Logbook: United by Water

For the last year the marine industry has been embroiled in a fierce battle with NOAA over a proposed 10-knot speed restriction along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico aimed at protecting a severely decimated population (about 340 remaining at press time) of Atlantic Right Whales along with threatened Rice’s Whales. There are countless flaws in the overreaching speed restrictions that would endanger our industry, but the biggest issue with the proposed regulation is that it came flying in from left field without sufficiently considering fishermen and boaters.

As NOAA aptly illustrates on their own homepage, the U.S. fishing industry alone accounts for: “1.2 million commercial jobs, 553,000 recreational jobs. $165 billion in commercial sales, $89 billion in recreational sales…”

These numbers say nothing about the hardworking men and women that I’ve had the privilege to meet in the boating industry. Having been born into boating and being lucky enough to have my dream job as the editor-in-chief of Power & Motoryacht, I’ve met dockhands, marina managers, boat builders, engine manufacturers, techs, designers, boat show assemblers, captains, CEOs, receptionists, delivery drivers, tugboat operators, harbor pilots, waterborne first responders and so many others. The men and women in the marine industry come from all walks of life, but there is one through-line that characterizes most of the people I’ve had the chance to meet: They love being part of the boating industry. They love playing a role in a pastime that brings joy to so many; a pastime that brings people together better than any other hobby I know.

I respect working to preserve the dying population of Right Whales. More than any other demographic, we boaters are the ones who care for the ocean and its many mammals the most. I personally will never forget sitting on the bow of my parent’s 26-foot Sea Ray off Cape Cod and seeing Humpback Whales for the first time. It’s a memory I hope to replicate with my young son and, God willing, with his children one day.

Surely, boaters—and the boating industry—could and should be the biggest allies in whale preservation, not the enemies. In fact, a coalition of companies like Viking, Garmin, Yamaha, Atlantic Marine Electronics and many others have been working tirelessly since the proposal was, well, proposed, to offer solutions that range from tagging to AI databases and even drones that would work to alert boaters to a whale’s presence in a manner similar to AIS.

The speed restrictions were beaten back in the Gulf but the battle rages still in the Atlantic. And that’s not the only fierce controversy roiling our oceans. Along the coast of the United States, from my own playground of Long Island Sound through Virginia, wind farms are being erected. These wind farms are one of the few topics perhaps even more contentious than speed restrictions. Similar to the fight over whales, the overarching frustration from boaters and fisherman seems to be a lack of a seat at the table where these decisions are being made.

Offshore wind farms are a topic shrouded in countless myths and misconceptions both for and against. Much like the issues surrounding whales, the Power & Motoryacht team felt a responsibility as marine journalists to dig into the topic and help separate fact from fiction. I tasked Senior Editor Chris Dixon with this heavy lift—as a lifelong boater and author—he is deeply invested in preserving our waters for his children and their children and was the perfect person for the job. In his Special Report: “Twisting in the Wind,” he helps us all understand the pros and pitfalls of offshore wind farm energy. I’ve yet to find another story out there that breaks down the topic so specifically for boaters and fishermen.

I don’t know what the future holds for the fight against NOAA’s speed restrictions or the fate of offshore wind farms and the headwinds fishermen and boaters are facing, but the one thing I am certain of is these won’t be the only projects/causes that aim to change our favorite pastime. Whatever new issue comes our way, Power & Motoryacht will be here to help bring honest and objective reporting so you can better understand the forces at play.

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This article originally appeared in the January 2024 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.

Source: https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/column/logbook-united-by-water