New non-for-profit formed to improve boating safety

ericc

Contributor
New Organization Formed to Improve Powerboat Safety

Ocala, Fla., October 7—Four marine industry veterans have joined forces with one goal—to improve the safety of all aspects of powerboating. Tres Martin, Brad Schoenwald, Jacky McDaniel and Eric Colby have formed Powerboat Safety International, a not-for-profit organization that will work with boat manufacturers, engine builders, accessories makers and event organizers to make powerboating safer.
For the last decade, Martin and Schoenwald have been at the forefront of boating safety, teaching students at the Tres Martin Performance Boat School, the leading resource for instructing owners of performance boats to operate their vessels safely. Among the best-known throttlemen and crew chiefs in offshore racing, Martin is a four-time world and national champion who was named Throttleman Of The Year on numerous occasions and was an inductee into the American Power Boat Association’s Hall of Champions. The 46-year-old grew up in the performance-boat world working at the legendary Everglades Marina. He still consults for a variety of boatbuilders on setup of new models. He founded Tres Martin Performance Boat School five years ago and has taught hundreds of people to operate their boats. He lives in Ocala, Fla., where he raises horses and rigs boats on a limited schedule.
Retired Coast Guard Officer and current civilian employee of the United States Coast Guard, Schoenwald, 45, has been an outspoken advocate of boating safety for the past 10 years. He joined forces with Martin in 2004 to expand the school's focus to include programmed instructional technologies and human factors engineering. A licensed master, his boating background ranges from Motor Life boats on the Oregon coast to fast pursuit boats, and large cutters. Schoenwald also developed a safety management system for organized powering boating events that has been adopted by the insurance industry and now provides the availability for proper event insurance for Poker Runs. With frequent presence at poker runs around the country if not in his own Cigarette 38’ Twin Step Top Gun, Schoenwald can be found running fast cats and V-bottoms at owners’ requests. Schoenwald lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
McDaniel has been a longtime behind-the scenes presence at the Tres Martin Performance Boat School, handling administrative duties. She actually gave Martin the idea to start the school. She resides with Martin in Ocala and is an experienced equestrian.
An award-winning journalist, Colby has long been a champion of safety in the performance-boat world. Like Martin, Colby is a former offshore powerboat racer. In his 20 years of writing boat tests and features for magazines such as Powerboat, Boating, Performance Boats and H2O Full Throttle, he has logged thousands of hours behind the wheel of boats ranging from 18’ bowriders to 38’ offshore performance models to 76’ yachts.
Powerboat Safety International was formed to make all aspects of recreational boating safer and is in the process of developing an accreditation program for all aspects of the industry including driving schools, boat models, accessories and events. For more information, go to www.pbsint.org.
 
Anything in regards to safety is a step forward.

Without ****ing anyone off; the first question that popped in my mind was is a "Safety Unification" thread coming shortly? Aren't there orgs out there (Lavin comes to mind but honestly not sure what they or any of them do) that maybe the energy would be better put to moving some thing established forward than creating another org?

Again- I'm not trying to stir the pot by any means- just seems like this is what happened with "racing".
 
Very cool guys! Safety is an important issues that we can't stress enough. Look forward to seeing your activities progress.
 
Anything in regards to safety is a step forward.

Without ****ing anyone off; the first question that popped in my mind was is a "Safety Unification" thread coming shortly? Aren't there orgs out there (Lavin comes to mind but honestly not sure what they or any of them do) that maybe the energy would be better put to moving some thing established forward than creating another org?

Again- I'm not trying to stir the pot by any means- just seems like this is what happened with "racing".
No this is geared totally to move forward with aligning safety as a whole throughout the entire Powerboat industry.
 
This is a great step for our sport as a whole. If we do not start to get more proactive about showing people that we are serious about safty then the sport we love will be no more in short oder. We have seen speed limits going up on lakes all over the country. Lets face it people don't need much of a reason to not like us. This is a great way to show them that we care about safty on our lakes and water ways. Great job guys!!
 
And as long as there is stupidity...........as seen in some recent pictures on this site of a recent run in Florida with people laying on the sunpads while the boat is on plane... there is the need for people to be reminded of safety.

Unfortunately, there are some that are just too stupid to pay attention.
 
and as long as there is stupidity...........as seen in some recent pictures on this site of a recent run in florida with people laying on the sunpads while the boat is on plane... There is the need for people to be reminded of safety.

Unfortunately, there are some that are just too stupid to pay attention.


+10
 
And as long as there is stupidity...........as seen in some recent pictures on this site of a recent run in Florida with people laying on the sunpads while the boat is on plane... there is the need for people to be reminded of safety.

Unfortunately, there are some that are just too stupid to pay attention.

I agree 100%
I may have said it a little more delicately but hey, that's just me!:sifone:
Dave is not known for being delicate but he has lead the way to safer poker runs and events!
 
Please visit the web site and look around. Our dedication will start in the Poker Run safety and safety programs first. Our group is working right now on little or no money to move forward, we have received a few small donations from a few and really appreciate the help. We have a lot to do and not alot of time as local and big goverment is working to crush our boating freedom and take away our last free fun.
 
Thank you for being involved and an advocate for boaters. Please don't take my post above as I am on the other side of this; just spuring debate/conversation.
 
And as long as there is stupidity...........as seen in some recent pictures on this site of a recent run in Florida with people laying on the sunpads while the boat is on plane... there is the need for people to be reminded of safety.

Unfortunately, there are some that are just too stupid to pay attention.

along those same lines I keep waiting for Powerboat mag to have life vests on the operators and passengers on the boats in their test articles. It seemed like they started to and have now stopped.
 
along those same lines I keep waiting for Powerboat mag to have life vests on the operators and passengers on the boats in their test articles. It seemed like they started to and have now stopped.

They do based on the speed of the boat...higher speed boats they always wear lifeline jackets. Also - the photos that you see in the magazine with passengers are not shot when the "trial" of the boat is being performed.

Even with that said...if all of the pics in the magazine (boat trial or advertisement) would be a positive thing.
 
Back
Top