On a boat, wind, vibration, noise, and the sun can impair balance, coordination, and concentration - all of which are intensified by the use of alcohol, drugs, or even some medications.

Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents every year, but if every boat were to have a Sober Skipper at the helm, these accidents and deaths would be 100% preventable.

Our goal at the Sea Tow Foundation is to eliminate Boating Under the Influence (BUI) by encouraging all boaters to choose to be or to designate a sober skipper before leaving the dock and "Take the Pledge" to not drink any alcohol or take any drugs. Do it for your family, your friends, your passengers and everyone else on board your boat and on the water, so nothing can take you down.

What do you think is missing from our tips? Would you add anything to our list? Let us know in the comments.

A Q&A Session with Anheuser-Busch on the Sober Skipper Campaign

Sponsored Blog Post

The Sea Tow Foundation recently sat down with Nolan Sportelli who manages the Southeast Region for Anheuser-Busch to talk about their work with the Sea Tow Foundation, in particular the Sober Skipper Campaign this year.

1. Thank you for your support of the Sober Skipper Campaign! What outreach efforts have you recently done?
   
   We launched our Michelob ULTRA boating campaign throughout the Southeast (AL, MS, GA, TN, NC, SC, FL) in March and this will continue to run until the end of the summer of 2022. With this campaign, we will be promoting safe boating & designating a Sober Skipper when enjoying yourself on the water. Our wholesaler partners have all the tools to be able to take this campaign out to market where we can really make an impact with consumers.

    

2. What is Anheuser-Busch’s philosophy on boating safety?

   
   We always want to encourage and promote safe drinking when consumers are enjoying our products. This extends to the boating community. We know consumers are enjoying our products on the water, which is great, but with that it becomes our responsibility to educate those consumers on how to enjoy safely. And always designating a Sober Skipper is a key to making sure that they can be safe and have fun at the same time.

    

3. What resources do you currently have available for people to learn about boating safety?
   
   We have developed a suite of assets for our wholesaler partners to be able to leverage out in market. These include the ‘Designate a Sober Skipper’ message with a QR Code that takes people to the website to Take the Pledge and have included it alongside our Michelob ULTRA branding. We’ve included this on signage, posters, banners, print & digital media, and a whole lot more!

    

4. What are your top boating safety tips for people who are looking to enjoy time on the water this summer?
   
   

• If anyone in your group is consuming alcoholic beverages while boating or spending time on the water, make sure to designate a Sober Skipper who can be responsible for the boat and all of the people’s safety.

• Be Prepared! Ensure you have all the proper equipment & safety gear for the type of boating activity that you’ll be enjoying. This includes life jackets.

Thank you for your time and your support of the Sober Skipper Campaign. Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Thank you for making the Sober Skipper Campaign so easy to share with our customers. The logo and QR code are very easy to add to our signage and we know it is making a difference.

As a sponsor of the Sea Tow Foundation, Anheuser-Busch has been invited to share this content with our boating safety audience. To inquire about sponsorship opportunities for your business, please contact info@boatingsafety.com.