Artificial intelligence continues to move from the fringes of marine technology into the everyday tools sailors and professional mariners rely on. This week, Hefring Marine and SEA.AI announced a new partnership aimed at bringing AI enhanced vision and onboard analytics together to elevate safety and situational awareness at sea.

Hefring Marine, an Icelandic marine technology company known for its intelligent maritime analytics, will integrate SEA.AI’s machine vision collision avoidance technology with its IMAS platform. The result is a combined system designed to help operators better understand what is happening both around the boat and within it.

Hefring Marine’s IMAS platform uses AI sensor data and edge computing to provide real time operational intelligence. It is designed to support safer decision making while improving efficiency and sustainability across a wide range of vessels. SEA.AI brings a different but complementary capability to the table, using optical and thermal cameras paired with artificial intelligence to detect and identify floating objects in real time, including hazards that can be difficult to spot by eye or radar alone.

“At Hefring Marine, our mission is to empower vessel operators by enhancing safety, efficiency and sustainability through intelligent technology,” said Karl Birgir Björnsson, CEO of Hefring Marine. “This partnership with SEA.AI allows us to offer our clients an even more comprehensive solution that combines operational intelligence with advanced collision avoidance capabilities. Together, we are setting a new standard for maritime safety and performance.”

By integrating the two systems, operators gain a more complete picture of both external risks and onboard performance. The companies say the combined technology is intended to improve situational awareness, streamline operations and support compliance with increasingly strict environmental regulations by helping crews operate more efficiently.

SEA.AI CEO Marcus Warrelmann sees the partnership as a natural extension of his company’s focus on maritime machine vision. “Partnering with Hefring Marine solidifies SEA.AI’s position as a pioneer in maritime smart vision technology,” Warrelmann said. “By joining forces with such an advanced analytics platform, we are creating an integrated ecosystem that addresses the full spectrum of maritime operational needs.”

SEA.AI has been developing machine vision systems for maritime use since 2018, offering solutions that combine AI with optical and thermal sensors for recreational commercial and government vessels. Hefring Marine’s IMAS platform is already used across multiple workboat sectors to support safety fuel efficiency and data driven fleet management.

For cruising sailors and offshore operators alike, the collaboration signals how quickly AI based tools are becoming more integrated into onboard systems. Rather than standalone gadgets, future safety technology increasingly points toward unified platforms that help crews see more, know more, and respond faster at sea.

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Ocean Posse has announced a new voluntary reporting arrangement designed to improve safety for private cruising boats transiting parts of the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific. The program encourages offshore sailors to share basic voyage information before departing remote areas where vessel identification can be difficult.

The initiative focuses on passages beyond 12 nautical miles in the Eastern Pacific south or east of Huatulco Mexico and north of Ecuador as well as portions of the southern Caribbean. Ocean Posse says the goal is simple: help reduce the chance that an innocent cruising yacht could be misidentified while underway.

“Recreational sailors could become collateral damage in an environment where accurate vessel identification is increasingly difficult,” said Dietmar Petutschnig founder of Ocean Posse. “A properly filed float plan and an up-to-date vessel profile can make a meaningful difference during an unexpected encounter.”

At the core of the program is voluntary pre-departure communication. Captains are encouraged to update their vessel profile on MarineTraffic with current details and photos and to file a standard U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary float plan 48 to 72 hours before departure. That float plan is emailed to a dedicated humanitarian notification address so it can be referenced if needed during the voyage. Crews are also asked to confirm safe arrival at the end of the passage.

Ocean Posse emphasizes that participation is optional and designed as an added layer of situational awareness, not an enforcement process. Underway best practices include maintaining a continuous watch, monitoring VHF Channel 16, transmitting AIS when possible, clearly displaying a national ensign and responding promptly to any hails at sea.

The organization also highlights established rescue coordination contacts for family members and shore-side supporters should concerns arise during an offshore passage.

