Podcasts about boatus

On this episode, Doug interviews Scott Croft from BoatUS, discusses various go-to lures and baits, and much more.

When you go out to the ocean, the miles and miles of calm waters can be misleading. Boats get damaged and can leave civilian sailors in compromising situations. Heroes like Carson Shevitz save the day one boat at a time. Shevitz and his crew also saved Joel Volk, of Hot Dog Business Growth, and his friends which is how this interview became a reality! After towing his boat, Joel has Carson expand on the case-by-case emergencies that come his way along with the nuances of this unique business. ----------------- GUEST: Carson Shevitz | Channel Watch Marine Services Inc. | BoatUS.com ----------------- We'd like to thank our sponsors: Hot Dog Business Growth, JorgensenHR and Fit4TheCause

Frabill has come out with an ingenious new fishing net that folds in half!  Scott Croft with BoatUS has some sound advice for boat owners who have suffered storm damage and for boat buyers in the wake of a hurricane.  Keith Kellogg shares his latest adventure, a multi-species big game hunting trip to Mongolia.  www.americaoutdoorsradio.com 

This week's host, Chris Weaver, is joined by Linda Newland to chat a lifetime of conquering oceans and teaching the next generation of women sailors. Linda is a co-founder of the Northern California Women's Sailing Seminar 30 years ago and was honored with the 2022 Leadership in Women's Sailing Award by BoatUS and the National Women's Sailing Association (NWSA). She holds the fastest female singlehanded San Francisco-to-Japan record and has cruised and raced across the Pacific Ocean several times. Hear how to celebrate women sailors, battle seasickness, prepare to cross the Pacific, skipper a crew, and the time she learned Morse Code. Learn more about Linda here: https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/nwsa-boatus-honor-linda-newland/

1) Do what's best for EVERYONE.   “15See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15, ESV)         Imagine how different this could make your work, friendships, marriage, etc.   “10Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” (Romans 12:10, ESV)   2) Always have a JOYFUL attitude.   “16Rejoice always,” (1 Thessalonians 5:16, ESV)   “12Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12, ESV)   If you or I were to make an effort to be just 10% more joyful this week than last, what kind of a difference do you think that would make?         Remember this joy is a fruit of the Spirit – not just the result of gritting our teeth and trying to make it happen!!   3) Talk to Christ CONSTANTLY.   “17pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, ESV)   Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. Luke 18:1 (Mes)         Constant prayer is good – but keep you eyes open! – otherwise you'll end up like the Bloody Pharisees!!   4) Always GIVE THANKS to God.   “18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, ESV)         Ever wonder why Paul is always harping on this? Try it and see! This is one way to really have JOY!  And it's part of praying constantly! It's part of that dialogue God wants to have with us!   “17saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.” (Revelation 11:17, ESV)   5) LIVE through the Spirit's power.   “19Do not quench the Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19, ESV)   “18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18, ESV)         The only way to live by the Spirit's power is to be filled with Him – but what does that mean??  Does than mean people who are filled with the Spirit have MORE of Him than others??  If so then fat folks like me are lucky cause we can have more of the Spirit that you skinny people!! J         No – it doesn't mean that – it means CONTROL!   6) LISTEN for God's message to you.   “20Do not despise prophecies,” (1 Thessalonians 5:20, ESV)         The word contempt means to count as nothing.         How eager are you to hear from God? Many aren't – happy with their little life the way it is. If you look at the Bible when God speaks things get messy – and a lot of us don't want that – we have a disease the late Dr. Walter Martin called “Non Rock-a-Boatus!”   “11I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11, ESV)         In the Bible – people who loved God wanted to hear Him, and memorized what they knew He had said!   “16I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. 17Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.” (Psalm 119:16–17, ESV)         Wanting to hear from God means you are willing to do what He says!   7) TEST everything – KEEP what's good!   “21but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21–22, ESV)   On the other hand, don't be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what's good. Throw out anything tainted with evil. 1 Thes. 5:21-22 (Mes)         God commands us to test EVERYTHING we hear – not just believe it because someone says it's true or because that's what some book says!         Example - GEN. LOUIS H. WILSON, then commandant of the Marine Corps, had decided that anyone overweight had to get in shape. He was giving a speech one day stressing the importance of a balanced diet and physical fitness. During the question-and-answer period, a paunchy gunnery sergeant rose and asked, "Sir, if there is a difference of opinion between a troop commander and a medical officer as to whether a Marine is overweight, who has final authority?" The general looked down at him and said, "I do. You are. Sit down."   Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. 1 John 4:1 (NLT)   “1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1, ESV)           How do we test? What standards do we use?       NOT – what my parents say, my preacher say, my old church said, my culture says, OR HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT!!       We test by GOD'S OBJECTIVE STANDARD – THE BIBLE!! Then you reject and throw out the bad – AND HANG ON TO THE GOOD!!   “1Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,” (Jonah 3:1, ESV)         This is a great verse – one of my favorites – because it's speaks to the second, third, fourth – etc chances that God will give you – even if you've failed to test in the past, He's still willing to use you if you'll let Him!   Example of how being different like this works in real life!   A man entered my father's diesel-repair shop, said he was a driver from a trucking fleet and suggested, "How about adding a few extra parts to the bill? We'll let the company pay for it, and you and I can split the difference." Dad refused, but the customer was insistent. "I come through here a lot," the man continued. "We could make quite a bit of money." Dad said that wasn't how he operated. "Everyone does it!" The man yelled. "Are you some kind of fool?" Burning mad, Dad asked him to leave and take his business elsewhere. Suddenly the man smiled and extended his hand for a handshake. "I own a trucking company," he said. "I've been looking for a mechanic I can trust, and I'm

