Boat Love
7/27/2006 5:56:17 PM by Sandy Lindsey
Thom Dammrich is out to make boating the next great American pastime, and he seems to have a plan that’s destined for success.
Boating participation has been declining for seven to eight years and boat sales have been flat for a decade. These shocking statistics come fromThom Dammrich, an avid boater and president of the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association (NMMA), who is out to put a stop to the decline and get more people out on the water. Two key operations are designed to help him reach these goals: a Discover Boating campaign,including the “Wave if You Love Boating” program and the NMMA Government Relations department for legislative and regulatory monitoring to protect the waterways and boater access to them.
Dammrich says he likes nothing more than a day on the water. “I enjoy cruising around the Chicago lakefront and up the Chicago River. For me, it’s all about relaxation and socializing with friends and family. I caught my first big mouth bass this past June and have the pictures to prove it!”
When asked what his zaniest moment in all his years of boating has been,Dammrich replies, “I can’t tell you the whole story, but I was a race marshal in a rowing regatta on the Chicago River and ended up in the river clinging to the side of a boat that was moving in circles. Luckily I was rescued by the Chicago Marine Patrol.” Backon land, the Discover Boating efforts are showing good results with12,000 visitors a day to discover boating.com and more than 20,000 requests for the “How to Get Started in Boating” DVD. To ensure that all these new boat owners have someplace where they can boat, the NMMA Government Relations unit is equally hard at work. “Political involvement is a process,” explains Dammrich. “On average,it takes seven years to pass a piece of legislation. We are comfortable with the progress on the major pieces of legislation we are advocating. Our effectiveness in Washington, D.C. and state capitals is at an all-time high.”
On the current monitoring agenda are tax incentives for boating safety equipment, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway funding, the Marine Mammal Protection Act Amendments of 2005, and The Marine Debris, Research, Prevention and Reduction Act, amongst others. “If you’re not involvedin the political process, you take what is handed to you,” says Dammrich. “This involvement is critical to the future of boating. The government impacts so many aspects of our industry from manufacturing to access to regulations on users.” At the end of the day, as he sits in at the helm, Dammrich is one of us — just another person who loves to be out on the water. “I feel fortunate to work in this great industry,” he reports. “Not only do we employ hundreds of thousands of people, but we provide the best way to relax, get outdoors and spend time with family and friends. We deliver real social value. I love watching fireworks from the water, and spending a day watching the Chicago Air and Water Show from a boat. Cruising with friends is what Ilike best, but I also get to introduce legislators, staff, the media and others to boating, too.”