Ethanol Worse for Environment Than Gasoline, Study Says

A new University of Nebraska study released April 20 in a publication called Nature Climate Change says eliminating ethanol as a biofuel can actually decrease soil organic carbon. The study claims cellulosic biofuels like ethanol actually generate more greenhouse gases than gasoline.

As expected, the biofuel industry is speaking out against the Nebraska study, calling it deeply flawed and out of step with science.

“MRAA has long supported repeal of the ethanol mandate,” says MRAA president Matt Gruhn. “Not only do boaters have to pay more for ethanol enriched gasoline, but of much more significant concern is the damage ethanol causes to older marine engines and fuel systems. We’ve been telling Congress for years that ethanol creates a bad situation for boaters and the industry, and hopefully a bill will pass this year to stop this public policy that’s gone horribly wrong.”

Now’s the time to reach out to Congress and express your concerns about ethanol, even if you didn’t attend last week’s American Boating Congress in Washington, D.C. Join your industry colleagues by contacting your local representatives and telling them that it’s time to end the current ethanol mandate.

Contacting your Congressional leader(s) is easier than you might think. Simply visit the MRAA website, “Stop the corn ethanol mandate. Support the pair of bills being sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA): H.R. 1462, which suspends the current EPA waiver that permits the sale of E-15 and requires a comprehensive assessment by the National Academy of Sciences regarding the effects of mid-level ethanol on marine engines; and H.R. 1461, which would repeal the renewable fuel standard.”

Ethanol levels of 10 percent already cause major problems for boaters, and an increase to 15 percent (E-15) or greater will pose serious mechanical and safety concerns. Ninety-five percent of boats are trailered to the water; fuel pumps containing E-15 will for sure lead to misfueling of boats and damaged engines this spring and summer.

Bush Tax Cut Extensions Likely to Progress in Senate

The U.S. Senate voted 96-3 to open debate on a bill that will renew several tax breaks known as the Bush Tax Cuts, first passed in 2008 to help stimulate the economy. Several issues important to marine retailers are included in the tax-extender package, including a return to the $5 million exemption for the estate tax and a federal sales tax deduction for people who purchase boats that live in a state without income tax.

The bill may hit a snag during the Senate floor debate because the expired tax breaks will add an estimated $85 billion to the federal budget deficit. Some Republican lawmakers have indicated that they would like to change the package to lessen the deficit impact; in the pay-as-you-go world of federal legislation, where tax cuts must be met with equal tax increases, the breaks offer no way to pay for themselves.

Based on merit, it’s expected that the bill has the more than 60 votes needed to pass.

MRAA will continue diligently working on this issue. Estate tax reform and maintaining the sales tax break are key issues for marine retailers.

USFWS Announces $14.27M in BIG Projects

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service gave recreational boaters and anglers good news May 9 when it announced program competitive grants totaling $14.27 million to 10 states and Washington, D.C. from the Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program. The Service also will provide $2.48 million to 27 states willing to match smaller, non-competitive grants. These funds will pay for the construction of boat slips for transient boats more than 26 feet in length.

“These grant funds come from the ‘user pays, user benefits’ BIG program of the Sportfish and Boating Trust Fund, which MRAA strongly backs, and help support boating, fishing and many small businesses,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA president.

The funds come from federal excise taxes and other taxes on fishing equipment and gasoline. They pay for floating docks, fixed piers, mooring buoys, sewage pump-out stations, and other infrastructure to help provide access to the water and local communities for transient boaters.

MRAA Resource Center: Put $3K Back in Your Pocket

If you seek educational information at the touch of a button, look no further than the MRAA Resource Center. This online portal is an excellent place to soak up information on a variety of topics, ranging from financial management advice to sales and marketing suggestions. Access to the Resource Center is included in your MRAA membership dues and and can easily be managed from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

Information available to MRAA members in the Resource Center is worth more than $3,000 in annual savings. This value pays for your annual membership dues 8 times over!

Right now, MRAA is hard at work on a virtual tour of the Resource Center, which we expect will be available on MRAA.com by the end of May. It will provide an online tutorial, designed to give current and prospective members a window into all the great tools, ideas and insights in the Resource Center and how to best take advantage of them.

For more information, CLICK HERE or contact MRAA membership coordinator Hannah Muerhoff at 763-333-2420 or hannah@mraa.com.

Attend MDCE… For FREE!

During the month of May, MRAA is offering dealers who have already registered for the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo an opportunity to pass a $25 discount along to all their dealer friends through MRAA’s “May Referral Promo.” The dealer with the most friends that register for MDCE in the month of May will be refunded up to two MDCE registration tickets, at a cost of nearly $500 apiece.

If you’re a dealer that registered to attend MDCE in the month of April, you should be receiving an e-mail with a promo code to share with your dealer friends. Remind them to put your name in the referral box at the bottom of the registration form to ensure you receive credit for the referral.

CLICK HERE to learn more!

