Boat U.S. - September 2008 - (Page 14)

Deadline for Safety Grant Applications Nov. 1 Community groups hoping to gain support for a worthy boating safety project have until Nov. 1 to send in an application for a “grassroots” grant from the BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Now in its 10th year, the Foundation has awarded more than $750,000 to scores of local nonprofit organizations working to make their home waters safer. This year $50,000 is available in individual grants up to $4,000 each. Some 20 groups received funds this year and each is eligible for the Foundation’s $1,000 Boating Safety Grant Excellence Award for the most innovative project. For the next round of projects, the Foundation seeks proposals focusing on the hazards of alcohol and boating. In the 2007 accident statistics, alcohol was listed as the leading cause of death in 21% of boating fatalities. The money for these grants, as well as other Foundation programs, comes from voluntary contributions from a majority of BoatU.S. members. For a grant application, go to www.boatus.com/foundation/ Grants/index.htm Over 50,000 Free Radio Numbers Registered BoatU.S. reached a milestone in July as 50,000 MMSI numbers were registered for boaters’ DSC VHF radios to improve their safety on the water. The free registrations are part of a service the Association launched in late 2000 for boaters to take advantage of the U.S. Coast Guard’s new Rescue 21 coastal radio system. BoatU.S. was the first non-government entity to offer the radio ID numbers to boaters staying within U.S. waters, who would otherwise have to pay $150 for an FCC license that, for BoatU.S. Magazine September 2008 recreational boaters, is no longer required. MMSI stands for Maritime Mobile Service Identity and boaters with DSC radios encode them with their own unique number that is also logged into the Coast Guard’s national database used by search and rescue personnel. The numbers follow a specific sequence and are given to BoatU.S. by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to distribute. In turn, boaters register key information, such as a boat description and contact phone numbers, to be used in the event of an emergency. “Now that Rescue 21 covers over 15,000 miles of coastline, we know that the use of this technology is taking the ‘search’ out of search and rescue and already saving lives,” said Nancy Michelman, president of BoatU.S. “This milestone for MMSIs also demonstrates what can be done when we partner with the federal government to create programs that benefit the entire boating community.” As Rescue 21 rolls out through the U.S. over the http://www.boatus.com/foundation/Grants/index.htm

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Boat U.S. - September 2008

Boat U.S. - September 2008 Contents Behind The Buoy BoatU.S. Reports Member Forum List Locker Aluminum Can Do Cruising in Crossovers Second Guessing Seasonal Forecasts A Cradle for Your Baby Badlands Boating The Inns and Outs of Penobscot Bay All in the Family: The Butler Did It Stealing Back Peace of Mind DIY Boat Owner Files Good Foundations Boat Smart 2nd Time Around Hot Tips Tangled Line Seaworthy Ask Chuck At Your Service BoatU.S. Exchange Behind the Boat Where Our Flags Fly

Boat U.S. - September 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.