This episode of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast will conclude our coverage of the 2021 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. Today’s special guests are Noah Skolnick and Garrett Torres from Texas Christian University. Skolnick and Torres won the National Championship event at Lake Murray with a two-day total of 32.51 pounds. The duo entered Day 2 in 15th place after weighing in 13.53 pounds on the first day of competition. On Championship Day, Skolnick and Torres weighed in 18.98 pounds to surge up the rankings and take home the title of National Champions. Tune in to hear them discuss the victory and patterns they implemented to catch the winning fish!

On this week's episode of the Great Loop Radio podcast, our guests are Scott Croft of BoatUS and Peter Wiles who is on the Board of Directors of Canal New York.  Scott & Peter will help explain what's happening with the oversight of the New York State Canals and the current bill before the New York legislature that would make changes to the current structure of canal management.  This is an important topic for Loopers since the Loop can't be done without these vital waterways.

Captain Bob May from Bob's No Wake Zone joins Ken this week to talk boating!

Editor of BoatUS Magazine, Mark Corke, joins Ken on this week's show to talk about spring boat commissioning. Following a few steps to properly get your boat ready for the water can save many headaches later this spring. Mark will offer tips and reminders to get your boat in tip-top shape!

Part 1 of 2 For the past fifty years, fiberglass boats have been considered the cheap and minimal maintenance way to own a boat, but with an estimated 120,0000 glass hulls being decommissioned each year, either destroyed by storms or dumped in landfills, we are starting to realize just how long lasting they are.  This episode's guest, Evan Ridley, is the Director of Environmental Programs at the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association (RIMTA), and he has been tasked with finding a solution to this growing problem. Thanks to grants provided by BoatUS and Newport’s 11th Hour Racing, RIMTA has spearheaded a groundbreaking fiberglass recycling program. We are excited to welcome Evan to the East Passage Boatwright studio to find out more about the process and how it will impact the future. 

Cookbook author and wild game chef, Hank Shaw joins the show this week to talk doves, teal, and venison!Charles Fort, associate editor of BoatUS Magazine also joins us this week to talk about fuel savings and theft prevention!

Properly winterizing boats is a critical step in protecting our investments. Charles Fort, Associate Editor of BoatUS Magazine, will join Ken this week to provide insight into preparing boats for storage.UTVs and ATVs have become essential tools for hunters and outdoorsmen. Ben White from Textron Off Road will also join the show this week with advice on preparing vehicles for hunting seasons.

We'll talk Georgia Shoal Bass and wild trout in our G3 Sportsman Field Staff segment this week with Jake Darling , Manager and Head Guide at Unicoi Outfitters in Helen Georgia.

Charles Fort, Associate Editor of Seaworthy magazine from BoatU.S., will provide insight into spring boat commissioning. Fort will offer advice on inspecting and preparing boats for the upcoming boating season! Jeff Faulkenberry from Endless Season Guide Service on Truman Lake also joins us this week to talk crappie and catfish in our G3 Certified Guide Segment.

