BoatU.S.: A club with paybacks for bass boaters
By Craig Lamb
Are you feeling the pinch at the pump when you fill up your
boat’s fuel tank? Are you overcome with buyer’s remorse when you
purchase a “must-have” gadget or accessory for your boat or
trailer?
Boating is fun but it pays to be cost conscious. And there is
a better route for saving a buck at the pump or a dollar at the
marine dealership than sacrificing a trip to the lake. The
better option is by joining Boat Owners Association of the
United States (BoatU.S.) and benefiting from its abundance of
savings, services, advocacy and more.
With over 650,000 members, BoatU.S. makes a strong case for
its claim of serving as the voice for recreational boaters.
Since it formed in 1966, the organization has successfully
lobbied on an impressive list of legislative issues in favor of
boaters.
Representing boaters through legislative lobbying on their
behalf is only one of the many services BoatU.S. provides its
members. BoatU.S. is a diverse organization that insures over
$9.5 billion worth of members’ boats, has the largest fleet of
towboats from coast to coast, and hundreds of affiliated marinas
nationwide that provide substantial discounts to members. In
all, BoatU.S. membership comes with some 26 benefits, a bargain
for the membership dues of $19.
Following is a rundown for some of those benefits of interest
to bass boat owners. Read on and you’ll recognize the membership
returns are a wise investment in making boating more economical
and enjoyable.
Savings
Members save on everyday boating expenses with the BoatU.S.
1,100-page Discount Catalog offering more than 50,000 discount
boating products at low BoatU.S. prices. A Web site provides
anytime shopping for more discount items and specials. If you’d
rather see and feel merchandise you may do so at West Marine
retail stores, all of which offer a 5 percent rebate on
equipment purchases.
Some 835 BoatU.S. cooperating marinas are now offering
exclusive discounts to BoatU.S. members. Cooperating marinas
display a logo and welcome the BoatU.S. membership card with
discounts on fuel, transient dockage or repairs and other
services such as haul-out, launch ramp, pump-out and more.
Members also save big bucks on fuel, boat slips and repairs.
Cooperating marinas offer one or more of the following: a 25
percent discount on overnight boat slips, 10 cents per gallon
off gasoline pump prices and 15 percent savings on repairs.
Services
One of the strongest amenities of BoatU.S. membership are its
low insurance premiums recognized by more than a quarter million
recreational boaters nationwide. For the past 40 years, BoatU.S.
has offered broad coverage and fast claims through a variety of
affordable insurance polices developed by boaters for boaters,
with each one providing unique features. Members get to choose
from five policy types based on vessel size, from yacht to
personal watercraft. Plans include the Yacht Policy, the Boat
Saver Policy, the Personal Watercraft Policy, the Bass Boat
Policy and Liability Only Coverage.
A breakdown on the water can certainly spoil a fishing outing
and especially on a big impoundment where getting help can be a
stretch. BoatU.S. has the nation’s largest towing network and
members can sign up for a menu of tow services that fit their
needs.
The security of knowing you have access to tow service on the
water extends to the shore with a membership upgrade to the
BoatU.S. Trailering Club. This program provides $150 Trailer
Assist & Tow roadside service, entitles members to a
subscription to “BoatU.S. Trailering Magazine,” boat ramp
user-fee rebates and offers access to a toll-free hotline for
locating boat ramps with over 25,000 listings nationwide.
More protection comes in the form of a theft reward program
valued at
$2,500. This program helps protect a member’s boat and equipment
from theft and vandalism at no additional cost to you.
Registration is automatic with membership. All it takes to be
eligible is to display the BoatU.S. Theft Reward decal on the
boat.
BoatU.S. members are automatically registered to participate
in the West Advantage Rewards program featuring exclusive “PLUS”
level rewards. Members earn points on qualifying purchases
toward valuable reward certificates when they shop at West
Marine. West Advantage “PLUS” Reward certificates worth $15 each
are automatically mailed to members whenever they have
accumulated $300 in purchases, with no limit to the number of
certificates they can earn.
Finally, included in every BoatU.S. membership is a full
year’s subscription (six issues) to “BoatU.S. Magazine!”
Editorial features cover the gamut of recreational boating along
with membership updates, timely information, safe boating tips
and more.
Advocacy
BoatU.S. maintains the largest staff of registered lobbyists
on Capitol Hill representing recreational boaters to fight
unfair taxes, fees, and discriminatory regulations. BoatU.S. has
sunk the federal tax on diesel fuel, the VHF Marine Radio Fee,
and the federal boat “user fee” tax. Most recently, BoatU.S.
convinced Congress to spend $32 million to build access sites
and facilities for boaters.
BoatU.S. helps members resolve problems involving warranty
disputes, shoddy repairs, poor service, or misrepresentation by
manufacturers. During the complaint process, BoatU.S. work
directly with the manufacturers to help resolve members’
problems.
BoatU.S. Foundation is a leader in advocating boater safety
education and awareness. Its programs help make a difference by
reducing accidents and fatalities while increasing stewardship
of the nation’s water resources. Thanks to the donations from
individual boaters, the programs continue to help boaters and
boating.
How to join
A basic BoatU.S. membership starts at $19.95 with add-ons
like a towing service and roadside assistance available for a
nominal fee. Here’s how to join:
BOATU.S. has developed a program especially for the inland
angler. The name of the program is BoatU.S. Angler. Here is what
it includes:
• Inland Angler Card — just $12.50 a year, pays $150 per
breakdown whether you’re on the road trailering your boat to
your next fishing hole or if you’re already out on a freshwater
inland lake or river and your battery dies after trolling.
• Inland Angler Plus Card — Just $29 a year, features more
than basic Inland Angler Card, with FREE roadside assistance
(within 100 mile service area) for breakdowns on the road while
trailering your boat; and FREE on the water assistance (up to 30
mile freshwater lake or river service area).
Inland Angler and Inland Angler Plus also include:
24-hour towing dispatch—call toll free
night or day
Flat tire assistance
Towing vehicle lock out service
Rampside assistance when stuck in the mud
Fuel delivery and battery jumpstarts on the
road and water
Over 15,000 trailer specialists at your
call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
All Inland Angler Towing Services are paid up to the selected
towing level
you have at the time of breakdown. If commercial assistance on
the water is not available, other resources will be contacted to
assist you. All service must be provided dispatched by BoatU.S.
Angler Dispatch Services to be eligible for payment or
reimbursement. Inland Angler Program does not provide for
rescue, salvage, Marine Insurance accidents or boats greater
than 26 feet in length.
This program has been developed for inland waters and does
not include coastal, saltwater or the Great Lakes. In those
areas the regular BoatU.S. Membership will be sold.
Other features of this program include a newsletter that will
be inserted in the BoatU.S. Trailering Magazine including
articles on DIY projects, fishing tales and tips, and
fishing/boating news. BOATU.S. also has a website that supports
the publication and membership with forums/reports/message
boards.
$2,500. This program helps protect a member’s boat and equipment
from theft and vandalism at no additional cost to you.
Registration is automatic with membership. All it takes to be
eligible is to display the BoatU.S. Theft Reward decal on the
boat. 
you have at the time of breakdown. If commercial assistance on
the water is not available, other resources will be contacted to
assist you. All service must be provided dispatched by BoatU.S.
Angler Dispatch Services to be eligible for payment or
reimbursement. Inland Angler Program does not provide for
rescue, salvage, Marine Insurance accidents or boats greater
than 26 feet in length.