BoatUS has been representing the interests of recreational boat owners for over 40 years. In fact advocacy was our very first Member benefit. We have won many battles over the years - passage of the Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971, elimination of the FCC VHF marine radio license, repeal of the Federal boat "user fee" tax, elimination of the Federal tax for boaters on diesel fuel, continuing the Interest deduction for boat loans, and the list goes on.

Today we find ourselves in a fight to pass a bill that will keep all recreational boaters from an unfair bureaucratic and financial burden - and time is running out. The Clean Boating Act of 2008 must pass. It will keep recreational boats out of a permit system designed for ocean-going commercial vessels carrying ballast water.

Without a change in federal law, all boaters will need to obtain this permit as early as this summer. With your help and working with other boating and fishing groups, nearly 25,000 letters have been sent to Capitol Hill in the last few weeks to support S. 2766 "The Clean Boating Act of 2008." In the coming weeks, we hope to help usher this bill successfully through the Senate and on to the House of Representatives. Your continued support is critical. If you haven't yet picked up the phone or emailed your two Senators, please do it now! And stay tuned for when we need specific action in the House too. (for more information click here to BoatUS.com/Gov and to quickly send email to your Senators.)

As boaters like you, we will continue the BoatUS Mission to be "The Boater's Advocate." Thanks for your continued support!

Nancy S. Michelman
President@BoatUS.com

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Need a Tune Up for Summer? Get the CD at 25% Off!

To ensure a summer of trouble-free boating, now's the time to service your boat's engine or motor. DIY Boat Owner, the authority on boat repairs and maintenance, can help. The handy CD-ROM, DIY Mechanic, is on sale for 25% off, plus free shipping, through April 30. The CD features important guides and tips for servicing both gasoline and diesel engines, plus servicing and trouble-shooting outboards and sterndrives.

To get the DIY Mechanic CD for $14.95 and free shipping, go to our website and enter Priority Code BEL408C .

The spring issue of DIY Boat Owner Magazine is available for a limited time only. It features a boatload of tips and advice, from a comprehensive Bottom Paint Guide to a Spring Checklist, plus: Lubricating Stern Drives; Navigation Software; Bilge Pump Switches; Powerboat Steering Service; plus numerous DIY Projects. BoatUS members get one year of DIY Boat Owner for a special rate of $21. Also available digitally online for $15. Go to BoatUS.com/DIY to sign up, using Priority Code BEL408

Also be sure to visit the newly redesigned web site at
DIY-Boat.com.  If you have any questions please give us a call at 888 - 658 - 2628 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.

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TheBoaters.com, a BoatUS partner, has launched a new feature on their website that allows members to explore and "navigate" the waterways for free. They have loaded the entire roster of 70,000 US navigational aids (markers, buoys and lights) to a map on their site at TheBoaters.com/explore.

By viewing these navigational aids in the comfort of your own home, marina or boat club, mariners of all levels can scope out their next vacation cruise or simply plan a Saturday rendezvous. There is also a neat way to measure distance in nautical miles (once you're at TheBoaters.com/explore, use the little ruler on the upper right).

Each of these navigation aids has a descriptive bubble of information that is accessed by clicking the icon on the map. The aids can be displayed as a satellite view, map view, terrain view and hybrid view. Members can easily see how close a particular marina is to a highway, for example, or estimate the length of a no-wake zone.

Keep in mind that the use of these tools should be limited to informational gathering purposes and should always be verified with other sources and actual on-board electronic and or paper charts. TheBoaters.com will update the navigational aids every time the government provides an updated roster, which is typically once a month.

So go to TheBoaters.com/explore and start checking out the navigational aids near you!

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A Story About the Importance of Wearing Life Jackets
By Bob Adriance the Seaworthy Editor

About the only good thing you can say about Piggy Sue falling overboard, is that her rotund little body made an impressive splash - loud enough that the skipper, Michael Camarata, knew instantly what had happened. It was late at night, and Michael had the presence of mind to grab a flashlight and shine it down into the dark water. But aside from a few telltale bubbles, the pig was nowhere to be seen.