Purchase MICD Custom Marketing Materials

The MICD Program offers customized marketing materials to help you promote your Certified status. Access to these materials, which include a brand-new, 6-foot-tall stand-up banner, is an exclusive MICD benefit.

Certified Dealers receive stand-up banners and other customized marketing materials for use in their dealerships at a significantly discounted rate. Items are available for purchase in the MICD Portal.

CLICK HERE to learn more.

Discover Boating New Campaign Launch: It’s Official!

If you missed the all-industry webinar April 22 unveiling plans for the 2014 Discover Boating marketing campaign, CLICK HERE to download the full recording today. Learn more about the integrated marketing mix on tap for the national campaign this spring/summer.

Discover Boating launched its documentary-style series “Stories of Discovery” May 1 on DiscoverBoating.com. Further campaign elements include enhancements to the Discover Boating website; social media outreach on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Pintrest; and an exciting new partnership with country music star Jake Owen that includes Discover Boating as the presenting tour sponsor.

To learn more about how Discover Boating benefits your business and how to get involved, CLICK HERE.

Leadership Course Available Online

The “King of Sales” Jeffrey Gitomer has transformed his popular “Little Book of Leadership” into an online course.  

The course, which is available in the Personal Development section of the MRAA Interactive Virtual Training Center, is described as “real-world leadership training that transcends theory and philosophy and gets right down to the brass tacks and brass tactics — and adds a few brass balls.”

CLICK HERE to learn more.

Galati Joins The Boat Village’s SE Florida Regional Collaborative

Major Florida Brokerage and Service Company Joins Regional Group to Promote Online Service Coordination and Boat Management.

Hobe Sound, Fla. – May 7, 2014 – Galati Yacht Sales, a major yacht brokerage, dealership and marine services organization operating in nine locations worldwide, has joined The Boat Village’s regional collaborative in southeast Florida, uniting with other top marine businesses in the region to promote online service coordination and boat management.

Galati Yacht Sales, which has more than 450 boats in brokerage and specializes in Viking, Princess, Tiara, Cruisers, Grand Banks, Maritimo, Rampage and Prestige brands, will use The Boat Village Premium Service, a consumer platform that simplifies communication and collaboration, to make it easier for owners to coordinate service and maintain their vessels. Galati Yacht Sales will provide their customers with a digital profile of their vessel and all of its relevant information, including digitized operating manuals and a custom maintenance plan based on manufacturer recommendations for the equipment onboard.

Galati Yacht Sales, a member of the Boating Industry Top 100 Dealer Hall of Fame, is already using the My-Villages DockMaster suite of marine software, and will install The Boat Village on a new Tiara 5800 Sovran, Team Galati Viking 82 Convertible and a pre-owned Viking 66 Convertible. Galati Yacht Sales is also working with My-Villages to designate a boat, loaded with The Boat Village, to participate in the Gulf Coast regional fishing tournament circuit this summer.

“Galati Yacht Sales is one of the great names in boating and we are thrilled to have them onboard,” said Kevin Hutchinson, founder and CEO of My-Villages, which created The Boat Village. “Having Galati Yacht Sales join the other great names in the marine industry who are already part of The Boat Village is further validation of the need for better boat management tools and online service coordination.”

“Putting the customer first goes beyond just sales—it has to extend to service,” said Darren Plymale, vice president of Galati Yacht Sales. “The Boat Village allows us to use technology to make that process easier for owners, and that’s always our goal.”

The Boat Village Premium Service, an application that works on any smartphone, tablet or computer, keeps an inventory of all onboard equipment, which is personalized with digital manuals and automated maintenance reminders. Owners can send electronic service requests, communicate with service professionals (including the use of photos and videos), get updates on work in process, access service records, follow their favorite experts and even chat with other boaters—all within the application. The result is instant access to information and stronger two-way communication between owners and the village people who help them operate and maintain their vessels. Records are preserved electronically and the boat’s service history, usage trends, trip logs and other useful information are readily available 24/7 using cloud technology.

Galati Yacht Sales joins a growing list of major marine firms who have signed on as part of the My-Villages southeast Florida regional collaborative to promote online service coordination and boat management. They include boat builders like The Hinckley Company and Regal, as well as dealers like FastBoats, marinas like Aqua Marine Partners and Old Port Cove, and service yards like Whiticar Boat Works and Marine Professionals Incorporated (MPI).

“Coordinating business online is an everyday occurrence in the world of retail, banking, healthcare and other industries, and we are working collaboratively to bring that to the marine industry,” Hutchinson said. “Our job is to build and support the technology and companies like Galati Yacht Sales are making it a reality in the industry.”

Seattle Boat Company Receives Recognition

Seattle Boat Company, with locations in  Seattle and Bellevue, Wash., was recently recognized as a 2014 Supporter of the Year by AtWork!, an organization whose mission it is to help people with disabilities be more productive, integrated and contributing members of their community.

CLICK HERE to watch an inspiring video featuring Jon Vossler and Michael Schrempf, AtWork! employees at Seattle Boat Company who are thriving in their respective positions.