The Sea Tow Foundation™, in partnership with its Boating Safety Advisory Council, recently announced the winners of the 2026 National Boating Safety Awards. Now in its eighth year, the awards recognize outstanding efforts within the recreational boating industry that promote safe and responsible boating to help build more confident boaters.

“ The 2026 winners demonstrate just how many different ways our industry focuses on safe and responsible boating,” said Gail R. Kulp, Executive Director of the Sea Tow Foundation, in a news release.“ From hands-on education and innovative technology to community programs, partnerships and individual leadership, these efforts are connecting with boaters and helping them become more confident on the water.” The winners of the 2026 National Boating Safety Awards include: The Best Boating Safety Education & Training Program award was presented to BoatClass for its hands-on boating courses that put participants behind the wheel with certified captains to practice boat handling, docking, navigation, anchoring, VHF use and emergency response.

The Best Youth Boating Safety Initiative award was presented to SUNY Maritime College for its Maritime Adventure Boat Camp.

The Best Boating Safety Community Engagement Program award was presented to Sawyer Paddles and Oars for Fit to Float, a statewide life jacket education initiative developed with the Oregon State Marine Board and community partners.

The Best Boating Safety Digital Initiative award was presented to The Qualified Captain for its new NASBLA-approved online boating safety course.

The Best Boating Safety Product or Technology Innovation award was presented to Garmin for its OnBoard Wireless Man Overboard Detection and Engine Cutoff System.

The Best Boating Safety Partnership / Collaborative Initiative award was presented to the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Paddlecraft Safety Division and Cross Currents Leadership for the 2026 Spring Auxiliary Training.

The Best Marine Dealer Boating Safety Effort award was presented to Causeway Marine for its Become a Better Boater campaign.

The Best Integrated Boating Safety Campaign award was presented to ACR Electronics for its campaign educating boaters about Electronic Visual Distress Signaling Devices( eVDSDs), or electronic flares.

The Best Individual Boating Safety Advocate award was presented to John Sewell, Director of Safety for Freedom Boat Club, for building a comprehensive safety program across 170 locations in 11 states and two countries.

Among this year’ s category winners, SUNY Maritime College was selected to receive the Boating Safety Excellence Award, the Sea Tow Foundation’ s highest recognition, for its Maritime Adventure Boat Camp and its lasting impact on the future of boating.

NMMA recently announced its new Executive Committee for the 2027-2028 term, led by chair Aine Denari, incoming CEO of Brunswick Corporation and current President of Navico Group and Brunswick Chief Technology Officer.

Denari succeeds Ben Speciale, President of Yamaha U. S. Marine Business Unit, who will remain on the Executive Committee as past chair. The committee will help guide NMMA’ s Board-led priorities in advocacy, self-regulation and market expansion amid an increasingly complex business and policy environment, the organization notes.

The NMMA Executive Committee for the 2027-2028 term are: Chair: Aine Denari, Brunswick Corporation Vice Chair: Tommy Hancock, Sportsman Boats Treasurer: Ben Duke, Polaris Marine Secretary: Craig Clawson, Magic Tilt Trailers, Inc. Past Chair: Ben Speciale, Yamaha Marine Group Boat Manufacturers Division( BMD) Chair: Tom Slikkers, Tiara Yachts Engine Manufacturers Division( EMD) Chair: Mike Lindberg, Ilmor Marine Marine Accessory and Components Division( MACD) Chair: Eric Braitmayer, IMTRA

Corporation President & CEO: Frank Hugelmeyer, NMMA, * ex officio“ I’ m honored to be elected as the new Board Chair and to work alongside the NMMA Board and Executive Committee as we advance the strategic priorities of our industry,” said Denari in a news release.“ Our focus is on growing participation in recreational boating, protecting access and advancing an advocacy agenda that keeps our industry competitive for the long term. By working together, we can turn those priorities into meaningful progress. I also want to thank Ben Speciale for his leadership of the Board.”