Wait a minute. A pig? Before you continue, there are a few questions that need to be answered. Why, for starters, would someone on a boat be trying to rescue a drowning pig late at night? Answer: Piggy Sue is a pet. Next question: Why would someone want a pig for a pet instead of, say, a dog or cat? Aha - the answer to that one is simple. Pigs don't have fur, and Michael's daughter Heather suffers from allergies. Since dogs and cats are covered with fur, Piggy Sue was an imaginative alternative for a family pet. She is very playful, loves people, is naturally clean, sometimes sleeps with Heather, barks when she's happy, and moans when she's sad. She's also very smart, almost too smart according to Michael. Piggy Sue tends to train Michael when he is supposed to be training her.

More questions: Even if he finds her, how is Michael going to get Piggy Sue back aboard the boat? Answer: Piggy Sue is a Potbelly pig, which means that at 40 pounds she is much more svelte than your average farm pig. Next question: How is Michael going to hold onto a wet, flailing pig, even if it is "svelte"? Good question. More on that later. Final question: Did Michael save Piggy Sue?

Click here to find out what happened to Piggy Sue! 

Based on the BoatUS Marine Insurance damage-avoidance publication, Seaworthy is now a book published by International Marine/McGraw Hill. Called Seaworthy, The Ultimate Guide to Preventing, Responding to, and Surviving Accidents, it is available at Amazon.com and major bookstores.

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Boat Loan Rates Drop
Now is the time to buy or refinance. Rates are lower than in previous years. We offer down payments as low as 10% and up to 20-year terms. Trust BoatUS Boat Finance to give you the real deal. Apply online at Boatus.com/Boatloans. Some restrictions may apply.

Settlement Service: Early Season Savings
Buying or selling a boat? Leave the work to us. BoatUS Settlement Service will coordinate transactions between buyer and seller including lien searches, loan payoffs, ownership transfer and hold deposits (if requested). This service is especially helpful for non-brokered transactions. For additional information click here.

USCG Documentation Spring Savings
Documentation is a federal registration for boats that provides ownership and lien information to be recorded with the USCG. BoatUS is offering an e-Line special of 20% savings through May 15, 2008. Apply online here or call 706-869-8241 with any questions.

RV Loan Rates Drop
Now is the time to buy or refinance. We offer RV financing for Class A and C. Maximum model age is 1999 with terms up to 15-20 years and down payments as low as 15%. Visit us at RVUS.com or call 866-908-7887.

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BoatUS Rental Emergency Beacon and Good Samaritans Save Crew of Five

ALEXANDRIA, VA, March 3, 2008 - A rented emergency rescue beacon from the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and good Samaritans aboard a local dive boat, helped prevent the loss of five lives aboard a weather-beaten "pirate" ship that took on water and sank Wednesday, February 27, near the Bahamas.

The Treasure Seeker, a 65-foot, diesel-powered pirate ship replica, was being relocated from St. Petersburg, FL to a new business location in St. Thomas, USVI when it experienced stormy sea conditions on the evening of February 26. A routine crew check early Wednesday morning found water rising in the bilge and, after it was determined it could not be fixed, the Treasure Seeker's captain activated their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) which had been acquired through the BoatUS EPIRB Rental Program.

Unbeknownst to the Treasure Seeker's crew, the U.S. Coast Guard in Miami, FL received the EPIRB's distress signal - which includes GPS location information - and immediately relayed the emergency call to local mariners in the Bahamas. The 104-foot dive boat SV Juliet, which was departing Turks and Caicos at the time, heard the USCG call and diverted 45 miles to the sinking boat's location and safely removed all five persons from Treasure Seeker.

Soon afterward, with a USCG helicopter hovering on scene, the twin-masted excursion vessel disappeared below the waves. There was no time to salvage any of the crew's personal possessions. The SV Juliet then safely returned Treasure Seeker's crew to Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos.

