Contacts:
 
Dave White, New York Sea Grant, E: dgw9@cornell.edu, P: 315.312.3042

Syracuse, NY, March 3, 2016 - Below is a series of video clips from various news stations in and around Syracuse, NY about the 2016 Central New York Boat Show, which ran from February 18-21 at the New York State Fairgrounds. New York Sea Grant's (NYSG) Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White, an exhibitor at the show, spoke with several reporters about the program's involvement this year.

Attendees to this year's CNY Boat Show who visited NYSG's Boating Information Center were treated to a first look at the 7-foot round boat that is the 2016 Discover Clean and Safe Boating educational vessel. The boat will go public during the 2016 Clean campaign, which launches in April for the start of exhibit season.

And for more of NYSG's "Boating and Marine Trades" news see www.nyseagrant.org/marina.


Central NY Boat Show Features New Exhibits [1 of 2]


Time Warner Cable News reporter Brad Vivacqua was at the show on day 1 to give attendees a preview of what they might need to be ready for the upcoming boating season.

Dealers at the show had an opportunity to showcase some of the newest models and features in the industry - everything from sail and pontoon boats to cruisers and personal watercraft vehicles.

"Whether you're in the market for a new boat or perhaps just want to see what's out there, there are many experts you can talk to," said NYSG's Dave White. "It's a real opportunity to get to know the dealers exhibiting boats here - To see their products, kick the tires as they say or. in this case, spin the propeller, and really begin to see what you may be looking for this boating season to either upgrade or buy a new boat." 


Central NY Boat Show Features New Exhibits [2 of 2]


TWC's Vivacqua was joined again by NYSG's Dave White, who provided some insights on a new exhibit this year: Remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs), which were built and demo-ed by local high school students at the show.

ROVs are used to transmit weather, water temperature, wind and wave data to Web-based resources for researchers, weather-casters and the general public.

"ROVs can be also be used as tools for research and search-and-rescue missions," said White, "so they are related to the whole water industry - including boating - when we talk about safety." 

"Someone referred to these ROVs as underwater drones," says White, "which immediately puts into context what these vehicles are and what they're used for." During the demos, White added that "it's a great time to talk about the research that we do out on the water and tie-ins to safe boating education."

NYSG and its partners - including the Boating Industries Association of Upstate New York and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary - also hosted a boating safety certification course for young adults (ages 10-17), gave life jacket demonstrations and a manned a display of safety gear required and suggested to be on-board all boats on the water. For more on these activities, see the "Related Links" section at left on this page.


Ahoy! Boat Show Sails Into Central NY


NYSG's Dave White talked here with reporter Beth Cefalu from Syracuse, NY-based NewsChannel 9 WSYR-TV, who showed viewers an ROV, a remotely-operated vehicle.

"ROVs can be used as tools for research and search-and-rescue missions," said White, "so they are related to the whole water industry - including boating - when we talk about safety."

As for the additional features of NYSG's presence at the show - which included life jacket demos and a youth safety certification course - White said: "We're sharing information with people so that they can have a fun day on the water and always feel safe and comfortable - whether they are on one of New York's Great Lakes or Finger Lakes."


More Info: Background on the Central New York Boat Show

Fairgrounds Holds Central New York Boat Show


Some unseasonably warm weather has many people dreaming of summer and being out on the water. As Time Warner Cable News reported, the show offered guests a first look at several hundred new models.

"We want our boaters to be around forever. So they need to be safe, they need to do boating right," said Drew Wickham, Boat Show Manager. "And so we try and educate them. Not only sell them a boat, but educate them how to be safe on it and make sure they're having fun all the time."


A Preview of the Central New York Boat Show


Beth Cefalu from Syracuse, NY-based NewsChannel 9 WSYR-TV reported from the floor of show with CNY Boat Show Manager Drew Wickham.

"There are all kinds of boats on display here at the Show, including sail and sport boats, cruisers, ski boats, fishing boats, pontoon boats," said Wickham.

What's the plus-side to hosting such a Show? "We have over 50 dealers here exhibiting boats, so if you come here you can see them all in one day." When looking for what kind of boat is right for you, Wickham said be mindful of what you want to do on-the-water and then shop accordingly.


More Info: The CNY News Stations

NewsChannel 9 WSYR-TV is the ABC affiliate covering Syracuse and Central New York and serving the community through extensive locally-produced programming including the daily talk show "Bridge Street." More at www.localsyr.com/home.

Time Warner Cable News (TWCN) - part of a network of twelve 24-hour local news channels owned and operated by Time Warner Cable nationwide - began cablecasting as News 10 Now on November 7, 2003. Operating from its headquarters building in downtown Syracuse, TWCN has a huge coverage area, a 15,000+ square mile stretch of Upstate New York. To cover this large area, TWCN provides two separate program feeds - one to Central/Northern NY and another to the Southern Tier - and reaches some 600,000 subscribers across 25 counties. More at centralny.twcnews.com.


More Info: New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, is one of 33 university-based programs under the National Sea Grant College Program (NSGCP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NSGCP engages this network of the nation’s top universities in conducting scientific research, education, training and extension projects designed to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources. Through its statewide network of integrated services, NYSG has been promoting coastal vitality, environmental sustainability, and citizen awareness about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources since 1971.

New York Sea Grant maintains Great Lakes offices at SUNY Buffalo, the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark and at SUNY Oswego. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Manhattan, in the Hudson Valley through Cooperative Extension in Kingston and at Brooklyn College. 

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