Friday, June 25, 2010

A Few Props

Yes, I realize the term "props" has a different meaning for a lot of powerboaters than it does for Gen-X'ers trying to thank or give respect to people, and this post falls into the latter category - this is a shout out.

Anyway, thank you to Boating.com for becoming the newest advertiser on our network. When I started FirstBoat.com in 1999, Boating.com was one of the big dogs. They had been off the radar for a while and I hadn't given the site much thought until they contacted me about advertising recently. And they look like they are back in full force with a comprehensive classifieds database already stocked with thousands of boats for sale. I think you'll be seeing a lot of Boating.com once again.

Thanks also to BoatInsurance.org for mentioning two of our blogs, the Daily Boater and the Boat Name Blog - on their list of "48 Beginners Boating Sites and Tips Pages". Not sure if there is any reasoning behind their ranking, but it's cool that the Daily Boater is #2 on the list. The only thing that surprises me is that they didn't include FirstBoat.com, which we sort of built as THE site for new boaters.

Surprised and honored to be mentioned by Bruce Dillahunty on his Craft a Craft site, which he has used for several years as an outlet to help his own and other's boat-building dreams along the path a little farther. Whether or not you ever plan on taking on the challenge of building your own boat, Craft a Craft is worth checking out for their more-than-daily nautical nuggets.

Last but not least (for now), we wouldn't have had such a big month at our personalized gear store, BoatNameGear, if it weren't for our fantastic customers, as well as all the Facebook and Twitter friends and other websites that recommended us.
Among those I'd like to recognize include SilvertonForums.com, a very active community of owners of Silverton Yachts. With their nudging, we now proudly offer personalized Silverton branded products at BoatNameGear.

Also, thanks to Ericka Watson, the Powerboating Guide on About.com for suggesting that personalized products from BoatNamegear would make a great Father's Day gift.

GreenBoatingUSA has also supported us by running our BoatNameGear ads on their site, and displaying our products at their eco-friendly National Marina Day event in Tennessee. Our boat name welcome mats are made from 100% recycled materials, so they were a great fit for the occasion.

This is getting long, so forgive me if you were expecting a mention here and didn't see it... I'll get you next post!

Friday, June 11, 2010

Happy Birthday Jacques Cousteau?

As we celebrate the 100th birthday of Jacques Cousteau, a pioneer in the field of marine conservation, it is hard not to imagine what his take would be on the Deep Horizon mess in the Gulf of Mexico.

Today Google is celebrating Captain Cousteau's birthday with a SCUBA-inspired logo (pictured). He was the defacto human representative and biggest advocate of life beneath the sea. The ocean's ambassador. So what Cousteau have to say about the oil spill?

As I googled that question to see what others who knew him better than I would have to say, I found Steven Machtinger of Tiburon (California), president of the board for The Bay Institute Aquarium Foundation, pondering that same question.

I also found that Captain Cousteau's grandson, Philippe Cousteau, has had plenty to say about the disaster. And, quite impressively, the young Cousteau has done more than just talk. According to his facebook page, he is onsite in Louisiana doing all he can to stop the carnage. Philippe even dove into the oil-infested waters a few weeks ago to see the damage up close. You can read his thoughts in this article from the Miami Herald, or check out Philippe Cousteau's website to learn more about him and his efforts to fight for the gulf in his grandfather's honor.

Click the Google logo for the most recent news results of articles mentioning Jacques Cousteau, and let's hope the people trying to stop that oil from pouring into the Gulf give Jacques a nice birthday present by having some success in their efforts.