PRESS RELEASE

Sea Tow Foundation Announces Official Call for Entry for National Boating Industry Safety Awards

North American Sober Skipper Advisory Council Expands Recognition Program; Announces New Title Sponsorship from KICKER® Marine Audio

Southold, NY, September 3, 2020 – The Sea Tow Foundation in cooperation with its North American Sober Skipper Advisory Council, announced the official call for entry for its “National Boating Industry Safety Awards.”

The 2020 contest features an enhanced series of categories which recognize top boating safety programs and campaigns within the for-profit segment of the recreational marine industry. This year’s event includes 11 categories of entry, up from four the previous year.

“Due to the positive response from our inaugural contest in 2019, coupled with recommendations from our advisory council, we have nearly tripled the categories of entry in hopes of recognizing the outstanding work of many more boating safety advocates throughout all segments of the recreational marine industry,” said Sea Tow Foundation Executive Director Gail R. Kulp.

The 2020 National Boating Industry Safety Awards include the following categories for submission: Powerboat Manufacturer; Sailboat Manufacturer; Engine Manufacturer; Gear/Equipment Manufacturer; Human Powered (Canoe, Kayak, SUP) Manufacturer; Marine Retailer with up to 3 Locations; Marine Retailer with more than 3 Locations; Marine Media Outlets; Marine Marketing and Outreach; Marine Distributor; and a Multi-Year Campaign will also be available for any category.

Also new for 2020 is the title sponsorship from KICKER® Marine Audio, based in Stillwater, OK.

“KICKER Marine Audio is very pleased to contribute to this important effort that promotes boating safety within the recreational marine space,” said KICKER Marine Audio’s National Brand Manager Jeremy Bale. “The good work of leading marine organizations in educating and advancing boating safety messages benefits the entire industry, as well as boaters throughout the nation. KICKER is very proud to lend our support to this worthwhile and very important cause.”

“We appreciate the generous financial support of KICKER Marine Audio in helping to support our national awards program,” added Kulp. “We hope to continually build this program and involve many in the industry who share our passion and focus on boating safety.”

Entries may be submitted from September 3 through midnight, October 15, 2020 for any boating safety campaigns conducted between August 15, 2019 and August 15, 2020. A new multi-year category is also available to recognize ongoing boating safety programs and promotions.

Contest information and applications are available for download at www.boatingsafety.com/awards along with information and samples from the 2019 winners.

Winners for the 2020 awards contest will be announced live during the MRAA’s Dealer Week scheduled for December 8 – 11, 2020 in Austin, TX.

“We highly encourage all those organizations throughout the marine industry involved in promoting boating safety to apply in this year’s awards competition,” said Kulp. “The Sea Tow Foundation and our North American Sober Skipper Advisory Council, coupled with the title sponsor KICKER Marine Audio, are very pleased to shine the spotlight on the best boating safety efforts by companies in the for-profit segment of the recreational marine industry.” 

Life Jacket Selfie Contest to be held at Miami International Boat Show

(Southold, NY) The Sea Tow Foundation has announced it will be launching a selfie giveaway contest at the 2020 Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show that will help educate boat lovers of all ages on the importance of wearing life jackets. PRESS RELEASE

Through partnerships with the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), Onyx Outdoor, FELL Marine, FishGillz, Navionics, Source4 and Formula Boats, the Sea Tow Foundation will be giving away five prize packages valued at $3,600 to Miami International Boat Show attendees and boaters watching from home.

To participate in the contest, the Sea Tow Foundation is asking Miami International Boat Show attendees to stop by its Life Jacket Loaner Stations located at piers 2 and 5 to try on an Onyx life jacket and take a selfie while wearing it in front of the station. Attendees are also welcome to borrow the life jackets to walk the docks and take them out on the water during the sea trails.

Those who are unable to attend the Miami International Boat Show can still enter to win by downloading and printing a graphic from the Sea Tow Foundation’s online store and taking a selfie with this print-out.

Contestants must then upload their photos to Facebook or Instagram, tag the Sea Tow Foundation @SeaTowFoundation, and use the hashtag #LifeJackets4theWin. One winner will be chosen at random each day of the show – February 14-17 – to win a prize pack with one additional winner being chosen from the at-home audience at the end of the week.

Each prize pack is valued at over $700 and includes:

• An Impulse A-24 In-Sight Automatic Inflatable life jacket from Onyx Outdoor
• FELL Marine’s MOB+ Wireless Man Overboard engine cutoff system
• 4 Tickets to next year’s Miami International Boat Show, courtesy of NMMA
• A pair of floating, polarized FishGillz Sunglasses
• A duffel bag from Source 4
• A Navionics Boating Charts App

The Sea Tow Foundation extends special thanks to Formula Boats for its generous donation that will be used to offset shipping costs of the prize packs to each of the winners.

Gail R. Kulp, the Sea Tow Foundation’s executive director, said it’s great to see so many within the boating industry rally behind the Sea Tow Foundation.

“We’re thrilled to have received so much support from our partners within the boating industry,” Kulp said. “Our giveaway contest will be a great way to get boaters’ attention and help continue to educate the public that boating can be safe and fun.”

