Each year since 2001 marinas nationwide have celebrated National Marina Day… an event to celebrate the boating lifestyle.
The event typically involves an independent marina celebration that marinas all hold on the same day.
This year the event was greatly expanded with the introduction of a national partnership with Discover Boating (the marine industry’s campaign to grow the boating industry) and an invitation to all marine businesses to participate.
For Delaware River marinas and marine businesses, it was a celebration of boating for an entire stretch of a local waterway.
Discover Boating on the Delaware
Discover Boating on the Delaware recently launched as a collective effort to grow recreational boating on the Delaware River. As one of the largest rivers on the Atlantic Coast – covering 388 miles in length with many marinas and about 39 yacht clubs to join – the Delaware River has a lot to discover for boaters.
Working in association with the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, SureShade co-founders Dana and Ron Russikoff have become Ambassadors for the Delaware River and helped launch the initiative for growing boating on the Delaware. Their business was “inspired by a lifetime of boating on the Delaware River” and it remains their home port today. So working to grow boating on the Delaware is close to their hearts.
To jump-start things, Discover Boating on the Delaware held their first annual National Marina Day on the Delaware event and chose Penn’s Landing Marina as a centralized location for the event.
The day featured a variety of land and on-water activities, including: free schooner boat rides, boat safety vessel checks, youth fishing activities, new boater information and more.
My daughter particularly liked learning how to cast a fishing line with the assistance of the Mid-Atlantic Youth Anglers, and of course having pink and red fish painted on her face by the friendly folks with the Delaware River Yachtsmen’s League (DRYL).
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And when I heard her ask “When can we go back again?” on the ride home, I knew the event was a success! Maybe it was the fishing demo, or maybe just the excitement of exploring a different waterfront, but this girl was hooked and wanted more. Of course this is a girl that has been boating since she was a baby, but it just shows how the boating lifestyle has something for everyone and can really lure you in.
The personal dedication to the Delaware River was definitely evident by all participating businesses and associations. For many, the Delaware River is a place where they work, live and play.
Bringing more boaters into the boating lifestyle benefits the entire waterway… and events like National Marina Day on the Delaware are a great way to join forces and really showcase all that boating has to offer.
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