“This is not mandatory but it is the best layer of protection available right now,” Petutschnig said. “It provides clear confirmation that a vessel is a legitimate cruising yacht with a known itinerary.”

Ocean Posse says full instructions are available to members and the wider cruising community and encourages offshore sailors to review the guidance as part of routine passage planning.

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Iris Innovations has launched Photon, a compact 4K night vision CCTV camera designed to make safe nighttime navigation accessible to every boater. The new model promises exceptional visibility, even in near-total darkness, without relying on infrared or thermal imaging.

Whether cruising after dusk, fishing before sunrise, or running coastal patrols, Photon captures detailed full-color video in conditions as dark as starlight. Its ultra-sensitive 0.0003 lux minimum illumination and 4K resolution deliver clarity and situational awareness at a fraction of the cost of traditional thermal cameras.

“Photon is for anyone who wants to navigate with confidence after dark and can be used on any vessel—from leisure and sportfishing boats to yachts, commercial operators and law enforcement patrol craft,” said Carl Hitchcock, CEO of Iris Innovations. “It delivers extraordinary low-light performance at a fraction of the cost of thermal and other night vision cameras, and because it’s 4K, the detail and definition are outstanding.”

Built to marine-grade standards, the Photon is fully EN60945 EMC compliant and rated IP67 for durability in saltwater and harsh conditions. Power over Ethernet (PoE) simplifies installation, and each unit includes a rugged waterproof PoE injector.

The system integrates with major marine electronics brands, including Raymarine, Navico (Simrad, B&G, Lowrance), Furuno, and Garmin via Iris’s CMAC management system and IrisControl App for Garmin OneHelm.

“We’ve always focused on designing rugged, purpose-built cameras for demanding marine and commercial applications,” Hitchcock added. “With Photon, we’ve taken that expertise and combined it with cutting-edge low-light and 4K processing technology to deliver a camera that performs brilliantly at a price point that puts it within reach for all boat owners and operators.”

Set to debut at METSTRADE 2025 in Amsterdam, the Photon will retail for $1,295 and be available worldwide through Iris Innovations’ dealer network beginning in late November. Two lens options are offered: a standard 12mm lens for long-distance viewing and a 2.8mm super wide-angle lens for side, rear, or backup applications.For more details, visit boat-cameras.com.

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A new feature from the Noforeignland app aims to make digital seamanship even easier for sailors on the move.

The popular social platform for cruisers, Noforeignland, has introduced a built-in GPS boat tracker that allows sailors to share their positions, record passages, and document their voyages, all at no cost. Available for both Apple and Android devices, the app has grown rapidly since its launch and now claims the world’s largest online sailing community.

“We wanted yacht tracking that just works; no subscriptions, no setup,” said Steve Neal, co-founder of Noforeignland with his wife, Helena. “Our built-in GPS lets sailors share their adventures instantly and securely, all for free.”

Using the new tracker is simple. Users can tap Move My Boat to log a position update, or choose Record My Boat Track to start a live track of a passage. The app then uses the phone’s GPS to create an accurate record of the journey, which can later be shared or exported.

For cruisers already using satellite devices or tracking systems, Noforeignland is designed to integrate easily. The app is compatible with Garmin inReach, Iridium GO!, Yellowbrick, PredictWind DataHub, and other systems. Users can also import or export GPX files for seamless data sharing between tools.

Where Noforeignland appears to stand out from most tracking platforms is in how it weaves navigation and storytelling together. Sailors can attach photos, videos, and notes to their routes, building a personalized digital logbook that doubles as a public journal for family, friends, and fellow voyagers.

Founded in 2017, Noforeignland has evolved into a crowd-sourced global sailing resource, combining location-based information, social networking, and now, vessel tracking. Its community-driven “wiki” model lets users contribute details about anchorages, marinas, and shore facilities in real time. The app and website are free to use, with no data selling or tiered paywalls, and supported instead by community donations and partnerships.

