Date: March 13th, 2006

BOATOhio.com e-Newsletter
March 2006
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The days are getting longer and temperatures are soaring upwards; spring must be near! In fact, the first day of spring is only 8 days away…March 21. We hope winter has treated you well and that you’re busy preparing for an exciting 2006 out on the water.

Now enjoy the March edition of our e-Newsletter; it’s filled with loads of information that’ll help make your time boating and fishing more enjoyable. And as always, please feel free to forward this publication to interested friends and family. Boating and fishing are…after all…more than sports. They’re lifestyles best shared with loved ones.

Table of Contents
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Magazine
LEMTA Dealers & Marinas
Boats for Sale
Sell Your Boat
BOATOhio Kids: Fun for Youngsters
Forums
Boating Associations of Ohio (BAO)
Events
BOATOhio.net Email
FREE "Go Boating" Magazine Subscription
Feedback

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Magazine

The BOATOhio.com Online Magazine features timely and interesting articles from experts in their chosen fields as well as from respected regional publications. From destinations and boat care tips to fishing and new boat reviews, this section has you covered.

Plus, be sure to stop by the “Magazine Library.” New stories are added daily and some of the most recent include useful gadgets and gear, system maintenance, restoration projects, sailing, freezer and fridge care, and more.

~ Magazine Library Article Excerpt ~

The Button That Will Save Your Life:
The Coast Guard’s new Rescue 21 system brings 911 to the seas

If you’ve seen a new VHF/DSC radio recently, you may have noticed there’s a little red button. It can save your life. Lift the cover, press the button for five seconds and your radio will tell the Coast Guard’s Rescue 21 VHF communication system and every vessel in radio range that’s equipped with a digital selective calling (DSC) radio that you need assistance. It will also tell who you are, where you are and the reason for your distress call. Your radio will automatically repeat the Mayday until it receives a DSC response from the Coast Guard. You will then hear the Coast Guard calling your vessel on channel 16. With every local DSC radio aware of your distress call and your precise position, it’s very possible that someone may come to your assistance even before the Coast Guard arrives. Consider it the first 911 service for the seas and the most significant improvement in coastal search and rescue since radio.

The urgent need for the system was brought painfully into focus by an incident that happened off Charleston, S. C., on December 29, 1997. Morning Dew, a 34-foot sailboat crewed by the owner, his two teenage sons and a nephew crashed into a jetty at the harbor mouth in Charleston at around 2 a.m. All four drowned, with hypothermia a contributing cause. For various reasons spelled out in the accident report, the Coast Guard did not respond adequately to Morning Dew’s Mayday radio call because of faulty communications. The problems lay both in the use of the vessel’s radio equipment and in the 1970’s-era Coast Guard monitoring system.

At the time, the Rescue 21 system was in its early stages of development, but the Morning Dew incident focused intense interest on the flaws of the aging Coast Guard communication system and the benefits of replacing it. The new Rescue 21 system got the green light. Originally estimated to cost about $300 million, it is now expected to cost about $710 million, with $101 million allocated for 2006.

The system was developed by General Dynamics and evolved from work done by the U.S. and other countries in developing the Global Maritime Distress Signaling System (GMDSS) and its use of the VHF/DSC system to send digital distress hailing calls. Typically, personnel who man the Coast Guard’s existing VHF communication system listen to a number of radios tuned to channel 16, the international hailing and distress frequency, alert for a Mayday call among all of the routine traffic. Rescue 21 improves the channel 16 monitoring system by providing new radios and new antennas and instant high-quality voice playback. In addition, automatic direction finders at each antenna site enable the system’s computers to automatically plot the most probable position of any calling station. It can also record Mayday calls sent with DSC hailing (the red button on your radio) and automatically plot bearings to both DSC and voice calls on channel 16 and other working channels.

I was at the official inauguration of Rescue 21 for the Eastern Shore (stations at Atlantic City, N.J., and Chincoteague, Va.) last December and got to see how it works.

Find the rest of this story, as well as many more, by clicking: http://www.boatohio.com/library.shtml

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LEMTA Dealers & Marinas

Formed nearly 50 years ago in 1957, the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association (LEMTA) is a trade association of more than 100 recreational boat dealers, marina operators, and pleasure boat service companies located across northern Ohio. With exceptionally high standards for business practices, each LEMTA member company has exhibited responsibility in sales and service, and each has demonstrated continued support of recreational boating in Ohio.

Because it isn’t always easy for boaters and anglers to find the right products and services in a pinch, LEMTA has compiled a comprehensive online guide of products and services offered by its members.

Through the use of a searchable database, quickly and easily locate nearly any recreational boating product or service needed.

For a complete list of LEMTA member companies, and to access the searchable database, visit http://www.boatohio.com/guide_search.shtml.

If you need assistance locating a specific product or service not listed on the site, please contact the LEMTA office at 440-899-5009 or LEMTA@aol.com.

To learn more about the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association (LEMTA), go to http://www.LEMTA.com.

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Boats

Shop more than 150 new and pre-owned boats from Ohio’s top dealers in the “Boats” section of BOATOhio.com. Use the quick and easy searchable database to specify exactly what you’re looking for (new/used, type, size range, make/model, and price range). To be even more specific, use the new keyword search (if you’re looking for Glastron boats, just type in “Glastron” and hit “Search”).

When you’ve found what you’re looking for, or if you have any questions, contact the seller directly from the site. The listings are always changing, so check back often.

