Now the agency is implementing those changes as reported in the Spring 2019 issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Circular. Boat Owners Association of... Full story
All across America boating season has begun. With some help from the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, here are six ways boaters can help keep waters clean and be good environmental stewards all summer long. 1. Cleaning and waxing: When making your boat sparkle, understand that some general cleaning soaps may have harmful chemicals, so consider using alternate cleaning methods. You'd be surprised, for example, of how effective (and affordable) having a spray bottle with the... Full story
Video: How To Prepare Boat Shrink Wrap For Recycling In Six Easy Steps Ohio Clean Marinas Program shows how anyone can recycle their boat's winter shrink wrap. With recreational boats now waking up from their long winter's nap and their protective shrink wrap covers coming off prior to spring launch, a new video from the Ohio Clean Marinas Program shows boaters everywhere how to prepare boat shrink wrap for recycling in six easy steps. Essentially plastic, shrink wrap is an effective winter... Full story
When Earth Day was created in 1970, mainstream America was largely tuned out to the benefits of recycling. Fast forward nearly half a century, however, to Earth Day 2019 (April 22) and it's fairly common to see local paper, glass and plastic recycling programs. But what about boats? A pilot project by recreational marine industry businesses in the state of Rhode Island aims to finally find a solution for recycling boats. The challenge today is that the most common way to dispose of an old boat... Full story
Boatyards, marinas and clubs are waking up after a long winter's nap, and boaters have begun preparing their vessels for the season. While the boat needs to be looked at and readied for a summer of fun, so does your safety. The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water says that doing these four free or low-cost things now will help ensure a summer of safe boating. 1. Get a free Vessel Safety Check: Where else can you ask a professional to go over your boat to ensure it's safe and... Full story
Life jacket exchange events kick off Safe Boating Week on Saturday, May 18 PHOENIX - Safe Boating Week is on the horizon and the Arizona Game and Fish Department will kick off the national campaign locally with multiple life jacket exchange events at area lakes Saturday, May 18. Now in its 11th year, the Life Jacket Exchange program allows people with an old, worn out life jacket to swap it for a new one (while supplies last). Last year, the department's Boating Safety Education program... Full story
THANK YOU -- (L to R) Capt. Jeff Dziedzic, TowBoatUS Mystic, Connecticut; Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.); and Capt. Keith Turgeon, TowBoatUS Mystic U.S. Coast Guard Re-authorization Includes Look At Improving 911 System For Boaters TowBoatUS Mystic Connecticut captain thanked from U.S. House floor. A sign of the times, the U.S. Coast Guard reports that it’s common for recreational boaters today to use cellphones to call during a boating emergency. While Boat Owners Association of The United S... Full story
Paddlesport, boating enthusiasts reminded to keep safe on the water. The calendar says winter is weeks away, but the thermometer says otherwise. For that reason, the Arizona Game and Fish Department reminds undeterred paddlesport enthusiasts to practice coldwater safety when heading on the water. Hypothermia Dangerous The U.S. Coast Guard reports that cold water immersion and hypothermia can occur in water as cool as 70 degrees. Even in a healthy person, cold-water immersion can impact muscle... Full story
Ethanol Misfueling Danger Laid Bare: Gas Pump Photos "The ethanol industry doesn't want you to see these photos." The President has officially moved to allow E15 (15 percent ethanol) gasoline sales have now been moved to allow E15 (15 percent ethanol) year-round - a fuel prohibited for use in recreational boats and a decision that recreational boating groups say will needlessly put 142 million American boaters at risk. New Website Protecting Boaters at the Gas Pump is a new website with a... Full story
I had the privilege this past week of touring Lake Pleasant in the company of Congressman Paul Gosar. Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S., is serving his fourth term in Congress as the Representative from Arizona's Fourth Congressional District. First elected in 2010, he came to Congress with no prior political experience. Gosar believes that the Constitution is the cornerstone of our Republic, and always pursues policies that allow for more individual liberty and less government involvement. -... Full story
This story is intended to serve as a general resource for recreational boating safety information. Should an issue or topic not be addressed here, feel free to contact Ed Huntsman, the District Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) Program manager, via email at Edward.L.Huntsman@uscg.mil or by telephone at 504-671-2148. FILE A FLOAT PLAN Why should you take the time to prepare a float plan? The answer is simple - there are just too many facts that need to be accurately remembered and ultimately... Full story
