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Sea Tow Captain Receives International Lifesaving Award
Sea Tow CEO Attends Boating Growth Summit
Miami Marina Fire Reminds Boaters About Fire Prevention
11,066 Boaters Used Sea Tow Foundation "Loaner" Life Jackets in 2011
Boat Show Ticket Discounts for Members
Sea Tow Captain Receives International Lifesaving Award
Capt. Jon G. Gridley, co-owner of Sea Tow Clarks Hill Lake, South Carolina and Georgia, was honored with an international life-saving award by AFRAS (the Association for Rescue at Sea, Inc.) at the C-PORT (Conference of Professional Operators for Response Towing) Annual Meeting on January 9th in Tampa, Fla.
The AFRAS C-PORT Award, which recognizes extraordinary bravery exhibited by a member of C-PORT during an on-water rescue, was presented to Capt. Gridley and his friend, Jim Masiongale, by Steve Sawyer, president of AFRAS. Earlier in the day, Capt. David McBride, U.S. Coast Guard Chief of Search of Rescue, also presented Capt. Gridley with an Extraordinary Assistance Award for his role in the rescue.
The incident happened last July 4th when a houseboat on Clarks Hill Lake was hit by a sudden, intense thunderstorm. Masiongale witnessed a man and a young boy being blown overboard; a firefighter who was a guest on board jumped in after them, but had trouble staying afloat in the rough wave conditions. Masiongale alerted Capt. Gridley, who immediately launched his Sea Tow boat. After racing to the scene, Masiongale and Gridley pulled the man and the boy, who was wearing a life jacket, to safety. The firefighter appeared to be in danger of drowning, but Capt. Gridley was able to revive him by administering CPR.
After being honored, Capt. Gridley said, "This is very humbling; it's the highest award given to a civilian in the United States by AFRAS and C-PORT."
Sea Tow CEO Attends Boating Growth Summit
Capt. Joe Frohnhoefer, Founder and CEO of Sea Tow Services International, Inc., was among 160 U.S. marine industry leaders invited to attend the Boating Growth Summit hosted by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) in Chicago on December 13-14, 2011. The summit brought leaders from all parts of the marine industry together to chart a course for increasing boating participation in America.
Miami Marina Fire Reminds Boaters About Fire Prevention
A major fire raced through a marina in the Miami district of Coconut Grove, Florida, early in the morning of December 18, 2011, reducing four yachts to charred hulls. While no people were seriously injured in the blaze, the Grove Harbour Marina fire is estimated to have caused up to $7 million in property damages. Capt. Rand Pratt, owner of Sea Tow Key Biscayne, worked round-the-clock along with local firefighters, the U.S. Coast Guard and fellow Captains from four different Sea Tow locations to help fight the fire and clean up the marina in its aftermath.
"It was a real tragedy what happened to these beautiful yachts," said Capt. Pratt. While there has been no determination of the cause of the Grove Harbour Marina yacht fire to date (an investigation is ongoing), he said this incident should remind all boaters to review and rehearse their fire-prevention practices.
Most boat fires are caused by fueling or electrical issues.
- Make sure you have the proper size and type of marine fire extinguishers for your boat. Depending on the size of your boat, you may need more than one fire extinguisher. The U.S. Coast Guard has this information in its Federal Requirements brochure, available online at www.uscgboating.org/fedreqs/default.html
- Mount the fire extinguisher in an easily accessible location so you can get to it in an emergency.
- Inspect your fire extinguishers regularly to make sure they are fully charged.
- Before fueling, have all passengers leave the boat and shut off all flames (stoves, ovens, grills, etc.). Close all windows, doors and openings to prevent fumes from entering the boat.
- While fueling, keep the nozzle in contact with the tank to prevent sparks and do not overfill the tank, so you leave room for the fuel to expand. Do not smoke! Wipe up any spills and dispose of the rags.
- After fueling, open all the windows, doors and openings and run the exhaust blower for four minutes.
- Before starting the engine, perform a "sniff" test of the bilge and engine compartment. If you smell gas, continue to use the blower until all of the fumes are gone.
- To prevent electrical issues, inspect the electrical connections in your boat frequently. Also, inspect any shore power connection lines that you may be using before plugging them into your boat. If any wires are frayed or you see sparks, immediately shut off the power source and get the issue repaired before using it again.
- Be cautious when using heaters in enclosed spaces, especially when unattended.
How to Deal with a Fire
- If a fire does break out on your boat, make sure everyone puts on a life jacket.
- If possible, position the boat so the fire is downwind. Turn off the engine and any other electrical equipment.
- NEVER use water on a gasoline, oil, grease or electrical fire.
- Get your fire extinguisher ready to use. Use the PASS method.
- Pull pin
- Aim at the base of the fire
- Squeeze handle
- Sweep from side to side
- Call for help on your VHF Radio or cell phone. Prepare to abandon ship.
For more fire-prevention tips, visit the Sea Tow Foundation online at www.boatingsafety.com
11,066 Boaters Used Sea Tow Foundation "Loaner" Life Jackets in 2011
The Sea Tow Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting boating safety, has filed the grant report for its successful Life Jacket Program for 2011, its third consecutive year of funding through the Sport Fish Restoration and the Boating Trust Fund, as administered by the U.S. Coast Guard. The funding allowed for 2,901 life jackets to be purchased from Revere Supply Company in the fall of 2010 and distributed to Sea Tow Captains in 36 locations in 14 states across the U.S. in preparation for the 2011 boating season. As in previous years, boaters were encouraged to borrow these "loaner" life jackets at no cost and to return them at the end of the day, so that they would be available for others to use.
The Sea Tow Captains who participated in the program reported that at least 11,066 boaters were able to use the life jackets in 2011. This means each life jacket was used by at least three people, and many of these PFDs are still in use today.
Boaters can access the Sea Tow Foundation Program jackets in a variety of different ways. In many waterfront communities, life jacket loaner stands have been placed in convenient locations such as marinas and boat ramps. Sea Tow Captains keep them on their boats, available for use during their towing and marine assistance duties when they encounter boaters without the required number of life jackets onboard. In addition, Sea Tow Foundation life jackets have been used for demonstration purposes at boat shows and other special events, and on the water by summer boating camps, school groups, boat parades, fishing tournaments, and water clean-up events.
Sun, Fun and Thousands of Boats
Boat show season is in full-swing! Many of the shows offer special ticket discounts for Sea Tow Members. Visit our website here (http://www.seatow.com/tickets/default.asp) to see if there are any special offers in your area. We will add new ticket discounts to our site as we receive them.
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