News

NORTH FLORIDA MARINE ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES SAFE BOATING WEEK AND BOATER SKIP DAY

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (May 9, 2023) – The North Florida Marine Association reminds all boaters, fishermen, and water enthusiasts that National Safe Boating Week will be held from May 20-26, 2023. The annual week-long event encourages all boaters to brush up on boating safety skills and to prepare for the upcoming boating season. This observance week is the annual kick-off of the Safe Boating Campaign, a global awareness effort that encourages boaters to make the most of their boating adventures by committing to safety, responsibility, and education. The National Safe Boating Council recommends these tips for boaters: Take a boating safety ...

National Safe Boating Week, May 21-27:3 Safety Changes You Need To Know

CREDIT: - from BoatUS, Boat Owners Association of the United States ANNAPOLIS, Md., May 9, 2022 – National Safe Boating Week arrives May 21–27 with an annual reminder for boaters to champion recreational boating safety all summer long. The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water suggests that boat owners need to know about three recent U.S. Coast Guard regulations that have changed, what’s needed to be carried aboard, and how a vessel is to be operated at higher speeds. 1. Fire extinguishers: As of April 20, the USCG enacted a regulation allowing them enforce fire extinguishers having a 12-year expiration date from ...

National Safe Boating Week / Boating Safety

National Safe Boating Week  The North Florida Marine Association wants you to have a safe summer on the water. And to kick things off, NFMA recommends the following tips and resources published in BoatUS’s Spring Commissioning Checklist for boaters. Stay safe! To learn more, visit boatjax.com A new law that went into effect in 2021 requires a vessel operator to use either a helm or outboard lanyard or wireless engine cutoff switch on certain vessels less than 26 feet when traveling on plane or above displacement speed, so be sure your switch is working properly and the lanyard is in serviceable ...

Gas-Saving Tips for Boaters

CREDIT: - from BoatUS, Boat Owners Association of the United States Gas prices are up. What can boaters do to prepare for a summer of boating? The 800,000-plus member Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has 21 fuel-saving tips boaters can do to help save on fuel and still enjoy a fulfilling season on the water. While some of these techniques may sound obvious, there may be some you never considered. Joining BoatUS has its benefits, including fuel discounts at nearly 400 marinas. (credit: BoatUS) Before Heading Out: Tune your engine now. A once a year for a ...

Spring Commissioning Checklist: How to have a trouble-free boating season

CREDIT: - from BoatUS, Boat Owners Association of the United States Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) offers its Spring Commissioning Checklist to help boaters start the season right. The nation’s largest advocacy, service and savings group also offers BoatUS.com/Spring, a one-stop-shop for everything you need to know about the yearly ritual of recreational boat commissioning. A PDF copy of the checklist is available to download, print, and take to the boat with you. Be sure to follow all manufacturer recommendations for your specific boat, engine, and accessories. The BoatUS Spring Commissioning checklist can help ensure your boat ...

Gas-Saving Tips for Boaters

CREDIT: - from BoatUS, Boat Owners Association of the United States Gas prices are up. What can boaters do to prepare for a summer of boating? The 800,000-plus member Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has 21 fuel-saving tips boaters can do to help save on fuel and still enjoy a fulfilling season on the water. While some of these techniques may sound obvious, there may be some you never considered. Joining BoatUS has its benefits, including fuel discounts at nearly 400 marinas. (credit: BoatUS) Before Heading Out: Tune your engine now. A once a year for a ...

2022 JMA Scholarship Program

We are so excited to announce the relaunch of our scholarship program! The Jacksonville Marine Association offers scholarships to immediate family of members and their employees. Scholarships are open to graduating high school seniors or to students currently enrolled in a college or post-secondary trade or vocational school. Scholarships are awarded each year in memory of four of the association's most active and respected members, John Lowe, Pete Loftin, Grace Rogers and Dick Boger. Each year, the association board of directors will award these four named scholarships based upon the qualities of the applicants. Additional scholarships are awarded at the discretion of ...

The Many Personalities of Boating

If you spend a lot of time on the water, whether you are on a lake, in the intracoastal or making a trip into the deep blue, one thing you will notice it that the recreational sport of boating is multi-faceted. Water sports brings so many different types of people together, several different personality types, different boating styles, yet there is a common denominator….the love of water! Here are the different boating personalities you may see while you are spending your day in the open water: The Angler - Loaded down with an arsenal of fishing rods and tackle, The ...

Ten Staycation Ideas by Water in Northeast Florida

LET’S FACE IT, THINGS ARE WEIRD. SUMMER IS HERE AND TRAVEL PLANS NORMALLY ENSUE. HOWEVER, WITH THE DIFFICULT TIMES AMERICANS ARE FACING, VACATION PLANS HAVE MOSTLY LIKELY CHANGED AND “STAYCATIONS” ARE THE NEW NORMAL. NORTHEAST FLORIDA HAS SO MANY THINGS TO OFFER ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO ENJOY TIME ON THE WATER. BEING OUTSIDE, UNDER THE SUN AND ENJOYING THE FRESH AIR HAS BEEN DEEMED AN “ESSENTIAL ACTIVITY”. WITH THAT IN MIND, HERE ARE TEN STAYCATION IDEAS BY WATER IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA: 1) WATERFRONT RESTAURANTS - WITH 70 MILES OF INTRACOASTAL, NORTHEAST FLORIDA CERTAINLY ISN’T LACKING WHEN IT COMES ...

Boat Ramp Status During COVID-19

With so much uncertainty surrounding boat ramp closures during the COVID-19 crisis, Jacksonville Marine Association wants to keep its members and the entire Northeast Florida community as informed as possible when it comes to access to our waterways. Below are links to running status lists of local boat ramps that are updated around the clock. JMA Boat Ramp Status List: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTAX_6-OB853Wi8OL6iW4Q7DoEKCzhBR-JvH1JtA_p4Bnfh2MZaj0FD-ccvXMxBKFSSCkyHOwdySND7/pub FWC Website: https://public.myfwc.com/LE/boatramp/public/CountyMap.aspx?fbclid=IwAR3hcTVkroDUjJrNdVSdFArCLS5tSgPU22iVdDC3vAdxUXuQdIXFuwlSeRM ...