MTOA

There are four boating organizations that we belong to. BoatUS because I'm pretty sure it's a federal law that if you own a boat you must be a member. They also have great towing service which we just used for the first time but that's for another blog entry. DeFever Cruisers because we own a DeFever and it's nice to know other boaters with your boat. Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) because their members have the widest breadth of cruising experience throughout the world. And Marine Trawler Owners Association (MTOA) because they embrace the trawler cruising/liveaboard lifestyle best.

If you own a trawler and are not a member of MTOA click here, now and join. Not only will you meet some great cruisers and make some wonderful friends, you will become part of a family that will be there when you need them. There are many reasons to join including savings on your boat insurance, one free night's dockage each year at Olverson's, and access to yacht clubs. They have port captains at major ports of call that will help you with a car, local knowledge, just about anything you need. And then there are the rendezvous and the pins. The coveted pins.

Last week we attended the MTOA Southern Rendezvous in St. Augustine, FL. It was three days of seminars (several which we gave so you know how good they are), good food, dancing, boat visiting, and the final awards dinner where members received their pins. Green pins for working on a committee, red pins for speaking, and so on. Trust me, don't you dare try to steal a member's pin, walking the plank is the only fitting punishment. So we each added two pins to our collection giving us each a total of four. There are members who have enough pins to set off the metal detector from the airport parking lot. We hope to have enough years of boating ahead of us to do the same some day.