The captain of the "pirate" ship later commented that without the EPIRB from BoatUS, the rescue most likely would not have been successful because the only other calls for help - Mayday sent over the vessel's VHF radio - never received a response.

The BoatUS Foundation EPIRB Rental Program is funded by the voluntary contributions of 650,000 BoatUS members. The $750 EPIRBs can be rented from the Foundation for as little as $40 a week, and are intended to fill the short-term safety need for occasional offshore passages. For more information, call 888-663-7472 or visit BoatUS.com/Foundation/Epirb.

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The Members-Only website, My.BoatUS.com, was created just for you! If you haven't registered yet, click here to begin. Once you register, you are automatically entered to win a Standard Horizon HX850S 6 Watt FLOATING VHF with GPS! Then you can start to personalize up to four pages of information with features like:

* Customize tide charts
* Keep up-to-date with the latest Fishing Factoids
* Local weather and storm alerts
* Read a new "Quote of the Day"

Remember to login once a day and click on "Enter Contest" (left side of screen under "Manage Your Content") to increase your chances of winning. Registration is simple and easy - just fill in your Member number (# %%$MEMBER_NBR%%), email address and zip code, create a password and you're all set!

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BoatUS Marine Insurance announces two new coverages added to our boater-friendly insurance policies. Aimed at making your boating experience even more enjoyable, these new coverages ensure further protection for you, your passengers and your vessel at the same low premium!

REPLACEMENT COVERAGE
Replacement Coverage has been added to our flagship Yacht Policy. If your new boat suffers a total loss before it is 2 ½ years old, you now have the option for the policy to pay to replace the boat with the most current make/model available. And, with most total losses, there's no deductible or depreciation, which means you're back on the water with little or no out-of- pocket expense!

SUPPLEMENTAL FAMILY MEDICAL COVERAGE
In the interest of providing full protection for your loved ones on the water, all BoatUS policies now provide Supplemental Family Medical Coverage - up to $25,000 per person, per incident! In the event of an on-board injury, this coverage helps prevent any large out-of-pocket expense by covering the medical costs not covered by a family member's health insurance.

With policy options for all boat types, and committed boating professionals ready to assist you 24/7/365 in emergencies, BoatUS really is the Best Crew for Protecting You. Let us provide you with a fast, free quote online, or call our Underwriters for personal service toll-free at 1-800-283-2883.

All policies subject to limits and exclusions.

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TowBoatUS and Vessel Assist have been in the news numerous times over the past years. So in case you're wondering what TowBoatUS and Vessel Assist do or how they have made a difference, we have gone to great lengths to provide all these happenings to you on one webpage. Click here to check out all the listings and let us know how we made a difference in your area.

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Unique in the world of marine publishing, BoatUS Magazine's May issue will be arriving soon! Here's a look at what we will be sharing with you in the next issue:

Rescue 21 Performs as Promised
With a new region up and running each month, the Coast Guard's coastal radio system has already proven it can save lives.

A Sublime Experience
The world of personal submarines is full of ups and downs, but that doesn't stop these dedicated hobbyists.

A Really Big "Mac"
The 100th edition of Lake Michigan's Chicago-Mackinac Race, the world's longest freshwater sailing race, gets underway this July with a record fleet of 460 entries.

Waterfront Living: Gulf Coast
The serenity of Gulf Coast living and plenty of protected waterways draws boaters from all over the country.

50 Years and Growing
One of the nation's longest running boating safety initiatives, the National Safe Boating Council hits the big 5-0.

All in the Family: Formula's Plan
This Midwestern boatbuilding family's blend of offshore racing and cruising boats has set them apart and led to award-winning boats.

DIY: Reducing Serious Risk
Newly installed items or repairs to your boat could inadvertently create a hazard of fire or explosion if new parts are not ignition protected. Here's what and where to check.

Click here to read highlights from our March issue!

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