A scene from a previous Central NY Winter Boat Show. Credit: Kara Lynn Dunn/NYSG

Contact:
 
Dave White, New York Sea Grant, Recreation and Tourism Specialist, P: 315-312- 3042, E: dgw9@cornell.edu


Syracuse, NY, January 6, 2022 - If your calendar early in the year usually includes a winter boat show event, unfortunately, you will find it has been canceled for 2022. However, the Boating Industries Association (BIA) of Upstate New York suggests four alternatives.

“Our Central New York Winter Boat Show standard is to showcase hundreds of all-new models of power and sail boats, sport and pontoon boats, personal watercraft, and docks. With the low inventory challenge to fill two huge buildings at the State Fairgrounds, the decision was made to cancel the 2022 show and to offer alternatives to fill the gap between now and the 2023 show,” explains BIA President Bernard DeGraw.


A boat featured in a previous CNY Winter Boat Show. Credit: Kara Lynn Dunn/NYSG

Create Your Own Mini Boat Show

“Although inventory is too tight to stage a full show, we are encouraging people to plan their own traveling boat show. Map out a tour of dealers to visit to see what they have for new and pre-owned boats or to talk with them about ordering a boat to your specifications. Enjoy the dealers’ showrooms as mini boat shows,” Central New York Boat Show Manager Drew Wickham suggests. Call ahead to check hours of operation at each of your planned marine dealers.


New York Sea Grant's "Discover Clean and Safe Boating" exhibit components. Credit: Kara Lynn Dunn/NYSG

Shop for Required Boating Gear and Recommended Accessories

“Talking with marine dealers is a great way to learn about the required and recommended gear to have aboard your boat to be legally, safely, and environmentally-friendly on NY’s (or your preferred provincial) waters. They can also tell you about the latest trending accessories,” says DeGraw, managing partner of Frontenac Harbor Marina, Union Springs, NY, and FLX Marine, Canandaigua, NY.


The Boating Information Center at a previous CNY Winter Boat Show. Credit: Kara Lynn Dunn/NYSG

Register for a Boating Safety Certification Class

Past Central New York Winter Boat Shows have featured a New York State Boating Information Center, the Power Squadron’s virtual boating console, and safety programming developed by New York Sea Grant, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, New York State Parks Marine Bureau, and others.

Show visitors have learned about New York’s Brianna’s Law that requires motorized boat operators born on or after May 1, 1996 to have a boating safety certificate, and those operating a personal watercraft on New York waters to be 14 years old or older with a safety certificate.


A young show visitor tries the virtual boating console at the Power Squadron exhibit at a previous CNY Winter Boat Show. Credit: Kara Lynn Dunn/NYSG

“To find a boating safety certification course for navigating on New York waters, check with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Power Squadron, or see the New York State Parks website” says New York Sea Grant Coastal Recreation and Tourism Specialist David G. White.

Binge Watch Boat NY


January's segment is all about the news that February's Central NY Boat Show has been cancelled ... and how consumers can create their own boat show this year. More recent Boat NY clips in "On YouTube: BOAT NY: Safe Boating Tips for Fall through Spring"

In lieu of the canceled 2022 show, try binge-watching Boat NY.

The Boating Industries Association and New York Sea Grant have created an ongoing series of short informational videos on boating, boats, and watercraft of all styles and sizes, and clean, safe, and environmentally-friendly boating, which is a monthly feature on Facebook. The idea for the short clips, featuring Wickham and White, began at the Central New York Winter Boat Show in 2020; the segments are now hosted by various marinas.

You can also watch some of the media clips that were filed around the time this news was announced ... 



With No Boat Show, Where Can You Learn Boat Safety?

Watertown, New York, January 20, 2022 - With no Central New York Boat Show this year, people have to find other ways to become educated about boat safety.

New York Sea Grant’s Dave White says many people took advantage of the boat show to learn boating safety and to stock up on supplies they’ll need come boating season.

He says it’s a good time to take a boating safety course. You can find where they’re offered on the state parks and recreation website.

Another good resource are local boat dealers. You can also learn more at nyseagrant.org, cnyboating.net, and cnywinterboatshow.com.

Since April 2006, White has been bringing Sea Grant's "message" to the morning masses at WWNY TV 7, a Watertown-based CBS-affiliate, during one of the highest rated TV blocks in the "wake-up hours," the 6:30-7 am stretch.

Sea Grant's 'five minutes of fame' - which potentially reaches around 10,000 viewers in New York's Jefferson and Northern Oswego Counties - has featured topics over the years such as boating safety, aquatic invasive species, diving in search of sunken wrecks, the dune and Salmon River stewards program, shoreline land issues, tourism, and marine safety.




CNY Winter Boat Show Cancelled; Organizers Offer Alternatives

Syracuse, NY, January 19, 2022 - The Central New York Boat Show is once again not happening this year and with boat sales surging amid the pandemic, boating industry experts say there are alternatives to fill the gap.

Dave White of New York Sea Grant and CNY Boat Show Manager Drew Wickham both agree that creating your own boat show is a great way to find what you want. Mapping out a tour of dealers to visit and searching for new and pre-owned boats in the area can help you in your search. While you’re out shopping, you’ll also learn more about required boating gear and recommended accessories too.

Dave says that having the recommended gear on hand ahead of the season can make all the difference to get you off and running for the season.

Organizers are hopeful that the boat show will return in 2023. In the meantime, to learn more about boating experts and information in your area, visit CNYWinterBoatShow.com.

NYSG's White frequently appears as a boating safety specialist on "Bridge Street," a locally-produced daily talk show of News Channel 9 WSYR-TV, the ABC affiliate covering Syracuse and Central New York.

White's NYSG "Boating and Marine Trades" content can be found at www.nyseagrant.org/marina. He also has information on Great Lakes shipwrecks at www.nyseagrant.org/shipwreck.


More Info: New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York (SUNY), is one of 34 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program.

Since 1971, NYSG has represented a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness and understanding about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.

Through NYSG’s efforts, the combined talents of university scientists and extension specialists help develop and transfer science-based information to many coastal user groups—businesses and industries, federal, state and local government decision-makers and agency managers, educators, the media and the interested public.

The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Oswego and the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University in Long Island, Brooklyn College and Cornell Cooperative Extension in NYC and Kingston in the Hudson Valley.

For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube links. NYSG offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which is published quarterly.