For everyday cruisers, the app’s latest update represents another step toward integrating passage tracking, navigation, and social connection into a single, free platform.Learn more or download the app at noforeignland.com.

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At the 2025 Cannes Yachting Festival, SEA.AI earned the Innovation Route Award in the category of “Solutions that improve the navigation experience” for its new Watchkeeper system. The honor recognizes forward-thinking products that advance comfort, safety, and performance on the water, and Watchkeeper stood out among more than 120 entries.

Collisions remain the leading cause of serious marine accidents, often involving not just other boats but also floating debris, unlit buoys, marine mammals, and even people in the water. Traditional systems such as radar and AIS frequently miss these hazards, particularly at night. SEA.AI’s Watchkeeper uses ultra-wide 4K optics, optional thermal imaging, and artificial intelligence trained on millions of marine objects to detect and classify risks, then alert crews in real time.

“Winning the Innovation Route Award is a huge honor, not just for the tech, but for the team and community behind it,” said Marcus Warrelmann, CEO of SEA.AI. “We’ve been pushing the boundaries of maritime AI since 2018, back when SEA.AI was still known as OSCAR. Our offshore racing partners created the very first training dataset, braving brutal 24-hour conditions to teach our AI to detect floating hazards that other systems, or even the human eye, can miss.”

The Watchkeeper line starts at $4,990 for the entry-level dawn-to-dusk model and scales through seven configurations designed for different vessels and navigation styles. Options range from low-light optical setups for coastal cruising to full thermal imaging for offshore sailors seeking around-the-clock protection.

The system is designed for easy installation and integration with existing onboard electronics, handheld devices, and LTE connectivity for real-time updates and diagnostics. Available in black or white to match various yacht profiles, Watchkeeper features an intuitive interface with simple, clear alerts that require minimal training.

For many early users, the value lies in pairing advanced technology with practical usability. “I chose Watchkeeper because it offers true AI innovation in a form that’s accessible and practical. As an owner, I value technology that enhances safety without adding complexity, and Watchkeeper delivers exactly that,” said yacht owner Marco Bocchieri.

Capt. Riccardo Spatolisano, skipper of the Azimut 26 Grande MY BK, added: “Even with limited use so far, Watchkeeper impressed me. The AI instantly picks up and classifies objects, and the system is straightforward to operate — advanced technology made remarkably easy to use.”

With this recognition from Cannes, SEA.AI’s Watchkeeper is positioned as a next-generation safety solution for sailors and cruisers alike, delivering tools to make time on the water more secure and less stressful.

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The new light integrates a 225-degree masthead light, a 360-degree anchor light, and a 135-degree stern light in a single unit. Thanks to a new optical array design, Lumitec says the Contour is the slimmest and lightest masthead/anchor/stern combination light on the market.

The reduction in size and weight makes it possible for sailors to use lighter poles and more versatile mounting options. Two lengths—12 inches and 39 inches—will be offered, along with a choice of a motorized base or an antenna mount.

The light meets USCG and NMMA (ABYC C-5: 2021) standards and is rated for 3 nautical miles.

“Innovation is at the heart of Lumitec, and the Contour Masthead Combination Light represents a significant leap forward in navigation lighting,” said Chris Fulmer, president of Lumitec. “We’ve redefined the category with a sleek, lightweight design that offers boaters more versatility in mounting options.”

Founded in Delray Beach, Florida, Lumitec designs and manufactures its LED products in-house, with full electrical and mechanical prototyping and testing capabilities. The company’s products are built for extreme environments, with an emphasis on long service life and dependable performance.

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Seamanship is not a checklist—it’s a mindset. It’s built from experience, intuition, and hard-earned judgment, developed over thousands of hours afloat. For cruisers, seamanship is what bridges the gap between adventure and adversity, comfort and chaos. It’s not just about staying safe. It’s about knowing how to respond when safety is in question.

