Saturday, June 8, has been proclaimed National Marina Day. This year promises to be bigger than ever now that Discover Boating has lent its Welcome to the Water marketing muscle to the event. But, what exactly is the new and improved “Welcome to the Water on National Marina Day” and what sorts of activities can you look forward to in your area?
Simply put, National Marina Day was created as a way for marinas to gain exposure in their communities and promote the role they play in recreational boating — because let’s face it, not a lot of boating would be going on without the launching, fueling and servicing these facilities provide. In the past 12 years, it has evolved into a day that celebrates the entire marine industry and boating lifestyle, with partners such as Sail America, Ocean Conservancy, Freedom Boat Club and the American Boat and Yacht Council.
The goal of Welcome to the Water on National Marina Day is to grow boat ownership and get more people involved in boating activities. To this end, the 24 hours — and quite often the remainder of the weekend, too — is crammed with events hosted at participating marinas, including everything from open houses and facility tours to cookouts and demo rides. Many places offer complimentary boater education courses and on-site Coast Guard vessel safety checks. There are waterfront cleanups, fishing tournaments, marine swap meets and even a life jacket world record attempt! You get the idea.
To date, some 250 marinas in 44 states along with several marinas in Australia, Canada, Cuba and Guam have signed on to host official Welcome to the Water on National Marina Day events. The National Marina Day website has a page dedicated to listing the events. Visit www.nationalmarinaday.org/participants to see what’s happening in your local boating community.
Whatever you do this upcoming Welcome to the Water National Marina Day, make sure you get off your dock and share the fun of boating with someone you care about. You might just end up with a new best boating buddy.
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Great post, good to raise awareness for the wonderful world of boating, hope people used it to its full potential!