I caught up with Scott Croft, Vice President Public Affairs at BoatUS, after he spent some time on the road assisting with BoatUS teams in Hurricane damaged Florida. When he is not out in the field, Scott is Responsible for all external publicity and media relations for the half-million member boating services, advocacy and safety organization. Duties cover all BoatUS departments, including Government Affairs, Consumer Affairs, Towing Services, Insurance as well as the BoatUS Foundation for Safety and Clean water. Scott learned to boat and ski on the great lakes as a youth and later in life spent 10 years in the US Air Force, which is where his love of boating was resurrected on the coast of Japan. After that Scott worked with some exciting travel and tourism clients like New York City, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica before his passion for boating delivered him to his current role at BoatUS.   Scott and I discussed how he got into and re-entered the boating lifestyle, the variety of benefits BoatUS provides boaters, current issues that are important to boaters on capitol hill, the importance of boat insurance and more! Enjoy! On getting started in boating…..My grandad had a ski boat on Lake Erie when I was in my single digits. He got me up skiing. Then I got out of it for a while when I wasn’t near any water. I picked it up again when I went into the military. I was in the Air Force stationed in Japan and I had at my leisure a fleet of Yamaha 13 sailboats. It lit my passion again. On sailing in Japan…..I was in Okinawa. It’s ringed by coral so you had these reefs just a few hundred yards out or potentially several miles out and you’d sail from shore out to the reef and back. It was unbelievably clear, warm water, like something out of Jacques Cousteau. On learning to ski…..I remember getting pulled up many times and swallowing many gallons of Lake Erie water. We started knee-boarding and that progressed to two skis and it took me a couple summers to drop a ski. I always felt I would lose sight of where we would drop the ski but we always found it. On his current boating whereabouts…..I’m on the sail side now. I’m on the Hudson River. We have a wide expanse called the Tappan Zee and it’s spectacular. There’s 300, 400 foot cliffs on one side. If you’ve ever heard of the Hudson River School of painting, that still exists today. When I go out on the water I see these magnificent sunsets and majestic mountains, it just puts me in the right place. On coming together after the hurricanes…..I gotta tell you something about the human spirit. We were down there salvaging vessels. Every day we got to go home to our air conditioned hotel, these folks didn’t. But they’d come up to us with cold water and say ‘do you want a cold water?’ Neighbors were helping neighbors start to clean up. People were helping to push boats out of people’s front yards and driveways, it was heartening to see. On the importance of boat insurance…..I looked at this hurricane event as an educational moment for people to ask themselves what's in their policy. Boat insurance is unlike automobile or homeowners. It’s a lot less regimented and what features that you have in your policy can vary significantly. People either insure their boat with a policy that covers everything, that includes liability coverage. The second way is a liability portion only. It doesn’t pay for damage to fix your boat, only damage to others. The last way is they self-insure. They decide they don’t wish to have a policy and if it’s a total loss they can eat that loss. The only reason you have to have insurance is if your lender requires it or if you physically want that policy. I told people after Irma, even if you don’t have full hull coverage its really smart to get a liability only policy because it’s really affordable and it covers a lot. On why he loves boating…..Boating is in my heart. I live and breathe boating, it’s something I believe in - keeping the family together with all the things that compete for your time like technology and sports. Today boating still keeps the family together. On his favorite boating destination…..It’s going to sound crazy but Lake George has been at the top of my list pretty much my whole life. There used to be a bunch of boats at the south end of the lake and a marina there that rented boats. I talked my mom when I was 14 or 15 into signing on the dotted line and going out for an hour or two. Of all the places I’ve been in the world I still like the Adirondacks, I like Lake George, it’s the closest to my heart. On the benefits of BoatUS membership…..We are the nation’s largest advocacy services and safety group. The first part of our triad is looking out for the recreational boater’s interests. Whether that’s an advocacy issue or something going on in a state or federal level. The services we offer, of course, are insurance and on the water towing. We’re the largest on the water towing outift in the country with TowBoatUS. We have over 600 red tow boats at 300 locations so if you are going to break down on the water, and it’s a question of when not if, we’ve got your back. The BoatUS membership offers a lot of discounts on things like marina slips and fuel discounts. We have over 1,000 partner businesses and 600-700 of them are marinas. We also can’t forget BoatUS Magazine and to me that’s one of the biggest benefits. It simply gives you the best information to make your boating better. On what causes people to need their services…..The number one reason why 70,000 people called us last year for routine on the water help was engine trouble and part of that is unknown. Number two is battery issues. Its engine issues, electric issues, battery jumps and running out of gas in that order. It will happen and its really easy to get an on the water towing plan. Very much like a AAA for the water, we’ll come get you 24 hours a day. What we do is make a bad day go a lot better. On current advocacy efforts…..BoatUS is the only representative up on the hill representing recreational boaters. We try to make sure that when you go out on the water that day its as hassle free as possible. Ethanol is a big issue. There’s a movement that requires an increasing amount of ethanol in relation o our fuel supply. We have big challenges with that. Ethanol is scouring tanks and causing fuel related issues and that is still the #1 national issue with us. We’re not anti-farmer or anti-biofuels, we just want safe fuel for our boats. Coast Guard funding is a big thing right now on Capitol Hill. We have to ensure the things we need like the weather that NOAA provides or the rescue services are not cut. This is a game of numbers. Those with the most voices often get the attention they need. We want to create the largest advocacy group in the country. Join BoatUS and become part of that advocacy effort. Sign up for our email alerts that let you know about legislation going on in your state that will affect your boating.   There is so much more useful information in this interview so give a listen and let us know what you think! 

