2007-2008 Coastal Boating Guides Now Available

Our newest NC Coastal Boating Guide/map is now available through our website. The number of coastal marinas and boatyards offering transient services is down from the last map, reflecting the ongoing loss of working waterfront service locations to higher-end condo and boatominium uses. You will also see the reduction in the number of facilities offering boating fuel, in part due to the rising costs and insurance requirements driving facility owners to discontinue these services. Learn more about how you can order the Guide...

Paul Bennett "Waterfront Visionary" Loses Long Fought Battle

Paul William Bennett, III, of Wilmington died Saturday, February 10, 2007. Paul was President of Bennett Brothers Yachts, a company he founded over 20 years ago and ran with his wife, Trish Bennett. Paul epitomized the vision of a boating enthusiast. He did it all - sailing, boating, designing, building, renovation, sales, marketing, and promotion. He was a visionary for his work on the design of recreational waterfronts, and his ability to bring consensus and foresight to Wilmington's future as a new yachting and boating destination. Paul was the President of the International Yacht Council, former President of the Yacht Brokers of America, former President of the Wilmington Harbor Enhancement Trust, and a longtime and trusted friend of this editor.

Titling for boats in NC is mandatory

Anyone who purchases or transfers a motorized vessel or sailboat 14 feet or more, or who owns a personal watercraft (jet ski), will be required to title the vessel effective Jan. 1, 2007. Read more for details...

NC Hits on Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Funding

Congratulations are in order for Connie Asero, NC grant writer for Morehead City, who was informed recently that Morehead City and Washington, NC will take part in more than $9.5 million awarded to nine states through the competitive Boating Infrastructure Grants (BIG) program. The grants are made available to state agencies and partners to build and maintain facilities for recreational boaters. Learn more...

Register Today for the 2007 American Boating Congress in Washington, DC

NMMA needs you in Washington, DC for this year's 2007 American Boating Congress (ABC) to be held from May 6 - 8. The ABC is a must-attend conference for industry leaders to meet with policy makers in Washington who have a direct impact on recreational boating. The annual conference is the boating industry's premier political and legislative event bringing recreational boating leaders and government officials together in an open forum to discuss important public policy matters.

The 2007 ABC will be held at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC. Please be sure to book your rooms at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel before they're sold out! Registrants can contact the hotel directly at (800) 635-5065 and mention the "NMMA/American Boating Congress" when making reservations to receive the special room rate.

For more information or to register, please visit the ABC website at http://www.nmma.org/abc, or contact Matthew Long at mlong@nmma.org or 202-737-9759.

Taking a Proactive Approach to Working Waterfront Development

Requests for new (or expansion of existing) working waterfront locations from of out-of-state restoration, repair and boat building companies are pointing out the hard cold truth that NC coastal locations are becoming "permit-challenged" and expensive. This is equally true for existing NC business expansions and especially difficult in locations where a sufficient number of existing boating businesses are already a draw for boating enterprise, such as the Wilmington, Beaufort, and Wanchese areas. Push comes to shove on these projects when major money decisions need to be made before permits have had time to run the course of research, preparation, submission, exchange, and successful granting (or resubmission, exchange, denial, appeal, and granting or denial). Read more...

Regulator Marine Awarded Workforce Development Grant

Regulator Marine was awarded a $26,800 workforce development grant from the North Carolina's Incumbent Workforce Development program under the Federal Workforce Investment Act. The program provides funding to established North Carolina businesses to provide educational and skills training for current workers. It is designed to benefit businesses by improving the skills of employees, thereby increasing employee productivity and the potential for company growth. For more information, click here or call 919-715-3300.

North Carolina Storm Water Regulation

Beginning on July 1, 2007, Phase II Storm Water Regulations will be effective in all Coastal Counties and most other urbanized counties within North Carolina. These regulations will impact future expansion plans for existing marinas, boatyards, and boat builders on waterfront property. And, they will play a big role in new working waterfront businesses as they assess relocation to North Carolina. Learn more about the three fundamental impacts of these regulations...

AMI cautions marinas to take heed

The Association of Marina Industries (AMI) is warning its members about an upcoming EPA requirement for marinas to sell only low sulfur diesel or ultra low sulfur diesel by October 1 of 2007. From this date on, diesel fuel sold from marinas can not exceed 500 parts per million of sulfur. AMI says it may be difficult for marinas selling high sulfur diesel "and not doing turn-over diesel tank inventories often enough" to make the transition. AMI suggests marinas switch to low sulfur diesel as soon as possible. AMI says it will research the issue to see if the deadline can be extended.

Economic Impact and Benefits of Recreational Boating Along the AIWW

The first phase of the NCBIWA/SeaGrant/DENR two-year study that pertains to the economic impact and benefits of recreational boating on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway has been completed and the results have been released. In a nutshell, the study shows that the benefits created by recreational boats using the AIWW are significant, that they are both national and local in scope and that even within the local benefits are spread over the whole state and not just the coastal counties. Read more for details about the economic impacts and benefits...

A number of sources have recently provided this information: As of January, anglers traveling more than 60 miles offshore are required to carry a passport. The change is part of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, and potentially impacts the charter business.

NC's Mack Boring & Parts Playing Role in Camp Lejeune Training

Mack Boring (Wilmington) designed and held a three-day diesel training course at Camp Lejeune specifically for members of the Navy who are being deployed overseas. The program involved trouble-shooting service and maintenance for self-sufficient repairs. U.S. military lifeboats, rivercraft and homeland security boats around the world use Yanmar engines.

Terrorism fears could lead to total monitoring

In the name of national security, the federal government wants to look at all boaters along the "maritime borders" of the United States. Recreational boats and small commercial boats in South Florida and the Florida Keys could be affected. Since many of the 14,000 ICW annual transient boaters through NC end up in Florida, this is an issue of interest. In June, Homeland Security will lead a "small-vessel security summit" in Washington, DC to consider ways to further protect the country's coastlines from threats. "We want to hear ideas from the people who regularly use our ports and waterways to determine how we can better structure new safety and security regimes that will have a minimal impact on those who rely on our waterways for their livelihood as well as recreation," (Adm. Thad Allen, commandant of the Coast Guard).

Waterfront Access Study Committee

The Committee’s final report was submitted to the Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture, the Coastal Resources Commission, and the Marine Fisheries Commission today, April 13, 2007. If you would like to review a copy of the report, one is available for viewing and downloading on the North Carolina Sea Grant Web site.

What Is the Value of the AIWW?

AIWA has always insisted that we need a regional economic impact study and these figures of several local economic studies only prove that. Each study was different and therefore is difficult to compare but every one proves that the AIWW brings more to the local and national economy than it gets in return. Read more...