Spring Aboard
The State Parks Boating Program promotes boater safety education through an annual campaign in March - the Spring Aboard campaign. This year, the campaign is March 21-27 and we encourage all safety advocates to help promote this important public safety campaign.
RESOURCES TO PROMOTE SPRING ABOARD
- Talking points (PDF)
- Social media (Word), includes post suggestions, graphics, etc.
- News release template (Word)
The Spring Aboard campaign encourages recreational boaters (including paddlers) to prepare for the boating season by providing resources and information on how to enroll in a boating safety education course.
Why get educated? An educated boater is a safer boater. A boating safety course provides critical knowledge and better prepares boaters and paddlers for potential risks while on the water. U.S. Coast Guard statistics indicate that 80 percent of boating deaths occurred on boats where the operator had not received formal boating safety instruction.
In Washington state, most boaters are required by law to pass a boating safety course and get a mandatory boater education card.
The Spring Aboard campaign was originally developed by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), and produced under a grant administered by the U.S. Coast Guard.