Dan DeGeorge is VP of Sales for Dockwa. Founded in May 2015 and since Featured in Forbes, the NY Times, Boating Magazine, the Boston Globe, and more, Dockwa is changing the way boaters and marinas connect and reserve dock space. It allows boaters to search, reserve, and pay for transient dockage from their mobile device. It also allows marinas to manage their inventory online and connect with thousands of customers like never before. At the time of our recording Dockwa featured over 400 marinas and though boater numbers are not disclosed it was in the six figures. That is a lot of boaters connecting to marinas! Just prior to our conversation, Dockwa acquired Marinas.com, the world’s most extensive online marine directory of more than 75,000 marine locations, including 15,000 marinas, yacht clubs, and shipyards. Marinas.com was the first online resource of its kind for the marine industry, pioneering a comprehensive guide for boaters worldwide and amassing more than 100,000 users. With this acquisition, Dockwa has grown its marina partner network to more than 500 businesses and further expands its international footprint to Central and South America, and parts of Europe. Dockwa’s marina network and boater community tripled in size in 2016, resulting in a 1,766 percent increase in nights served. Dan himself is an avid boater and grew up boating on our home lake, Lake George. Starting with some rental boats and now boating on his family Sea Ray, Dan never lost his love of the water while getting his Economics degree at Princeton, embarking on a professional baseball career with the Cleveland Indians, and finally joining the marine/technology industry, helping Dockwa go to market in 2015. On getting into boating…..I grew up going to the lake every summer. My first time ever out on the water was on Lake George. We rented a Hurricane boat from Snug Harbor. For the majority of my childhood we rented and then we bought a Sea Ray that we can go skiing and wake-boarding on. On learning to boat…..My dad was always one of those guys who threw you into the fire. As far as I can remember it went well! We went to a place where no one was around and by the time we got our boat I was ready to go. The most important thing he taught me was check the weather early and often before you go out. On the Dockwa launch…..I was there pre-launch to market. It was the brainchild of our CEO, Mike Melillo. Mike had moved to Newport, RI out of college. He happened to live on top of a few marinas. One summer day he was watching one of the dockmasters take reservations, and it was a particularly crazy day. He was watching the dockmaster run around back and forth between docks and writing reservations in a notebook and walked up and asked the dockmaster about how he takes reservations. The dockmaster said it’s the way we’ve always done it, it’s an old school industry, and that set the idea off in Mike’s head. On fostering change in the marina business…..It’s our biggest challenge but also presents the biggest opportunity. There’s a lot of room for us to help these marinas and operators get more efficient and create a better experience for the boater. On response from the boating market…..We work with a little over 400 marinas. Boaters love it because they’re used to it in other industries. They can go online or on their phone and make a hotel reservation or an airline reservation, so it only makes sense that you should be able to do it for marinas and for boating. On the marina side you’re always running up against the challenge of people who have done something the same way for the past 30 years and there’s always that little resistance to change but once they see it working for other marinas and then use it themselves, it’s been well received. On the Marinas.com acquisition…..On the boater side we want Marinas.com to be the place you go to for all things boating. Whether that’s long term dockage, short term dockage, repair work, buying a boat, we want it to be the place boaters go to find anything they need. Within that, marinas can gain more exposure to their customers. On expansion and new locations…..We’re down in the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and we just signed up a marina in the Dominican Republic. Ideally we’ll expand internationally. A big opportunity is the Great Lakes. We have a good number of marinas in the Great Lakes and a big help for has been that the Chicago Harbor municipal marinas use Dockwa. The Puget Sound is a big hot spot, that’s our next target domestically. Internationally is a little farther down the product road map. I’d love to get out to Italy. On where he would like to do some personal boating…..I would love to go to the BVIs and hop around to the islands. I have a college roommate who grew up around the Puget Sound and speaks real highly of it so that’s on my vacation list. On the Dockwa Figawi sponsorship…..This will be our third year. We officially launched at Figawi two years ago. I had never heard of it until I moved to Newport. The first week I joined the company we went and it’s a blast. It’s great for boaters and non-boaters, a great experience. On the Dockwa Dock Free giveaway…..We were fortunate to team with BoatUS on that. It was an awesome promotion. Not only for BoatUS and for us but I think the winner has already made a few reservations to take advantage of the winnings. On technology taking hold in the boating industry…..I feel like we’re getting closer to the tipping point, especially as the younger generation who is more used to technology starts to get more into boating. With Boatbound and GetMyBoat, the younger generations really value the experience and embrace the sharing economy so that will become more prevalent and force the marine industry to embrace technology. On his dream boat(s)…..It was always a wooden Chris-Craft growing up on the lake. It looks so cool and smooth. Coming up to Newport, you see a lot of the newer center consoles like the Regulators, or Viking sport fishers, so I’ve gotten more into those recently when I moved up here.   Hope you enjoyed the conversation with Dan and check out the Dockwa app. Editors note: Having done both a sailing trip through the BVIs and raced in Figawi weekend, the Dockwa guys sound like they know how to enjoy their work! 

