Our friends at the Northwest Marine Trade Association have been hard at work coordinating regional Pacific Northwest activities as part of National Marina Day. There’s a truly amazing number of fun activities planned, so get out there! Here’s a rundown:
By John Thorburn. NMTA Vice President, Communications and Marketing
National Marina Day is this Saturday, June 8, where marinas across the country will celebrate the boating lifestyle by offering fun activities, on-water demos, live entertainment, barbecues and more.
Here in Washington, organizers at the Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA) – producer of the Seattle Boat Show – have proactively recruited local marinas to participate in this industry event. National Marina Day is a unified effort by the national Discover Boating campaign led by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the Association of Marina Industries (AMI) and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA). 
Organizers at the national level encouraged leaders in various regions and states around the country to encourage their marina operators to get on board with the event. And NMTA has done exactly that. Currently, Washington state has the second most marinas participating in National Marina Day with 14. Florida has the highest number of marinas participating.
“I’m really proud of the fourteen Washington state marinas participating in Welcome to the Water on National Marina Day,” says George Harris, NMTA president. “The quality of the events and features is really impressive. Kudos to AMI, NMMA and the Recreational Boating Leadership Council for their support and showing our members what the potential for National Marina Day is. This is a great example of how all stakeholders in recreational boating can work together to increase participation.”
For complete information and a schedule of what is happening at marinas between Tacoma and Anacortes, click on www.seattleboatshow.com/marinas .
Here is a summary of the types of activities scheduled at the participating marinas in Washington:
Port of Anacortes and Cap Sante Marina (Anacortes): An environmental cleanup event; marina tours, Coast Guard demo, a marina bird tour, See What’s Under the Dock activity.
Foss Harbor Marina (Tacoma): Onsite vessel safety checks, fire extinguisher certifications, Coast Guard Auxiliary boating seminars, kid’s games, BBQ, live music.
Bremerton Marina (Bremerton): Free overnight dockage on National Marina Day, docking and knot-tying classes, fire extinguisher training, Boater Education Card class, BBQ.
Eagle Harbor Waterfront Park (Bainbridge): Canoe and kayak rodeo, free lessons, Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel checks, Anchoring seminar sponsored by Open Water Marina, sailing on Solings by Bainbridge Island Yacht Club, rigging workshop by Bainbridge High School sailing team.
Elliott Bay Marina (Seattle): Novice sailing lessons using five J22 boats, the Leukemia Cup Regatta followed by the Leukemia Cup after races party and auction.
Ocean Alexander Marina (Seattle): Moss Bay Rowing kayaks available for free use, 30-minute sailing lessons by Lake Union Charters, fire extinguisher certifications, free snacks and drinks.
Point Defiance Marina (Tacoma): Hourly fishing tutorials on rod set up, knot tying and basic techniques, 75 percent discount on boats in rental fleet, BBQ of hot dogs and beverages.
Port of Edmonds (Edmonds): Seahawk, Pettit, and Interlux paint reps on non-copper bottom paints, Sea Scouts teaching knot-tying and splicing, Fish & Wildlife personnel, Trout Unlimited reps, Beach Watchers clinics on tending to beached or injured marine mammals, music.
Dock Street Marina/Delin Docks/ Foss Landing Marina (Tacoma): Sea Grant with pumpout info, Parks life jacket program, Kids Zone, kayak demos and races, blindfolded dingy races, West Marine on safety flares, Citizens for a Healthy Bay, food, music.
Port of Everett: Boat show, boat rides, Coast Guard seminars, Beach Watchers seminars, yacht club booths, Sea Scout seminars, Harbor Marine bottom paint seminar, food, music, beer garden.
Port of Friday Harbor: Swap meet, chowder cook-off, live music, raffles and giveaways, rides and skills taught aboard power and paddle/pedal boats, log races, free vessel safety checks, brokerage boats display, Fire Dept. on water demos.
Salmon Bay Marina: Barbecue, Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel inspections, kids casting demo.
Skylaunch Marina – Seattle Boat Co.: Food and beverages, hands-on anchoring tutorial via land-based simulator.
Shilshole Bay Marina: Swap meet, Argosy Cruise rides, sailing lessons, liveaboard tours, kids activities, vessel safety checks, free pump-out adapter kits, line tossing contests, knot tying demos, life jacket sizing, food and beverage, live music.
For more information about the Northwest Marine Trade Association, click on its website.
