82009 Training EventsMarine Service Management CourseSydney, NSW, AustraliaJuly 13 - 16, 2009Marine Service Management CourseWest Palm Beach, FLSeptember 11 - 14, 2009Intermediate <strong>Marina</strong> Management CourseSydney, NSW, AustraliaSeptember 20 - 24, 2009New TechnologiesWest Palm Beach, FLOctober 25 - 27, 20093rd AnnualSouth Florida <strong>Marina</strong> Study TourFort Lauderdale, FLOctober 28 - 29, 2009Intermediate <strong>Marina</strong> Management CourseWest Palm Beach, FLNovember 15 - 19, 2009Intermediate <strong>Marina</strong> Management CourseUKNovember 2009Advanced <strong>Marina</strong> Management CourseWest Palm Beach, FLDecember 6 - 11, 2009
9Legislation &By Wendy LarimerpartnershipsStanding Up to the Couch PotatoI recently reviewed a copy <strong>of</strong> the Outdoor Recreation ParticipationReport <strong>2008</strong> conducted by the Outdoor Foundation.The report gauges how many people from ages 6 to65+ enjoy, explore, or even tackle the great outdoors, andparticipate in activities from biking, hunting, skiing, andmountaineering to fishing and canoeing. Boating was notincluded as a general category but was measured throughsailing, canoeing, kayaking, and perhaps indirectly throughSCUBA diving and wake boarding. (We have been assuredboating will be a category in the next survey.)The results are dismal. Of the nearly 41,000 people surveyednationwide, who statistically represented America asa whole, just half participated in outdoor activities at alllast year. And, <strong>of</strong> those who ventured out <strong>of</strong> their homesonly 20% did so two or more times per week. The majority<strong>of</strong> respondents indicated they enjoyed an outdoor activityfewer than 30 times in the entire year, or less than onceevery two weeks.With BoatU.S. Insurance,You’re Not Just A Number...BoatU.S. Member Bruce Fournier aboard“G’Day” on the Braden River in Florida.“So <strong>of</strong>ten in this day and age,customer service representativesare indifferent in their dealingswith clients over the phone. I wasextremely satisfied with the helpfuland courteous way my insuranceinquiry was handled and want tothank you for having people <strong>of</strong>this caliber available for yourinsurance customers.”—Bruce Fournier,Bradenton, FLYou’re Number One!At BoatU.S., you’ll find boating experts with the answers youneed when you call. Our knowledgeable Underwriters not onlyfind the perfect coverage for your boat and boating lifestyle,we’ll work with you to help find ways to save on your premium.And, as a Berkshire Hathaway company, you can be sureBoatU.S. will be here each and every time you need us.For a fast, free quote call 1-800-283-2883or apply online at BoatUS.comPolicies Subject to Limits and ExclusionsAs might be expected, the rate <strong>of</strong> outdoor activity decreasessteadily with age, such that a six-year-old is much morelikely to be out and about than a sixty-five-year-old. But,the survey results also indicate that 90% <strong>of</strong> the adult respondentswere introduced to outdoor recreation betweenthe ages <strong>of</strong> five and eighteen, most <strong>of</strong>ten by a parent. So,if the older generations are not getting outside, it is likelytheir kids are not out there either.In fact, the report shows that the rate <strong>of</strong> decline in youthactivity is the most dramatic <strong>of</strong> any age group. The rate <strong>of</strong>participation from kids six to seventeen dropped 11% injust one year. The report stated, “…adult participants mustshare their passion for the outdoors. Connecting youthwith the outdoors ensures future generations <strong>of</strong> conservationists,healthier individuals, healthier communities, andhealthier businesses.”Why does this matter to you? Boating is an activity thatmust be done outside! If the number <strong>of</strong> Americans gettingoutdoors is dropping, it stands to reason that the number <strong>of</strong>those out boating is also decreasing. And, if the number <strong>of</strong>kids enjoying outdoor activities is dropping even faster, weare losing the next generation <strong>of</strong> boaters. In other words,we’re losing our industry’s future.Why go through the embarrassment <strong>of</strong> docking your boatin front <strong>of</strong> a crowd <strong>of</strong> onlookers, when you can do it virtuallyon your TV in front <strong>of</strong> no one? Why come home froma fishing trip hot, tired, and with no fish, when you can sitin the AC and catch giant swordfish all day long? This is themindset our industry has to cope with and change.<strong>Marina</strong> owners need to come together and take a standagainst couch potatoes by celebrating their clientele whohave chosen the outdoor lifestyle. On a busy summer daywhen you and your staff feel ready to run away from yourcustomers, instead go up and thank them for being boatersand encourage them to bring their friends out for a boatride. These rarities that are outdoor enthusiasts need to behonored and celebrated and you have the luck <strong>of</strong> seeingthem in front <strong>of</strong> you every day. The better you make theirboating experience the more likely they are to continuegetting out and introducing new boaters to the wonderfuloutdoors.
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