Editorial — Celebrate National Marina Day, June 8

Tomorrow — June 8 — has been designated as National Marina Day, and numerous marinas and marine businesses will be inviting you to join the celebration. The idea is to introduce more people across the country to the fun of boating and the welcoming community they will find at their favorite pleasurecraft marina.     

With support from the marine industry’s Discover Boating campaign, the Marine Retailers Association of America and the Association of Marina Industries, more than 250 marinas across the country are planning special events for tomorrow. Here are just a few of the many events you can participate in throughout Southern California:    

San Diego: Cabrillo Isle Marina will host a barbecue for its tenants and will invite the Coast Guard Auxiliary to offer boating education and vessel safety checks. New boaters will be invited to learn more about boating in San Diego.    

San Pedro: Holiday Harbor-Cabrillo Marina will host a boaters’ swap meet, provide tours of the facility, offer free promotional items to visiting boaters (while supplies last), provide light refreshments in the Boaters’ Lounge and offer boaters the use of kayaks, bicycles and remote-control sailboats.    

Wilmington: Holiday Harbor-Wilmington will host an Open House and Marine Swap Meet, along with tours of the marina.    

Marina del Rey: MarinaFest will offer free sailing, water taxi rides, wetlands tours, a boat show, a marine swap meet, yacht club open houses and numerous other activities for the whole family at Catalina Yacht Anchorage. (For more information, see the story on page 11 of this issue.) Action Watersports will host a morning kayak/standup paddleboard cleanup event during MarinaFest.    

Ventura: Ventura West Marina will host a boaters’ swap meet, boater education and safety demonstrations, fire extinguisher training and servicing, clean marina information, entertainment, food and beverages.            

Whether you’re a new boater or an experienced old salt, there will be plenty of fun activities for everyone to enjoy. So, celebrate National Marina Day — and the fun and friendship of the boating lifestyle.