These ten foundational skills reflect the core of good seamanship. They’re drawn not only from best practices, but from lessons learned from real sailors when things went sideways—and from the calm confidence of cruisers who’ve seen it all and still treat the sea with humility.

1. Anticipating the Weather, Not Just Checking It

Most modern cruisers have access to excellent weather models. But seamanship means going deeper than screen time. It means developing the habit of reading the sky, feeling the wind’s subtle shifts, and knowing the patterns in your region—and your season.

Learn It Afloat:

• Keep a written weather log. Record sky conditions, pressure, wind direction, and sea state every 6 hours. You’ll start seeing patterns before they show up on the GRIB files.
• Know your local signals: in the Caribbean, a low ridge might bring squalls. On the U.S. East Coast, a summer southerly could build into something more serious by nightfall.

Why It Matters: A sailor who reefed early, sensing a squall line forming behind an island ridge, stayed upright while others were knocked flat. Seamanship isn’t passive—it anticipates.

2. Reefing Before You Need To

Too many sailors wait until the boat is heeling hard or the autopilot groans before reefing. Good seamanship means staying ahead of the conditions. Not only does it protect your rig and sails, it reduces fatigue—for boat and crew.

Best Practices:

• Establish “reef points” based on wind speed and sea state. For instance, reef at 15 knots true if you’re windward in lumpy seas, even if you could carry more canvas off the wind.
• Practice reefing on all points of sail. Can you tuck in a reef while close-hauled? How about on a dead run?
• Teach your crew where the chafe points are, and how to spot an over-sheeted leech or a flogging luff.

Wisdom in Action: One cruiser’s backstay gave way because they waited too long to reef. Now, their mantra is “first reef for the boat, second for the crew, third for the sails.” Seamanship is proactive.

3. Knowing Your Boat Like a Second Skin

Most problems on cruising boats aren’t caused by a failure to sail—they’re caused by a failure to know. Know your electrical system. Your engine’s behavior. The subtle sound a worn impeller makes. The color of your transmission fluid when it’s good, and when it’s burned.

Practice Tips:

• Every month, inspect your rig aloft—even at anchor. Use binoculars for lazy inspection, but get aloft quarterly.
• Follow every wire. Know what your house loads are, and how long you can run off-grid before recharging.
• Practice switching fuel tanks, bleeding air, or starting with a dead battery bank.

In Practice: A cruiser motoring upwind in a rough pass had their engine stall due to a clogged raw water intake. Because they’d previously disassembled the strainer dockside, they knew exactly how to clear it—fast. Seamanship begins before you cast off.

4. Docking Like You’ve Done It a Thousand Times (Even If You Haven’t)

Nothing reveals your command of the boat more publicly—or more unforgivingly—than docking. Good seamanship shows when wind and current complicate a tight slip, and you still land the boat gently, fenders barely kissed.

Keys to Mastery:

• Know how your prop walk behaves in both forward and reverse.
• Always have a bail-out plan if you lose steerage or encounter crosswind.
• Use spring lines like magic wands—they can pivot your boat or stop it cold.

Real Lesson: One skipper taught his teenage daughter to dock the boat under sail, practicing in light airs with no engine. Later, when the starter failed, she brought the boat in under jib alone—calmly. Seamanship is graceful under pressure.

5. Anchoring to Sleep, Not Worry

Good seamanship at anchor means more than just dropping the hook. It’s about choosing the right spot, setting properly, and watching for changes—not just in weather, but in tide, swing radius, and nearby boats’ gear.

Refine Your Routine:

• Dive your anchor whenever practical to confirm the set. Sand can disguise poor penetration.
• Always “power set” by reversing at idle, then increasing throttle gradually to ensure holding.
• Keep a second anchor rigged and ready in challenging anchorages or marginal bottoms.

Why It Matters: In one story, a dragging catamaran at 2 a.m. narrowly missed another boat because its owner didn’t check their rode-to-depth ratio or swing clearance. Seamanship is about taking the extra 15 minutes—before cocktails.