Wow, I had so much fun recording this episode with Lisa 'The Boatanista' Almeida. Born and raised a Floridian, who claims to bleed salt water when she gets cut, Lisa turned a successful career in Sales and Marketing into her current role as the Owner of Freedom Boat Club, Jacksonville and St. Augustine. Before owning her Freedom Boat Club locations, Lisa rose to Director of Marketing for the nine state Bellsouth region. During her tenure, she was continually recognized for her innovative, creative problem solving, and her ability to engage an audience with her speaking skills. In 2007, when she took an early retirement from Bellsouth to make a career change, she followed her passion for being on the water. Lisa is a member of the Captains Club, The Jacksonville Power Squadron, The Jacksonville Marine Association, and serves on the City of Jacksonville’s Boating Committee. As an Aquaholic she has done many charity boat rides for underprivileged children, and was instrumental in saving the Jacksonville lighted boat parade. In 2016 Boating Industry included Lisa in their list of Women Making Waves, recognizing women in the boating industry who have made large contributions to its success, propelled its growth and led their organizations into the future. Lisa has been a distinguished franchise owner winning several national awards including Marketer of the Year and Brand Champion. Lisa’s passion for boating and enthusiasm is inspiring. We covered so much - how she boated at 3 weeks old, ‘boat-gating’ at Jaguars games, advice for boating with pets, empowering women boaters, essentials for beginners, following her passion into a fulfilling career she loves, and more. Enjoy the conversation!   On getting her boating start…..I like to say that boating is a part of my DNA and I didn't really even have a choice because my parents were competitive water skiers and they competed all over the states. They actually competed at Cypress Gardens. My mom kept waterskiing with me until she was six months pregnant. Then three weeks after I was born she said they would put me in a carrier and tie me up underneath the bow, I would go to sleep when the engine started. When the engine would stop I would wake up and then they would feed me, and then the engine would start and I’d go back into slumberland. On her first boating memory…..I remember being at a tournament and I was three years old. My mom used to ski in a tutu and she would be on one ski skiing backwards and there's a picture of me three years old with a ski rope in front of me, and I had a little bathing suit with a tutu and I'm standing there with my leg out back trying to imitate my mom. I just remember it being such a loving atmosphere, and fun, and everybody was having a great time and that's what boating actually means to me. On the first boats she was on…..I know that it was a Glastron, and another one of the first boats that my dad had was a Wellcraft. There's also another picture of me like four years old sitting at the helm staring at the wheel, and my dad said you're staring at it thinking ‘when do I get to drive.’  On learning to boat…..I was about 8 or 9 when I started learning to drive the boat. And then at 14 or 15 I was driving it with no problem. Later on, when I bought my first boat, my dad came up and really spent a lot of time with me and teaching me about the lines, and currents, and wind, and trailering.  He has a great method called push/pull, learning how to spin on yourself with just one engine. He taught me about the throttle, and putting it in and out of gear, and just practicing and making it okay if you didn't do it right the first time.  On whether boating was intimidating…..Never, and I think it's because my dad had three girls and so because he wanted to ski and he always wanted to go boating, we all had to learn how to drive, back the trailer, etc. It was always a mindset of, 'of course you can do this!' It's really not that hard, I believe it's more of a mindset that women can do it. It's really just about pushing through the fear of the unknown, of the not doing, and if you've got someone there coaching you, teaching you, and letting you just be like, it's okay you made a mistake, then gaining experience and confidence is just what it takes. On the feeling of being a confident boater.....I will tell you it is really really fun when I'm in my 32 Monterey and I am driving and I pull up to somewhere and pull it right in, and there's a guy standing there and many times he's going 'wow that's pretty impressive.' One of my favorite stories was in Fernandina Beach. They have a shrimp festival every year. It's a three day event with bands and music and food. I had a girlfriend and two guys on the boat with me and I was driving my 30 Sea Ray and it was pretty tight and we were coming in and I heard somebody on the dock say 'watch out, there's a lady at the helm.' We came in, I spun it around and backed up, and they gave me a standing ovation. It was awesome!   On her personal boats.....I have a 32 Monterey cruiser with twin Mercs on it which I absolutely love. I have a 22 Sea Ray Sundeck which is an awesome boat. Because you know one is never enough!  