My immediately local waters, Puget Sound, is really a region more than
a destination.......(although if one wants to split hairs "Puget
Sound", proper, is a very small portion of the inland waterways up
here, and is located just west and northwest of Seattle. "Puget Sound"
is commonly used to refer to waters stretching all the way from Olympia
up to and often including the San Juan Islands.)




FROM: NATIONAL MARINE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

200 E. Randolph Dr., Suite 5100

Chicago, IL 60601-6528

(312) 946-6200



CONTACT: Ellen Hopkins, NMMA, ; (312) 946-6249

April White, Carmichael Lynch Spong,
; (212) 414-6880







GET ON THE WATER TO FIND TOP DESTINATIONS FOR END-OF-SUMMER ESCAPES



National Marine Manufacturers Association Names Seven Boating

Hot Spots For Final Summer Hurrah



CHICAGO, August 8, 2005 - For those trying to savor every moment of
summer and plan a final hurrah, the water is definitely the place to
be. The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) has named
seven top boating hot spots across the country, where Americans can
enjoy the final days of summer in family- and water-friendly
communities from South Carolina to Washington.

"Summer is the season for boating, and these seven hot spots are
among the best places we've found to plan that last summer getaway
with your family or friends," says Steve Tadd, director of Grow
Boating at the NMMA. "They are places that make it easy to leave the
daily grind at the water's edge and enjoy what's left of the
summer."

Topping NMMA's regional list for end-of-summer boating getaway
locations a

=B7 Connecticut Shore of Long Island Sound (North Atlantic
Region), offers a wide range of boating options. From Norwalk in the
South, a favorite for cruisers, to Stonington in the North, which
claims to have the most beautiful harbor on the East Coast, there are a
wide range of options to enjoy on board a boat. There are more than 1.2
million registered boats in the North Atlantic Region and nearly 10,000
miles of tidal shoreline, making it a popular boating destination.

=B7 St. Michaels, Md. (Mid-Atlantic Region), is a quaint
waterfront village on the Eastern Shore featuring the St. Michaels
Maritime Museum and water taxi service. Maryland has nearly 200,000 of
the 847,710 registered boats in the Mid-Atlantic Region, and spending
on new powerboats, motors, trailers and accessories increased by eight
percent in the state in 2004 versus 2003.

=B7 Charleston, S.C. (South Atlantic Region), is home to more
than charming Southern mansions and renowned restaurants. The city is
perched on a peninsula surrounded by three rivers and a harbor, with
five marinas. South Carolina is ranked ninth in the country in boat
registrations at 380,314. The South Atlantic Region offers more than
17,000 miles of tidal shoreline and 20,282 square miles of inland water
to explore by boat.

=B7 Biloxi, Miss. (Gulf Coast Region), offers a perfect gateway
to the Gulf Islands National Seashore. A number of these barrier
islands - Ship, Cat, Round, Horn and Petit Bois - are located just
a few miles off the Mississippi shore. Known for its remoteness, the
Gulf Islands National Seashore feature pristine Gulf water and
sparkling-white beaches. Boating is very popular in the Gulf Coast
Region, with more than 1.3 million registered boats on the water.

=B7 Mackinac Island, Mich., (Great Lakes Region) is a National
Historic Landmark covering 2,200 acres between Michigan's Upper and
Lower Peninsula. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the island,
making it a boating mecca. Among the states in the Great Lakes Region,
Michigan has the most boat registrations (953,554), ranking it second
in the country behind California. The Great Lakes Region has the most
overall boat registrations, accounting for 27 percent of all registered
boats in the United States, and nearly two out of 10 Great Lakes Region
residents own a boat.

=B7 Kentucky Lake, Ky. (Inland Region), proves that you don't
need to live near a coast to enjoy recreational boating. Landlocked
states offer numerous on-the-water opportunities, with 17,400 square
miles of water to explore in the Inland Region. Marinas are plentiful
along Kentucky Lake, where visitors can try fishing, houseboating,
water-skiing, snorkeling and swimming. Kentucky residents registered
173,000 boats in 2003, and spending on new powerboats, motors, trailers
and accessories increased by more than 12 percent in the state in 2004
over the previous year.

