ACT FAST: There is a Limited Supply of Free Materials Available to Help Prevent Boating Under the Influence

Sea Tow Foundation has made 100 Sober Skipper signs and stencils available for free to any group who is working to prevent boating under the influence in their community.

Brand new Sober Skipper Aluminum Signs remind boaters to designate a Sober Skipper before heading out on the water. The sign can be placed at a boat dock, boat ramp, dockside or picnic eating area, parking area, or anywhere recreational boaters will see it before boarding their boat. They are sized at 12 x 18 inches and have holes predrilled on the top and bottom to allow for easily installation.

The Sober Skipper Clean Graffiti Stencil is a reusable heavy-duty plastic stencil that can be placed on a boat ramp, parking area, or sidewalk using a pressure-washer to spray the dirt away leaving a clean graffiti reminder to boaters to designate a Sober Skipper. The message remains in place for up to 9 months, even under heavy traffic. The stencil measures 2x4 feet and can be reused multiple times. It can also be used with spray paint like a traditional stencil.

Only 100 of each of these are available for free and only until supplies last. Once they are spoken for, we will have additional signage and stencils available to order at a cost. So hurry and take advantage of this deal and order your supplies now!

As always, Sober Skipper wristbands and floating key chains are available for free at any time.

As always, Sober Skipper wristbands and floating key chains are available for from www.soberskipper.com

You can order the New Aluminum Sign and the Sober Skipper Clean Graffiti Stencil for free only from these links.

Sober Skipper Aluminum Sign https://www.boatingsafety.com/sober-skipper-sign-promo

Sober Skipper Clean Graffiti Stencil https://www.boatingsafety.com/sober-skipper-stencil-promo

6 Tips for Boaters Watching Holiday Boat Parades from the Water

1. Designate a Sober Skipper to stay at the helm all evening and be responsible for returning the boat and its passengers to shore after the parade is over. The skipper will stay sober all evening to keep everyone safe on the water. To take the pledge to be the Sober Skipper visit www.soberskipper.com.
2. Watch your Weight. Don’t overload the boat with passengers. The number of seats available on board is not always the best indicator of capacity. Look for the boat’s capacity plate on the transom or by the helm or look up the passenger capacity in the boat’s manual. It is also important that decorations do not obstruct the skipper’s blind spots and that any decorations used don’t add additional weight to the boat that would require a person or two to disembark.
3. Don’t forget your life jackets! Make sure everyone onboard the boat is wearing warm clothes topped by either a traditional or an inflatable life jacket that fits. Navigating at night in a crowd of other vessels can be just as dangerous as boating in stormy weather or in fog.
4. Things look different at night. Remember that in the dark, visual navigation markers you rely on during the day may be invisible. Chart your route to the on-water parade-viewing zone in advance and use GPS-enabled electronics to help you find your way, if necessary.
5. Relax and Enjoy the Show. Don't be in a rush to get home; let some of the boat traffic clear out before you raise anchor after the parade is over.
6. Listen Up! Obey U.S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary designated zones and follow their orders – they are only out on the water to protect you. In case of a non-emergency, hail “Sea Tow, Sea Tow, Sea Tow” on VHF channel 16; call 800-4-SEATOW; or use the Sea Tow mobile app.

*Bonus tip: If you are decorating your boat, ensure that power cords are safe to be around water to reduce the risk of fire and electrical shock. Make sure connections are wrapped with electrical tape and that there are no frayed ends or loose bulbs.

Tell us in the comments where you are attending boat parades and feel free to share photos on our Facebook page @SeaTowFoundation.

If you found this article helpful or entertaining, please consider a donation to the Sea Tow Foundation today to help us continue our efforts to educate boaters and keep them safe on the water. You can donate securely online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or by clicking on the DONATE tab at the top of the page.

Sea Tow Foundation’s DIY Craft Time: Sea Salt Hand Scrub

Thinking back to those boating trips from the warm weather months might have you missing the smell of the ocean breeze and the feel of the salt spray against your skin. Don’t worry – you’re not alone!

The Sea Tow Foundation has created a monthly nautical craft to help bring those boating memories home. These crafts are easy for anyone to make and require limited tools and materials. In fact, all of the tools and materials are available at online retailers, or at a local craft store if you don’t already have the items lying around your house. Younger children may need the help of an adult for some portions of the craft project, but they can help with most of the personalization of the crafts. And many of these crafts make great homemade gifts!

With this month’s nautical craft, you can create a sea salt scrub that is perfect for giving as a gift or keeping for yourself. And this craft is perfect for little hands to make as none of the items are dangerous so this makes it the perfect craft for the holiday gift-giving season! And with Hanukkah and Christmas coming up, you'll be all set!

Materials to Make Sea Salt Hand Scrub:

• 1/4 cup coarse sea salt
• 1/8 cup liquid coconut oil
• 5 to 7 drops of essential oil of your choice
• Dry measuring cup
• Wet measuring cup
• Funnel
• Fork and spoon
• Labels
• Ribbon
• Newspaper
• Glass Container with Lid (4 oz container used in photos)

Directions for How to Make Sea Salt Hand Scrub:

1. Open the lid of the glass container and place it on a flat surface with newspaper underneath in case of spills. If you are reusing a container, ensure that it is clean and empty.
   
