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November 2009

BoatUS Membership eLine is produced by the BoatUS Membership Department and is an update on seasonal issues, helpful suggestions and friendly reminders. This has been sent to you because you are an active Member of BoatUS.

In This Issue
President's Corner

Please join me shopping and saving at the first ever West Advantage Members-Only event on November 21st and 22nd at your local West Marine store. I'll be there getting ready for the holidays and stocking up on specially priced items for everyone on my list. From Annapolis to San Diego, every West Marine store will have special storewide savings exclusively for Members! Of course, as a BoatUS Member you will still earn your West Advantage Gold Rewards, the highest level of shopping rewards at West Marine during this special weekend.

Here at BoatUS, we're really excited about this event and will be visiting select stores around the country. From BoatUS Headquarters in Alexandria, VA to our service centers in Jacksonville, FL and Newport Beach, CA, we'll be out shopping with you! And we'll be joined by towers from both of our fleets of red boats - TowBoatUS and VESSEL ASSIST. So mark your calendars for November 21 and 22...we hope to see you at your local West Marine store!

Use our online Member Services Locator to find a West Marine near you BoatUS.com/msl.

See you on the water!
Nancy S. Michelman
President@BoatUS.com

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Winter Lay-Up Tasks You Can't Afford to Forget

Each year, as boaters everywhere prepare for winter lay-up, a thorough and well thought-out winterizing plan is often the difference between a boat that incurs damage in the off-season and one that's sound and ready to launch in the spring. But with so many chores to keep track of, even the most organized boater is bound to forget a critical winterizing task or two.

To assist in your lay-up efforts, BoatUS Marine Insurance has scoured our claim files to identify the top winterizing tasks most commonly overlooked each year. From hull to engine, your boat's systems deserve special attention. Read on to find out if your winterizing efforts cover all of the essential steps!

Plan on visiting your boat regularly, at least once or twice a month.
A lot can happen in winter, from animals moving aboard to sudden leaks caused by expanding ice. If you can't visit your boat frequently, consider using a buddy system with other boat owners. Another alternative is to ask your marina manager to keep an eye on the boat. Many marinas will inspect boats, although usually for a fee.

Did you add extra lines and chafe protection?
Blustery winter winds should never be confused with gentle summer breezes. All it takes is one good winter storm to abrade a dock line -- and maybe bash a hole in the hull. If the boat is left in the water, double up on docklines and add chafe protection.

Click Here to Read the Full List.

As you prepare for the winter, make sure your boat is protected by quality insurance coverage at the best price. Click Here for a fast, free rate quote or call 800-283-2883 for personal service.

* All BoatUS policies subject to limits and exclusions

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Last Chance to Win $25,000

Time is running out for your chance at winning $25,000 from the BoatUS Wave of Fortune Sweepstakes! Chances are, you've already been entered once already this year, as you are automatically entered in the sweepstakes after joining or renewing or for each new BoatUS Member you sponsor.

Remember, you can earn up to 10 extra entries a day just by playing DockIt!, the boating game of skill where you are tasked with safely navigating your vessel around various hazards and obstacles and safely docking at a marina.

We're also giving away weekly and monthly prizes in addition to the $25,000 grand prize! This month's prize is a SIDEBAR Beverage System (retail value $600) where you can make your favorite drinks with the push-of-a-button! A lighted keypad is clearly labeled and offers five selections of your favorite beverage making a perfect drink every time.

Play DockIt! today - the BoatUS Wave of Fortune Sweepstakes ends November 30th!

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Seaworthy Tales - A Preventable Dockside Tragedy

By Kevin Ritz

We were a live-aboard family with three active children at a freshwater marina on a tributary of the Willamette River near Portland, Oregon. Other kids were already swimming in the cove because it was that kind of day-hot and lazy. This was a common practice by adults as well as children during the warm summer of 1999.

 


Lucas Ritz: 1991-1999
Our sons Ian, age 10, and Lucas, age eight, asked to swim with their friends. Permission was granted, subject to close adult supervision by parents including their mother, a graduate nurse. The boys were both wearing Type II PFD life jackets, so it was great fun and a presumably safe to play in the water. Our children were schooled in aquatic safety. Being young professional people, my wife, Sheryl, and I had taken every precaution we could for peace of mind in a water environment.

On the inside of the dock, the kids were having a great time floating down with the river current on an inner tube. Lucas moved away from the others toward his mother, who was keeping pace on the dock with the children's water activity. As he approached the ladder to get out of the water, he let out a loud gasp, immediately rolling onto his back in his life jacket, apparently unconscious. Sheryl yelled to the other kids to help him and jumped into the water herself.

Click here to read the complete story.

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Ethanol Legislation Could Protect Your Engine

A bill now in Congress, S. 1666, could help ensure that all ethanol-blended gasoline sold is compatible with boat engines currently in use as well all other types of gasoline engines.

S.1666, the "Mid-Level Ethanol Blends Act of 2009" requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to study the compatibility of blended fuels with current engines and fuel systems before it could allow ethanol concentrations higher than 10-percent.

The current, 10-percent ethanol blend known as E-10 has caused significant problems for marine engines and boat fuel systems, in some cases necessitating expensive replacement of in-hull fiberglass fuel tanks. No boat in use or on the market today has been designed - or is warranted - to run fuel with greater than 10-percent ethanol.

