BoatUS News: Just the Facts, All the Facts!
NEWS From BoatUS
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
A look at BoatUS by the numbers.
A Look at the Numbers Behind the Nation’s Largest Recreational Boating Group, BoatUS
ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 20, 2015 ‘“ Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation’s largest advocacy, services and safety group with over half a million members. With the `kick-off’ of the summer boating season this Memorial Day weekend, there may be a lot you don’t know about this 49-year-old organization without looking at the numbers.
Membership
530,219 Total number of BoatUS members nationwide. (BoatUS.com/membership)
28 feet The average length of a BoatUS member’s boat.
1091 The number of businesses and marinas offering BoatUS members discounts, including fuel and transient slip discounts. (BoatUS.com/servicelocator)
4% The percentage of West Advantage Gold Rewards earned back by BoatUS members when shopping for boating supplies at West Marine. (BoatUS.com/rewards)
Boating Safety
1,085,503 The number of students who have taken the BoatUS Foundation’s free Online Boating Safety Course to date. (BoatUS.org/courses).
101 The number of Emergency Position-Indicating Rescue Beacons (EPIRBs) and Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) available for rent from the BoatUS Foundation. (BoatUS.org/epirb)
575 Locations across the US where you can borrow a child’s life jacket for free from the BoatUS Foundation’s Kids Life Jacket Loaner Program. (BoatUS.org/life-jacket-loaner)
$1.3 million Funding over the past 26 years provided to local community groups by the BoatUS Foundation Grassroots Grant Program that promotes safe and clean boating education. (BoatUS.org/grants)
Government Affairs
49 The number of years BoatUS has fought for recreational boaters’ rights. (BoatUS.com/gov)
1 The number of national boat owner organizations with full time government affairs staff (BoatUS).
11 The number of individual issues, from Florida Anchoring and Ethanol to Aids to Navigation and boating access that BoatUS Government Affairs works on in an average month.
244 The number of groups, organizations, government agencies and legislative leaders BoatUS works with in an average year to support boaters’ interests.
27,769 The number of grassroots messages generated and sent to legislators in an average year by BoatUS Government Affairs on pending boating-related issues.
16 The number of volunteer (unpaid) positions BoatUS management holds in an average year on outside boating-related advisory boards, professional associations or philanthropic organizations.
On the Water Boat Towing and Roadside Assistance
603 The number of towboats in the TowBoatUS/Vessel Assist towing fleet. (BoatUS.com/servicelocator)
305 TowBoatUS/Vessel Assist Locations across the country (BoatUS.com/servicelocator)
70,297 Annual requests to BoatUS Towing Services 24-hour dispatch centers for on water assistance. (BoatUS.com/towing)
24: The number of hours a day you can summon on water or on road assistance from BoatUS.
5 Number of different ways boaters can contact BoatUS 24-hour dispatch for on water or on road assistance: 1. Telephone 800-391-4869; 2. BoatUS Towing APP (BoatUS.com/app); 3. VHF radio; 4. Spot satellite messenger (BoatUS.com/spot); 5. DeLorme inReach (BoatUS.com/delorme).
100 The number of miles BoatUS Unlimited Trailer Assist will haul a boat trailer and its tow vehicle to a repair shop, safe area or home with no out of pocket expense to the member. (BoatUS.com/trailerassist)
$14 The annual price for BoatUS Unlimited Trailer Assist, in addition to member dues of $24. (BoatUS.com/trailerassist)
48-53 feet The length of a flatbed trailer that could be used by one of the 18,000 roadside service providers offering assistance to a BoatUS member with Unlimited Trailer Assist to haul both a disabled boat trailer and tow vehicle. (BoatUS.com/trailerassist)
209,212 Number of downloads of the BoatUS Towing App, which makes it easy to summon on water and on road assistance 24/7. (BoatUS.com/app)
Boat Insurance
$7.4 Billion The total hull value of all boats insured with BoatUS Marine Insurance Program. (BoatUS.com/insurance)
24/7 Hours/days per week that BoatUS members can make a claim. (BoatUS.com/insurance)
$25,000 The amount BoatUS boat policies automatically include for Medical Payments Coverage to the member or their family members not covered by any major medical policy. (BoatUS.com/insurance)
25% The reduction of a BoatUS policy deductible each year a member remains claims free, until it reaches $0. (BoatUS.com/insurance)
50% The percentage of a marina’s haul-out bill that BoatUS Marine Insurance will pay to help avoid damage from an approaching hurricane (up to $1,000 total). (BoatUS.com/insurance)
$23 The starting cost (annually) for BoatUS mechanical breakdown coverage for drive units that can be added to any BoatUS Yacht Policy (agreed value) for boats less than 10 years old. (BoatUS.com/insurance)
$500 The amount the BoatUS Angler’s Best policy will pay up to for reimbursing a member should a claim cause them to miss or withdraw from a competition. (BoatUS.com/insurance)
$5,000 The amount the BoatUS Watersports Package will pay up to in actual cash value coverage for your watersports equipment. (BoatUS.com/insurance)
$500,000 The amount of liability coverage available per occurrence with the BoatUS Boat Yacht Policy. (BoatUS.com/insurance)
Consumer Protection
$2,500 The average dollar amount returned to a BoatUS member who received a successful resolution from the BoatUS Consumer Affairs Dispute Mediation Program. (BoatUS.com/consumerprotection)
11,317 The total number of complaints filed and searchable in the BoatUS Consumer Complaint database since 1992. (BoatUS.com/consumerprotection)
About Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS):
BoatUS is the nation¹s largest organization of recreational boaters with over a half million members. We are the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill and fight for their rights. We help ensure a roadside breakdown doesn’t end a boating or fishing trip before it begins, and on the water, we bring boaters safely back to the launch ramp or dock when their boat won’t, day or night. The BoatUS insurance program gives boat owners the specialized coverage and superior service they need, and we help keep boaters safe and our waters clean with assistance from the non-profit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Visit BoatUS.com.
Comments from Cruisers (2)
Just what we need, a new swing bridge. I remember the Sunset Beach bridge very well. We all held our breath every time they had to open or close it. I had mixed emotions when it was replaced. The Sunset Beach was a piece of history that I thought was lost, now I see it has been reincarnated and the ferry has faded away.
Not to worry… this will never be like the old Sunset Beach pontoon bridge, which opened just once an hour (and took forever!). I talked to the Director at the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Refuge, who told me that they are the only ones who use it, and maybe just a couple times a day at the most. They actually use skiffs to get across most of the time and only use the new bridge if they need to get vehicles or equipment across. So…the bridge will stay pinned to the bank and open to marine traffic almost all of the time. He says they can get the bridge in place and vehicles across in just 4 or 5 minutes, so even if you need to stop, you’ll get to see the pontoon bridge in action without too much delay.
A much bigger hazard is the boat ramp next to it…it can get really busy!
Mike Ahart
Editor, Waterway Guide