6. Navigation That Doesn’t Need Batteries

Plotters fail. iPads overheat. Touchscreens crack. Seamanship includes knowing your position without a single pixel involved.

How to Stay Sharp:

• Log position hourly on paper. Use bearings and ranges to confirm location.
• Practice dead reckoning on day sails. Use time/speed/distance to estimate arrivals.
• Learn to eyeball distances on water by mast height or hull length—vital for judging separation in tight quarters.

A Timely Reminder: One cruiser ran onto a reef because they were following a plotted track that was offset due to chart error. A simple visual bearing and depth sounder check would’ve saved their keel. Seamanship never assumes the chart is always right.

7. Line Handling That Prevents Injury—and Embarrassment

Lines under tension can maim. A poorly tossed dock line can damage a good first impression. A missed cleat can cause a costly collision. Seamanship means fluency with your hands and a respect for loaded lines.

Best Habits:

• Always know the load before you release a line. Never uncleat blindly.
• Rehearse line handling with novice crew—slowly, on calm days.
• Replace old or crusty lines that can jam in clutches or chafe under load.

From Experience: A sailor broke a finger when a jammed headsail sheet whipped loose under pressure. They now run drills on load awareness and stress communication. Seamanship is safety through muscle memory.

8. Helm Sense and Balance

A well-trimmed boat is quiet, responsive, and low on strain. Seamanship means learning how the boat feels when she’s right—and when she’s telling you something is off.

What to Tune Into:

• A hard helm or excessive weather helm? Reef or flatten sails. Adjust your traveler.
• Rudder feedback soft? You may be stalling the foil—adjust course.
• Learn to “feather” the boat in gusts with subtle tiller movements, not brute force.

At Sea: One offshore skipper swears he can feel when his boat is 1° off trim just by hand pressure on the wheel. Seamanship is sensitivity, not brute strength.

9. Emergency Preparedness That Feels Routine

When things go wrong, panic is your worst enemy. The only cure is muscle memory, built through real drills and redundancy planning.

Build Your Readiness:

• Do monthly MOB (man overboard) drills. Use a fender and bucket to simulate drag.
• Label and test all seacocks. Can you isolate a bilge pump manually?
• Practice mayday procedures. Know how to send a DSC distress call without thinking.

A Near Miss: A crewmember who recently wrote to us fell overboard during a nighttime headsail change. Thanks to their previous rehearsals, recovery took under 4 minutes. Seamanship is what keeps fear from turning into failure.

10. Learning, Always

The most accomplished sailors will tell you the same thing: they’re still learning. Seamanship isn’t a badge—it’s a commitment. To observe more. To ask questions. To pass on what you’ve earned the hard way.

Cultivate This Practice:

• Debrief after every passage—what went right, what didn’t, what you’ll do differently.
• Invite criticism from your crew. It’s how you get better.
• Read widely. Ask elders. Join the conversation.

Hard Truth: Every sailor has a story of getting it wrong. The best sailors tell those stories willingly, to help someone else get it right next time. Seamanship is humility in motion.

Final Thought

There is no single certification for seamanship—no logbook entry that declares you a master. But these ten skills, practiced deeply and lived consistently, will carry you safely across oceans or around the bay. They’re not flashy. But they’re everything. Because real seamanship doesn’t show up when the sun is shining and everything is working. It shows up when the wind builds, systems fail, and the only thing holding it all together is you.

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Are you planning to sail to the Caribbean this fall? Are you excited about spending a few weeks bareboating in the islands this winter?

Dreaming about which island to visit next can lead to some serious reading. Here are a few suggestions about resources that will let you feed those dreams with hearty, nutritional content instead of junk.

There are stacks of references to check before hoisting the sails and anchor. I unfold Imray charts, check the chartplotter for distance, log onto Facebook groups—there’s one for every island—and download the weather forecast. Then, I see what’s up with the ActiveCaptain app. I flip pages in the Doyle Guides to the Leeward and Windward Islands, or in the Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands by Nancy and Simon Scott. There are others, including a dozen guidebooks compiled by Don Street.