S. 1666 is supported by BoatUS and a diverse coalition of organizations, including environmental groups, engine manufacturers, food groups, consumer groups, and refiners. To ask your Senators to cosponsor S. 1666, click here.

Click here for more information on the ethanol problem, at the National Marine Manufactures Association website.

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Your Equipment Questions, Answered

Selecting Underwater Lights

Lights that illuminate the underwater world, mounted on outrigger spreaders, on the transom or under the hull, have aided anglers for decades in powering-up nighttime fishing, calling up baits and the fish that forage on them. The new generation of underwater lights, aimed straight down or horizontally and located between 12" and 48" below the surface, are more reliable and electrically efficient. They add action to a nighttime trolling spread with the flip of a switch. They also look really cool when fired up at your dock.

Click here to explore the ins and outs of underwater lighting, including bulb types.

Click here to join in on a lively discussion of underwater lighting with your fellow Members on the BoatUS Clubhouse Message Boards.

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Contact BoatUS Membership

E-mail: Membership@BoatUS.com

Website: BoatUS.com/Membership

Members-Only website: my.BoatUS.com

Call: 800-395-2628

Links

· Renew Your Membership
· Change E-mail Address
· BoatUS Logo Items
· BoatUS Credit Card
· Marine Insurance
· Towing Services

Special Offer From ESPN

Sign up to receive your FREE subscription to the ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Magazine, the insider's guide to everything about the ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series, from tournament news to proven tips on catching several different types of sportfish including redfish, striped bass, tarpon, sailfish and bonefish. It's a must-read for any saltwater angler! PLUS you will have access to the digital version of the magazine.

Click Here to Sign Up Today!

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Say What You Want - with BoatUS Foundation Holiday Cards

This year, make your holiday cards unique by custom imprinting the inside of the card with a personal seasonal greeting. And with some cards offered by the BoatUS Foundation, you can even imprint the front of the card with your very own boat name! What could be better? With each box you order, you'll also get:

  • 25 FREE personalized return address labels
  • 25 FREE decorative seals for your envelopes
  • FREE imprinting with your order of three or more boxes

So why not select a nautical holiday card to send to friends that shows your love of boating and support the BoatUS Foundation at the same time? A portion of each purchase is used to expand and improve the many life-saving and environmental programs BoatUS Foundation offers.

Need a holiday gift for your boating buddies? Give the gift of BoatUS Membership! Click here for more information.

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Keep the Change With a BoatUS Checking Account

Open a BoatUS checking account today and receive award-winning benefits such as online banking and Keep the Change®, a unique savings program. With Keep the Change, each purchase with your BoatUS debit card will be rounded up to the next dollar and the difference will be transferred from your checking account to your savings account. Bank of America will match your Keep the Change transfers at 100% for the first three months and 10% thereafter, up to a maximum total match of $250 per year. Learn more about BoatUS checking and Keep the Change or to apply online, visit BankOfAmerica.com/BoatUS2009.

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DIY Discs Make Great Gifts

The shopping season is upon us-and here's a great boater gift that gets shipped to your door for about $25.


DIY Boat Owner magazine offers more than a dozen Archive Collections on CD-ROM, each containing scores of articles on important topics like marine mechanics, electronics, plumbing, rigging, refinishing, electrical systems and more. Every disc is packed with expertise from the pages of DIY.

DIY Boat Owner is the only maintenance and repair magazine endorsed by BoatUS. Each disc costs just $19.95 plus shipping, and we can have them to you for the holidays.


Looking for something more substantial? Try the Hands On Boater CD, which has all 56 issues of DIY from 1995 to 2008 on a single disc for $99.95 plus shipping.

Order now and get a great gift for a serious boater.

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Plan Accordingly for Your Winter Voyage

For skippers making a late season delivery or a race down the Pacific coast, the BoatUS Foundation has EPIRB's available to rent. You can have peace of mind knowing these units are ready to be shipped to your front door for your winter voyage. Reservations can be made online 24 hours a day, or by phone (888-663-7472) Monday through Friday, 12-5p.m. EST. Current rates are $40 per week for EPIRB's or upgrade to a GPS enabled EPIRB for $65 per week.

Special Discount: rent a GPS enabled EPIRB for three weeks or more through May 1st and receive 20% off via discount code: enews09.

For more information, click here, or call 888-663-7472.

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Can You Picture Your Boat in BoatUS Magazine?

Yes you can! Members selling their boats can get a picture in the classified ads section of BoatUS Magazines - sent to over 600,000 Members - for only $200. To see your boat photo in the January issue, just place any web ad with at least one photo along with your magazine ad by the November 19th deadline - choose the option 'ADD A PHOTO TO THE MAGAZINE'. By doing so you will get the added bonus of an online classified ad on BoatUS.com, plus an ad in the weekly classified e-Newsletter, and a feature in the Weekly Web Specials - sent to 90,000 each week - for free.


Whether you're ready to sell or buy a boat, go to BoatUS Classified Ads to place an ad or find your next boat!

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©2009, Boat Owners Association of The United States. All Rights Reserved.


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©2009, Boat Owners Association of The United States. All Rights Reserved.