Blue Haven Marina
More Americans are Boating than Ever. There are a little more than 232 million adults in the United States, and some 88 million of them — nearly 38 percent — went out on a recreational boat during 2012. That’s according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, which says the number is a 6-percent increase compared with 2011 and is the largest number of U.S. adults participating in boating since the NMMA began collecting data in 1990. Learn more at www.nmma.org.
The Panama Canal is Getting Some Competition. Nicaraguan lawmakers have approved a 50-year concession that will allow a Chinese company to build and manage a Central American shipping canal to compete with the Panama Canal. The $40 billion proposal by HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co. Ltd. includes plans for two free-trade zones, a railway, an oil pipeline and airports. Initially, the company sought a 100-year concession for the project, which is expected to take 11 years to complete. The project is expected to double Nicaragua’s gross domestic product and create more than 40,000 jobs.
A ticket to the Newport Boat Show will benefit Sailing Heals. Newport Exhibition Group has named Sailing Heals as the charitable partner for the 43rd annual Newport International Boat Show. The group will receive free exhibit space as well as a portion of all ticket sales on the show’s closing day, which is Sunday, September 15. Sailing Heals gives people with cancer, their families and their caregivers therapeutic experiences on the water. Learn more at www.newportboatshow.com or www.sailingheals.org.
The Turks & Caicos Has a New Marina. Blue Haven Resort & Marina, part of IGY Marinas, has officially opened in the Turks & Caicos Islands. (That’s Blue Haven in the photograph above.) Blue Haven is on the leeward side of Providenciales and will cater to yachts up to 220 feet LOA with no beam restrictions. Draft restriction is 8 feet at mean low tide. An introductory offer gives boaters two nights free with every seven booked at the marina. Learn more at www.bluehaventci.com.