=B7 Puget Sound, Wash. (Pacific Region), extends inland from the
Pacific Ocean with intricate channels, inlets and islands around
Seattle, where water is a way of life. The Pacific Region led the
country by posting a 5.3 percent increase in boat registrations in
2003. The region accounts for nearly 12 percent of the nation's
boats, with Washington accounting for about 266,000 boat registrations.


NMMA, the leading association representing the recreational boating
industry, selected the seven locations based on their water
accessibility, boater-friendly amenities and events, and recreational
boating statistics, including registrations.

Tadd says about 90 percent of Americans live less than an hour from a
navigable body of water, making the boating lifestyle accessible no
matter where people live.

The NMMA also reports that nearly 70 million Americans participated in
boating in 2004, an estimated increase of 300,000 from 2003. What's
more, the number of boats on the nation's waterways grew to nearly 18
million in 2004, ranging from canoes and kayaks to cruisers and large
yachts.

For more information about recreational boating, log on to
www.DiscoverBoating.com.



About Discover Boating

Managed by the boating industry's National Marine Manufacturers
Association (NMMA), Discover Boating is a consumer awareness program
designed to educate the public on the boating lifestyle while providing
helpful tools and information for getting people out on the water to
enjoy boating. NMMA is the leading trade association, representing more
than 1,500 companies that produce boats, engines, trailers and
accessories used by the nation's nearly 70 million recreational
boaters. NMMA members provide approximately 80 percent of the marine
products used by recreational boaters and anglers in the United States,
where retail sales of boats and related products and services amount to
an estimated $33 billion annually.

=20

-30-

I have quite a bit of experience with Eastern Connecticut/Long Island
Sound and certainly agree that it is a fine cruising area albeit
somewhat crowded this time of year. We also passed through Charleston
on our recent trip north and were very favorably impressed, so no
argument there.

Right now we are in my all time favorite east coast cruising venue
which is Maine. It's hard to believe it didn't make the list but
that's quite alright. One of Maine's attractions is its plethora of
unspoiled, uncrowded harbors. It is just challenging enough to get
here that it is likely to stay uncrowded even if it makes a few of the
"best" lists.

I do take some exception to the statement that Stonington is one of the
most beautiful harbors. Not that it isn't a nice enough little town
but there are other nearby places such as Fishers Island and Mystic
Seaport with far more scenic beauty in my opinion. One of the really
cool things about docking at Mystic Seaport is that you have the run of
the grounds at night after the tourists have left. It is very easy to
imagine yourself walking through a 19th century village when you have
the place more or less to yourself. Maine has some of those same time
warping qualities when you are threading your way between rocky, fog
shrouded little islands covered with virgin pine trees, and the only
other boat in sight is a wooden gaff rigged schooner ghosting along
between the seals, ducks and lobster pots.

On 8 Aug 2005 23:06:17 -0700, wrote:

Topping NMMA's regional list for end-of-summer boating getaway
locations a

· Connecticut Shore of Long Island Sound (North Atlantic
Region), offers a wide range of boating options. From Norwalk in the
South, a favorite for cruisers, to Stonington in the North, which
claims to have the most beautiful harbor on the East Coast, there are a
wide range of options to enjoy on board a boat. There are more than 1.2
million registered boats in the North Atlantic Region and nearly 10,000
miles of tidal shoreline, making it a popular boating destination.

I'm not at all sure that Stonington is the most beautiful harbor on
the East Coast. I can think of three that are nicer looking -
Marblehead, MA, Manchester, MA and Bar Harbor, ME. Or Bristol in
Rhode Island.

Stonington is a nice harbor, but it's small, tight and hard to get
around unless you know how to get through the mooring field.

Just my opinion.

Later,

Tom

Since we are now into our 2nd week at Bar Harbor it would be hard to
quibble with your picks. There are some other anchorages near here
that offer more in terms of scenic beauty but less in the way of
cruising amenities such as restaurants, fuel, marine supplies,
groceries, laundry, WiFi, etc. We've found Bar Harbor to be a very
friendly little place where people will go out of there way to lend a
hand when you need it.

With regard to Stonington, I would pick either nearby Mystic Seaport or
Fishers Island West Harbor first. Dodsons has always been a first rate
boatyard however so maybe Stonington gets the nod if you need work done.