   
2. Measure out the sea salt into the dry measuring cup and pour it into the container using the funnel to avoid spilling. Please note that the demonstration photos use a 4 oz container so the portion sizes are based on that, but if you use a bigger container, you can increase the amount of ingredients used.

3. Add the coconut oil next using the spoon and the liquid measuring cup. Please note that if you are making a lot of these jars to give as gifts, you should do all of the dry ingredients before the wet so that the salt doesn’t stick to the funnel.

4. Add 5-7 drops of essential oil. We are using orange, but you could also use mint or another scent of your choice.

5. Stir the mixture with the fork until everything is well combined.

6. Wipe the edge of the jar to remove any of the scrub and then close and seal it. Attach the decorative label to the front of the jar and add ribbon along the top of the jar so that it is ready to give as a gift this holiday season.

Who will you give this to this holiday season?

If you found this article helpful or entertaining, please consider a donation to the Sea Tow Foundation today to help us continue our efforts to educate boaters and keep them safe on the water. You can donate securely online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or by clicking on the DONATE tab at the top of the page.

Sea Tow Foundation’s DIY Craft Time: Nautical String Art

Even though our busiest boating season has drawn to a close, boating does not have to end entirely. Now you can bring your on-the-water lifestyle inside your home with the next Sea Tow Foundation boating craft. Bring the entire family to participate in this fun craft.

The Sea Tow Foundation has created a monthly nautical craft to help bring those boating memories home. These crafts are easy for anyone to make and require limited tools and materials. In fact, all of the tools and materials are available at online retailers, or at a local craft store if you don’t already have the items lying around your house. Younger children may need the help of an adult for some portions of the craft project, but they can help with most of the personalization of the crafts. And many of these crafts make great homemade gifts!

In this month’s craft project, find a fun way to bring your boat inside your home!

Materials to Make a Nautical Picture Frame:

• A wooden board (already sanded and stained)
• Various colors of embroidery floss
• Hammer
• Nails (not as long as the board is tall)
• Paper
• Tape
• Pencil
• Marker
• Scissors

Directions for How to Make the Nautical String Art:

1. Find or purchase a wooden board and measure it to determine the size. You will want your design to be slightly smaller than the board to allow for space around the edges.

    

2. Draw a simple boat or other design on your piece of paper and make sure it is slightly smaller than the size of the wooden board. After drawing the photo, mark dots every 4-5 millimeters to note where you’ll place the nails. If you are not a good drawer, you can also search for a drawing online that you like and print that out to use.

    

3. Tape the paper to your wooden board. You don’t need to tape all of the sides, just a few pieces will work to keep it from moving when you first start to insert the nails.

    

4. Hammer in the nails on each of the black dots. Start in one area and work your way around the board to fill in all of the spots. Make sure the nails are all the same height off of the board.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Once all of the nails are in, remove the paper and tape from the board.
   
   

    
   
   

6. Take one of the pieces of embroidery floss and tie a simple knot around one of the nails. Then create a frame by going back and forth around each of the nails. You can work in whatever pattern you would like and even change the color of the embroidery floss for different parts of the picture. At the end, tie another knot around the last nail and cut off any excess string.
   
   
   
   

Congratulations on making Nautical String Art! Share your creations with us on Facebook and Instagram by tagging @SeaTowFoundation and using the #DIYNauticalCraftTime

If you found this article helpful or entertaining, please consider a donation to the Sea Tow Foundation today to help us continue our efforts to educate boaters and keep them safe on the water. You can donate securely online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or by clicking on the DONATE tab at the top of the page.

What to Do With Your Kid’s Outgrown Life Jackets

When a young boater outgrows their life jacket, what can you do with it? Or when you decide to get yourself a new inflatable life jacket, what should be done with your foam one? The Sea Tow Foundation has been utilizing new and gently used life jackets to save lives as a part of our Life Jacket Drive. The drive employs these donations in Life Jacket Loaner Stations that can be found across the country.

Before adding a donated life jacket to the Life Jacket Loaner Station, each one is inspected thoroughly and you can also use the same checklist before you donate your life jacket.

• Check to make sure the life jacket is U.S. Coast Guard-approved on the label.
• Ensure that all zippers, buckles, straps and other fasteners are working properly.
• Make sure that there are no rips, tears or mold on the life jacket.
• Confirm that the life jacket’s flotation foam is not damaged – so it can float properly in water.
  • Here’s a tip: By holding a life jacket underwater, you can make sure it will float back to the surface.

Once you check that your gently used life jacket meets the conditions listed above, it can be repurposed by the Sea Tow Foundation to help make sure that boaters everywhere can have a safe and enjoyable time out on the water.

If your life jacket does not meet even one of the conditions above, discard the life jacket and ensure that it is not going to be used by cutting it apart into pieces before putting in the trash.

It is important that all boat passengers have a life jacket that fits them perfectly. By donating your gently used life jackets, you can help bring the joy of boating to other people right in your local community.

If you have a life jacket that no longer fits your boat’s passengers, please fill out this form and donate them to the Sea Tow Foundation.

If you found this article helpful or entertaining, please consider a donation to the Sea Tow Foundation today to help us continue our efforts to educate boaters and keep them safe on the water. You can donate securely online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or by clicking on the DONATE tab at the top of the page.