To begin the search for your next (or first) boat, go to http://www.boatohio.com/boats_search.shtml.

~ Featured Boat ~

This month’s featured boat is a 2003 Trophy 1703 Center Console from South Shore Marine. To view this boat, and all other boats listed by South Shore Marine, click on: http://www.boatohio.com/cgi-bin/webdata/webdata_boats.pl?cgifunction=Search&Dealer=South%20Shore%20Marine%20Services

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Sell Your Boat

Utilize the power of BOATOhio.com and list your boat until it sells…all for one low cost. Don’t waste your time with ads that run only one time, reach far fewer prospects, and cost as much or more.

This is a great opportunity to reach thousands of prospects currently in the market for a boat. After all, the boat listing section is consistently the most popular area on BOATOhio.com. Plus, the site draws the thousands of visitors who come online to get detailed information about our Cleveland Mid-America Boat Show and the North American In-Water Boat Show.

To list your boat, or to get complete information, go to http://www.boatohio.com/boatad.shtml.

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BOATOhio Kids: Fun for Youngsters

It’s probably not surprising that 80% of today’s boaters were introduced to the lifestyle before age 12 by a friend or relative. Think back, had it not been for someone close to you would you today be a boater and/or angler?

Clearly, a hands-on introduction is the best way to introduce the next generation to boating and fishing. There isn’t a better way to spend quality time with those we care about than out on the water, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

During the off-season, a great way to get and keep youngsters involved with the boating and fishing lifestyles is to point them to our special BOATOhio Kids section.

Filled with loads of fun, interactive games, activities, events, and books and videos, there are also links to other excellent boating and fishing sites geared towards kids.

Plus, there’s an “Ask the Expert” section featuring a nationally renowned boating safety expert.

Point your kids and grandkids to BOATOhio Kids, http://www.boatohio.com/kids/index.shtml.

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Forums

“Meet” up with other boaters and anglers to discuss your favorite pastime. Question experts, lend a helping “hand” to others, make new friends and catch up with old acquaintances.

You’ll discover forums covering power boating, sailing, marine electronics, boat care and repair, destinations, rivers and inland lakes, and more.

Plus award-winning professional angler Jim Stedke moderates the popular “Ask the Expert: Angler’s Alley” forum.

~ Ask the Expert: Angler’s Alley ~

The current hot topic is the 4th annual Huron Schools Booster Club Tournament. To join this discussion, or any of the other fishing topics, click on: http://www.boatohio.com/cgi-bin/forums/dcboard.cgi?az=list&forum=DCForumID14&conf=DCConfID3

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Boating Associations of Ohio (BAO)

Established to unify Ohio's recreational boating community, boat owners and industry alike, the BAO is widely recognized and respected by lawmakers in Columbus as the "voice of Ohio boating.” Together these entities have strengthened boating's presence in the Ohio State House by constantly keeping lawmakers aware of boating's interests and issues.

Over the years, BAO has benefited Ohio’s boaters in a number of substantial ways, perhaps most notably by winning a substantial increase in the amount of gas tax revenue allocated to the Ohio Waterways Safety Fund. Earmarked for launching ramps, docking facilities, and safety programs, millions of dollars annually goes into this Fund and directly benefits all of Ohio’s boaters.

To learn more about the BAO and how you can help further strength boating’s voice in Ohio, click on http://www.boatingassociations.com.

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Events

~ Mark Your Calendars ~

North Coast Harbor Boating, Fishing & Seafood Fest
June 9-11, 2006
Voinovich Park (behind the Rock Hall)
Cleveland, Ohio
http://www.boatingfest.com

North American In-Water Boat Show
September 13-17, 2006
Cedar Point Marina
Sandusky, Ohio
http://www.cedarpointboatshow.com

Cleveland Mid-America Boat Show
January 12-21, 2007
International Exposition (I-X) Center
Cleveland, Ohio
http://www.clevelandboatshow.com

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BOATOhio.net Email

Tired of being bombarded with junk mail and running out of storage space at your Yahoo! and Hotmail accounts? Would you like an e-mail address that gives a bit more insight into your personality and is just a bit more fun?

If you answered yes, then sign up for a FREE boatohio.net e-mail account! Featuring 6 megabytes (MB) of storage space, boatohio.net e-mail blows away both Yahoo! (4MB) and Hotmail (2MB).

To learn more and/or to sign up for your FREE boatohio.net e-mail account, go to http://www.boatohio.com/email.shtml.

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FREE "Go Boating" Magazine Subscription

Sign up now for a FREE Subscription to "Go Boating Magazine" - courtesy of BOATOhio.com - and learn why more trailerable powerboat owners read "Go Boating" than any other boating magazine.

You'll find reviews on new boats, engines and equipment, expert how-to advice and the most complete buyer's guide in print.

Say yes to one of the best boating deals of the year, a FREE subscription to "Go Boating." There are absolutely no strings attached. This is a free offer with no cost or obligation.

To sign up for your FREE subscription to "Go Boating" Magazine, follow this link: http://www.goboatingamerica.com/free/default.asp?id=14

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Feedback *

We’d like your feedback regarding this e-newsletter, the web site and our boat shows in general. What additions would you like? What could you do without? How can we better serve you? E-mail slfergus@boatohio.com with your comments and suggestions.

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BOATOhio.com
www.boatohio.com
email: slfergus@boatohio.com
Copyright 2006 by LEMTA
www.lemta.com
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