Seattle Boat Company recently acquired Bayside Marine in Everett, Washington, extending the company’ s presence into North Puget Sound and further expanding its growing network of marine businesses across the Pacific Northwest. The acquisition brings together two family-owned businesses with longstanding Pacific Northwest roots. Seattle Boat Company represents Cobalt, Malibu and Pursuit in Western Washington. Bayside Marine specializes in pre-owned boat sales and is an authorized dealer for Yamaha and Mercury outboard engines, EZ Loader trailers and Tuff Trailers, the company notes. Its expertise in outboard-powered boats, fishing and saltwater boating adds to Seattle Boat Company’ s strengths in new-boat sales, pre-owned boats, inboard boats, watersports, service and storage.

“ Bayside has built something special in Everett,” said Elizabeth Bohling, Co-president of Seattle Boat Company, in a news release.“ Their team has decades of experience understanding what North Puget Sound boaters want, from fishing and saltwater cruising to the service that keeps those boats on the water. That expertise is a natural complement to what we have built at Seattle Boat Company, and it gives us an opportunity to bring together two strong teams while expanding what we can offer boaters across the region.”

For Bayside Marine customers, the familiar faces and personalized service they have come to know will remain at the heart of the business. Customers will also have access to Seattle Boat Company’ s broader resources, including expanded indoor storage, a wider selection of new boats, additional technical and administrative support, and certified technicians specializing in inboard and surf boats.

The acquisition also creates opportunities to bring additional new-boat models to Everett, including Pursuit and Cobalt Coastal outboard models, complementing Bayside Marine’ s existing focus on pre-owned boats and outboard-powered boating.

Since 1984, Seattle Boat Company has been locally owned and operated by the Bohling family. The addition of Bayside Marine extends the company’ s reach into North Puget Sound while adding Bayside’ s expertise in outboard-powered boats, fishing, saltwater boating and marine service.

Bayside Marine will retain its local team and identity as part of the broader Seattle Boat Company network, according to the company.

Luxury wake and surf boats manufacturer Tigé Boats, Inc. recently welcomed Nautical One Marine Center as an authorized dealer for both Tigé and ATX Surf Boats. The new dealership brings award-winning wakesurf and wakeboard performance to boaters throughout Central Florida and the greater Orlando area.

As a family-owned dealership, Nautical One Marine Center brings more than 40 years of dealership experience in the outdoor lifestyle industry, according to the company, spanning three generations of family members.

“ We’ re extremely proud and excited to carry the Tigé and ATX surf boat brands,” said Serina Strollo, General Sales Manager of Nautical One Marine Center, in a news release.“ We know our customers are going to love the industry-leading, award-winning features that Tigé and ATX deliver with every boat. The quality of their wake boats is unmatched in our market.”

With the addition of Tigé and ATX, Nautical One customers gain access to two towboat brands with options for a wide range of boating lifestyles and budgets.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd., in coordination with American Honda Motor Co., Inc., just opened its Florida Marine Office( FMO) for Honda Marine, a division of Honda Power Sports & Products( PS & P), at the company’ s existing R & D Test Facility in Grant-Valkaria, Florida. The office brings together Honda global and regional teams in a market-critical hub near U. S. boat builders, dealers, customers and realworld operating conditions.

“ The Florida Marine Office is a strategic investment in how Honda Marine develops products and supports the people who sell and use them,” said Josh Matthews, Director, Honda Marine Division, in a news release.“ The Honda Marine strategy continues to focus on disciplined growth— bringing the right technology, dependable performance and a stronger ownership experience to boaters and boat builders. By connecting our company’ s global engineering expertise with real-world insight from within Florida, we can accelerate rigging and validation work, strengthen our large-outboard capabilities and respond more quickly to the changing needs of the U. S. market.”

The new FMO builds on a strong foundation of nearly two decades of specialized marine research within Honda R & D Americas and the broader global Honda R & D network, centered at the existing, 11,000-square-foot waterfront Honda Marine facility.