On her dream boat…..I’d really love to have a 46 or 48 sedan bridge because it is really nice to get up top on the sedan. The views are different, you can see things different and it's really fun when you're anchored out and everybody's hanging out up top. On boating to Jaguars games…..That is so much fun. It is one of my favorite things for my members to experience, even friends who have never done it. The stadium is on the river and right across from the stadium is the city Marina, so we don't tailgate, we boat-gate. Just like tailgating, everybody brings food, we put a tent on the dock, and it's really awesome when we're going underneath the bridge and you see the bumper-to-bumper traffic and we don't have any. Why go by car when you can go by boat?! On her boating destination bucket list…..I want to go to Put-In-Bay in Ohio and I also want to do the Columbus Day Regatta in Miami, where thousands of boaters come together. Put-In-Bay has the round bar and a bunch of boats rafted up together. That's really when my heart is the most open and it's the most fun, when we're all rafted up together and there's all different kinds of boats and everybody is just one big happy family. It's just that connectivity. You don't ever meet a stranger, but you meet tons of strangers and that's the best thing for me about boating. On her favorite boating activity…..Now my favorite thing really is going to the beach and rafting up with folks - swimming, enjoying activities, having kids around, bringing them up in the boating world. We have an island here called Fort George Island that is a big barrier island. The beaches are gorgeous and everybody just goes and rafts up together and anchors and it's kind of like you took your boat to the beach with a party of your 500 best friends. On a new favorite piece of gear.....Maui Mats!  They are 6 feet wide by 20 feet long. You can walk on it, you can put coolers on it, you can put chairs on it, kids love, it, and adults love it. It's really fun to just hang out on the Maui Mat, swim on it, jump off it, and walk on water. On essentials for beginners.….I think definitely Navionics or something like that on your iPhone is a must. Being a BoatUS member and a Sea-Tow member, I recommend both because they each bring different things to the table, is also very helpful. There is so much you can learn from reading your BoatUS magazine, getting online, seeing their feed on Facebook. Anytime I get the magazine I'm pulling out articles on really cool tools to have on board, places to go, and things about boating. I think both of those things are really really important. On her favorite boating ‘book’..…I don't really have a boating book other than my West Marine catalog! My friends do tease me that I would rather go to West Marine and walk around than go to the mall and it is the truth! On her career change…..I went on an African safari and we were touring this mud hut, and 8 people slept in it and they were gracious and happy and I had an epiphany moment. I came back and decided to leave Bell South. Freedom Boat Club interviewed 12 people (11 men and me) and I got the job. Now I understand the difference between loving what you do and having a passion for what you do. I work all the time and I never feel like I'm at work. Even when I'm on my boat on the weekends at Fort George, in the morning and night I'm on my laptop working but it doesn't ever feel like work. I want to do it. I love doing it. I want everyone to get on the water and experience the joy of boating with your friends and your family! On boating with pets…..It's really fun to bring your animal on board, but you also want to remember that you're in charge of them. You want to make sure they're safe, so number one - your dog should have a life jacket that fits them well and makes them comfortable. Also, when you're coming down to the dock you want to have them on a leash because if it's a floating dock they might feel wobbly and uncomfortable. Then definitely you have got to have water and a water bowl for them. They make a bottle that actually has a ball on it that the dog can lick and water will come out of it. There's lots of different things that you can buy but definitely have to keep them hydrated because when they get in the water they're going to drink, and if it's salty that's not good for them. On success in the boating world..…I think of Carl Blackwell from Discover Boating and the reason that he comes to mind is because his whole goal is to make people aware about boating and learning about boating. Their website and their facebook page has a plethora of information. Of course I think about John Giglio, CEO and President of Freedom Boat Club. Many of our members leave and buy their own boats. They fall in love with boating which is great. We're putting product on the water for people to see and those people are taking friends. It's giving boating so much exposure. John's done an amazing job growing the business, we're at 120 locations.  Final advice for someone thinking about boating..…Stop thinking about it and do it! It doesn't have to be a dream. Just make it happen, make the decision. If you're unsure if you're a boating family, rent a boat. If they like the rental boat and you're still not sure about wanting to buy a boat, join a boat club. If you feel like you already know you're a boating family go to Discoverboating.com, read about the different kinds of boats, go to a boat show and see what kind of boat you think you want to buy. Just make the decision. There's lots of support out there, there's lots of help out there, just do it! Rent, join a club, or buy. Put one foot in front of the other and just make that decision and get your family out having so much fun. They're not on their iPhones, they're not on their iPads, they're laughing and joking and you are creating family memories that are going to last forever!   I can't wait to join Lisa on a boat-gate to a Jaguars game someday. Leave questions or comments below. 