Today’s boaters don’t know how lucky they are to have all these resources. It hasn’t always been this way.

One of the first books I read about sailing in this region was Isles of the Caribbees by Carlton Mitchell, published in 1966. Mitchell takes us aboard the yacht Finisterre from island to island through the Eastern Caribbean, with images by National Geographic photographers. I could see what those islands looked like. This book sent me off dreaming of sailing to the tropics.

In 1978, I finally got to the Caribbean for the first time, on a Morgan Out Island bareboat charter out of Red Hook on St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. While I’d grown up on lake boats and spent 10 years cruising the New England coast aboard Quinta, my 36-foot Alden sloop, I had no idea what I’d find in the tropics. The charter company gave us a spiral-bound guide, first published by The Moorings in 1974, with aerial photos of anchorages. It included a few words about anchoring, but no information about what we might find ashore. This was to be a DIY adventure.

When I decided to sail my second boat, Fair-Thee-Well, to the Caribbean in 1981, I needed to do some serious research. Street’s books caught my attention. I still have them. It was Street’s A Cruising Guide to the Lesser Antilles, published in 1964, that paved the way.

He not only provided advice on the various routes from anywhere north to the Caribbean, but he also provided detailed information about every cove, harbor and anchorage on every island. His writing was highly opinionated, and for good reason. He had sailed the Antilles for 50 years.

Street wrote for the serious voyager—the boat owner—not the bareboater. He was less interested in beach bars and French restaurants than in how to get into small coves and anchorages without hitting a reef. Reading Street is like sitting in the cockpit with a beer or a rum punch, listening to a crusty adventurer spin yarns and provide advice. His books are valuable and entertaining, a journey unto themselves. One of my favorites is Seawise, a collection of Street’s thoughts on every aspect of boat ownership and cruising.

His books haven’t been updated recently, but they are still valuable references. As he writes: “The bars and services ashore may change from season to season, but the rocks and reefs haven’t moved in a hundred years.”

Street’s website has a great deal of what he has written, too: street-iolaire.com/

Doyle Guides and App

Chris Doyle’s guides to the Leeward and Windward Islands have been around since the early 1980s. He’s an Englishman who sailed the Colin Archer ketch Sugar Creek across the Atlantic to Grenada in the late 1970s. He skippered charter boats and bareboats, made deliveries, and got to know the islands well. After being pestered by bareboaters asking for directions, he published his own guidebook, selling advertising to cover the cost of printing. He sold the book from boat to boat while paddling his Windsurfer around anchorages. He has been at it all these years.

I’ve been using Doyle Guides for 40 years. I even find the ads useful because they put a face to the services ashore. Doyle Guides also include colored sketch charts as well as information on marine services, hiking trails, restaurants and markets. New editions are printed every two years.

The Doyle Guides app is free and has the newest information. A map shows your current GPS location, and the app lets you locate post offices, Wi-Fi, ATMs, immigration offices, marine stores, dive operators, markets and restaurants. If you get lost ashore, it’ll show you where you are. I even use it while researching from my home in Maine.

You can also download the guidebook to your device. Lexi Fisher, a Grenadian who handles the day-to-day Doyle Guides updates, told me: “The Doyle Guides app has all of the same general information as the printed guides. However, I can instantly update the app version whenever any changes occur. This I do about every two or three days, as information comes in.”

Charts show locations for shoreside attractions and services. Click on one, and up pops detailed information. The app will even place a phone call for you. It’ll show you where there’s fuel and a hospital.

I find that the printed guides are easier to use while I’m on deck, steering the boat, but I like the app too. It lets you access the content offline if you don’t have Wi-Fi.

And yes, I’m paging through my 2009 edition right now, planning next winter’s adventures.

