Five DVDs titled Small Boat Skills will be sent to all squadrons. The DVD was produced by the Educational Department in partnership with the United States Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety through the USCG-administered Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund.
As you know, small boats less than 18 feet make up the majority of the boats on America’s waterways, and they are also the largest group involved in accidents and drownings. In response, Small Boat Skills was produced to help novice and intermediate small-boat operators boat safely and responsibly while having fun.
To make the program more relevant, four features were created, each focusing on a specific activity: family fun, fishing, paddling and personal watercraft riding. And to make the program more engaging, a number of experts present the material.
Fishing: Roland Martin is one of the most recognized anglers today. His TV career spans nearly four decades, and he is one of the most legendary figures in the bass fishing arena.
Paddling: Janet Burnett Cowie has been paddling for more than 25 years and is an American Canoe Association swiftwater rescue instructor, tandem/solo canoe instructor, and whitewater kayak instructor trainer.
Family Runabouts: Travis Moye is a world-champion wakeboarder who spent much of his time coaching and driving and is the designated boat driver on the Master Craft Pro Wakeboard Tour, X Games and the Wakeboard World Championship series.
PWC: Ted Rankine has been reporting on and riding personal watercraft on his TV show, PowerBoat Television, since the late 80s. He has spent countless hours testing PWCs for the show and touring with them across North America.
When you see the program, you will discover plenty of uses for it. Using it in class is an obvious place. Because it is segmented into specific boat usage categories, it is an ideal addition to a retail environment or for presentation or in booth at boat and sportsman shows.
In addition to the DVD version, a made-for-television one-hour program has been produced that would be ideal for local cable TV markets, local PBS stations, etc. With boating season fast approaching, it would make a welcome addition to local programming lineup.
If you have any questions about the program, need additional ideas about usage or would like help approaching a local broadcaster, feel free to contact us.
Herman Green / rhergreen@aol.com / 423-842-7262
Ted Rankine / tedrankine@rogers.com / 905-989-0664