The Sea Tow Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner Stations available to Miami International Boat Show attendees are part of the Foundation’s nationwide Life Jacket Loaner Program, which hosts more than 600 stations on waterways throughout the country where boaters can borrow and return life jackets at no charge. In addition, the Sea Tow Foundation also operates the Sober Skipper Program, which encourages boaters to make the decision to be or to designate a drug and alcohol-free operator for their boats before every trip.

For a full list of contest rules and to see photos of the prizes, click here.

Sea Tow Foundation’s Sober Skipper Program is Saving Lives

The Sea Tow Foundation has announced the 2017-2018 grant findings for its Sober Skipper program. First launched in 2015 and now in more than 180 cities across 51 states and territories, the program encourages boaters to be or to designate a Sober Skipper before every boating trip. The Sober Skipper campaign is funded through a grant from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, administered by the U.S. Coast Guard.

In the United States, Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) thresholds differ from state to state regarding who is permitted to operate a boat. Likewise, the penalties for Boating Under the Influence (BUI) vary, even though BUI has consistently been the top contributing factor of fatal boating accidents. Yet not a single state has a law in place that prohibits boaters from possession and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages while their boat is being used for recreational purposes, as long as the operator stays below the state’s BAC threshold.

The Sea Tow Foundation is trying to change that, and for the first time in the history of the Sober Skipper Program, it is able to prove that the campaign is having a positive effect on the number of BUI deaths, injuries and accidents, according to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boating Accident Statistics.

Among the 51 states and territories that have boating communities who have embraced the Sober Skipper Program, 94 percent have seen a reduction of BUI-related deaths, accidents or injuries, and a total of seven states saw a reduction in BUI across all three categories. Gail R. Kulp, the Sea Tow Foundation’s executive director, said this is definitive proof that the Foundation’s Sober Skipper Campaign is working and that the grassroots efforts used to promote the message have been successful.

“We have seen over 8.4 million people be reached by the Sober Skipper Program this year,” Kulp said. “This is an 800 percent increase and, based on the grant funding provided, this means that it cost less than one cent per person to make a difference and save lives.”

The media generated by the Sober Skipper Program this year was valued at over $215,000 which is more than double the amount of grant funding that the project was awarded. There was also an increase in the number of organizations, agencies and private citizens who requested a set of Sober Skipper wristbands to host a “Take the Pledge” event.

“These results are a big win, not only for the Sea Tow Foundation, but for the boating public at large,” Kulp added. “They illustrate that when the boating community comes together, great things can be achieved. We can’t wait to carry this momentum into the future and hopefully cut BUI deaths to zero.”

To Take the Pledge to be a Sober Skipper or request materials to host an event, visit www.soberskipper.com.

A Visit to Sea Tow Southcentral Alaska

In early October, Sea Tow Foundation Executive Director, Gail Kulp, had the opportunity to visit Alaska for the first time to attend a conference. While there, Gail stopped in to see Captain Trey Hill, owner of Sea Tow Southcentral Alaska. Trey owns three Sea Tow locations in Southcentral Alaska: Homer, Seward and Whittier.

Homer is the southernmost location for Capt. Trey. Located roughly 4 hours south of Anchorage, Homer is  home to many shops and restaurants as well as a bustling port for container ships, commercial fishing vessels and thousands of recreational boaters. Sea Tow’s Southcentral Alaskan office is located in town, with a boat docked in port providing boaters peace-of-mind 24/7/365. The Sea Tow Foundation’s life jacket loaner station is also available 24/7/365 for anyone who needs to borrow a life jacket to help ensure a safe day on the water.

Whittier is the easternmost location for Capt. Trey, a glacier-viewing paradise on Prince William Sound, about an hour southeast of Anchorage. Access to Whittier is controlled by the longest combined-use tunnel in North America. The tunnel is one lane and controlled on a tight schedule in 15 minute increments. This allows for vehicle traffic to flow in both directions as well as allow for a train to pass through the tunnel. There is always a full-time captain on Trey’s staff in Whittier to ensure prompt service for boaters; and eliminating any wait for tunnel traffic before Sea Tow help arrives.

Seward, one of the oldest communities in Alaska, is located on Resurrection Bay on the Kenai Peninsula about 2 ½ hours south of Anchorage. As a popular cruise port, Seward offers many activities to entertain cruise passengers including kayaking, fishing, whale watching cruises, shopping, or taking a ride on the Alaska Railroad (which begins in Seward). Seward is also very popular among recreational boaters. Gail was lucky enough to get a personal tour from Capt. Trey on a Sea Tow boat. They took in the amazing views of the surrounding snow-capped mountains and were lucky enough to see a few otters playing around in the crystal blue waters, which was a highlight for Makena, the dog, who wanted to join in on their fun.

Note from Gail: I fell in love with Alaska and, knowing that the state is 2 ½ times the size of Texas and that I’d only managed to see a small segment of it during my visit, I know that another trip will be in my future and I'm going to bring my family along! Who knows, maybe I’ll be one of the cruise ship passengers coming into port on my next trip! Why don't you plan a trip of your own?