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Weems & Plath has introduced BrightWind, the latest addition to the company’s OGM Series of LED navigation lights.

BrightWind is reportedly a first of its kind, combining an ultrasonic wind sensor, LED tricolor and LED anchor light. It is built with a low-power-draw, non-mechanical wind sensor (created by Calypso Instruments) and incorporates Weems & Plath’s navigation light with a strobe and photodiode. BrightWind also can provide wind speed and direction data to any NMEA 0183 or (with a converter) NMEA 2000 display.

“The top of a mast is a small yet extremely valuable piece of real estate on a sailboat,” Michael Flanagan, president & CEO of Weems & Plath, stated in a press release. “By bringing the navigation light and wind sensor together as one unit, we’re not only reducing the footprint that’s required to mount these two vital pieces of equipment, but we’re also consolidating the wiring within the mast. It was a logical step to combine our acclaimed navigation light with Calypso’s innovative wind sensor.”

BrightWind has no bearings or mechanical parts, which typically wear out over time and can degrade performance. This design makes it suited for long-term, outdoor use in all conditions, according to the manufacturer.

In place of mechanical parts, the wind sensor uses four ultrasonic transducers that measure how fast it takes for sound waves to travel back and forth between each transducer. The sensor then uses the speed of the sound waves to determine the wind speed and direction.

BrightWind’s anemometer can measure up to 100 mph and provide full directional data with accurate measurements not subject to mechanical friction.

Weems & Plath says the LX TriColor/Anchor LED Navigation Light (LXTA-SP) is one of its most popular navigation lights in the OGM series, with use by riggers as well as coastal and offshore sailors. While the LXTA light is US Coast Guard-approved at 2 nautical miles for sailboats up to 65 feet in length, its actual brightness exceeds that distance and uses less than 20 percent of the power of comparable incandescents. When the light is used in tandem with the wind sensor, the power consumption is only 0.35 amps at 12 volts DC.

BrightWind is built using military-grade anodized aluminum and a UV-resistant acrylic lens. There’s a limited lifetime warranty on the light and a two-year warranty on the wind sensor.  

How long has Weems & Plath been in business? Since 1928. The company is based in Annapolis, Maryland.

For more information: go to www.weems-plath.com/brightwind

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There’s good news for the hundreds of thousands of boaters who use the 1,100-mile Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) each year to recreate, either as part of their home waters or cruising America’s “Marine Highway 95,” transiting the AIWW’s ten states from Norfolk, Virginia to Key West, Florida.

The Fiscal Year 2024 Energy and Water Appropriations bill recently passed with bipartisan support and with additional funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is delivering $48.5 million to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for a FY 2024 work plan to address critical waterway maintenance and dredging issues in five states. The breakdown of funding is as follows:

• Virginia: $5.3 million
• North Carolina: $26.6 million
• South Carolina: $8.5 million
• Georgia: $4 million
• Florida: $4 million

The waterway’s chief advocate, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association (AIWA), has worked for more than a decade to restore sufficient dredging funding to return the waterway to its authorized depth of 12 feet. The Waterway was authorized in the 1939 Rivers and Harbors Act and the USACE is responsible for its maintenance. Shoaling in certain locations continues to threaten passage of recreational and commercial vessels.

AIWA members include Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS). Said BoatUS manager of government affairs and AIWA board member David Kennedy. “The Intracoastal is used by many kinds of boaters and anglers, and dredging is critical to safety and the economic development that boating brings to waterfront communities. This latest win, along with more sustained support for other shallow draft harbors, gives promise that the boater’s voice is being heard in the halls of government. Our thanks to AIWA for helping to deliver these dredging funds that help ensure safe navigation.”

“It was not that long ago that we had zero federal dollars for dredging, and the waterway’s future was being questioned,” said AIWA executive director Brad Pickel. “We thank Congress, the Biden Administration, and all of our local state partners and members for helping to deliver these critical USACE funds.”

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