Join us for important up-to-date information on the attempts in Florida to restrict anchoring! Florida Senate Bill 1548 titled “An Act Related to Vessel Safety”, addresses many valid safety issues related to the anchoring of derelict boats.  However, it also contains controversial proposals limiting boaters’ ability to anchor in areas “within 200 feet of developed waterfront property” from one hour past sunset until one hour before sunrise. The Seven Seas Cruising Association leads a team that includes AGLCA, BoatUS and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) in the fight against pending restrictions on the right to anchor in Florida. Joining us to talk about SSCA and their efforts in Florida is Dave Skolnick. Dave is a naval architect and marine engineer, a communications professional, and the immediate Past President of SSCA. He works as a member of the SSCA Concerned Cruisers' Committee (CCC) to support cruisers' rights. Dave owns Auspicious Works in Annapolis, Maryland providing communications and navigation equipment services and delivery support to cruisers. We'll also be joined by David Doyle, an AGLCA member who is a waterfront landowner in Florida.  He'll share his opinion on the issue.

BoatUS estimates that Hurricane Irene, which ended up being a "low grade" hurricane, caused approximately $500M in damages to boats alone. Tune in tomorrow evening to hear details and to better understand the storm's impact to east coast boat owners. This Saturday on "Dock Talk," we'll discuss the lawsuit involving the creator of Fountain boats. Reggie Fountain wants what is his... or is it? Tune in for more! We'll also take some time to remember those lost in 9/11 10 years ago. As always, we invite you to call 866.660.KSKY (5759) after 6:30pm to share your opinions and personal experiences live on the air. Dennis J. Gibbs The Boat Guy