Harborage National Marina Day celebration a success
STUART, FL (August 27, 2008)-The first National Marina Day celebration hosted by Harborage Yacht Club & Marina attracted hundreds to its flagship marina in Stuart, despite rainy weather.
Over 300 persons attended the one-day celebration at Harborage on August 9, which featured 70 in-water boat displays, land exhibits, boat rides, marina tours and product demonstrations. National Marina Day was created by the Association of Marina Industries to educate politicians, civic leaders and the public on the important roles marinas play as family-friendly gateways to boating and stewards of the environment.
According to Gary Guertin, general manager of Harborage Yacht Club & Marina, economic impact numbers prove boating is a big business in Florida, as well as in Martin County.
"Locally, marine-related industries contribute to our county's vitality by generating $688 million annually and providing nearly 5,000 jobs. Across Florida, those figures grow to $18.4 billion annually and over 220,000 jobs. Florida's recreational boating industry economic impact is greater than the citrus and cruise ship industries combined."
Acknowledging the economic contributions made by the marine industries and the importance of marinas as a gateway to boating in Martin County, the City of Stuart Commission and the Martin County Board of County Commissioners issued proclamations declaring August 9, 2008 as Marina Day in Stuart and in Martin County, Florida.
Harborage Yacht Club & Marina has already committed to host a National Marina Day celebration in August 2009, which will mark the seventh year for the annual celebration.
Guertin promises that in addition to what Harborage offered this year, the 2009 event will include environmental displays and recreational activities the entire family can enjoy together.
About Harborage Yacht Club & Marina
Harborage Yacht Club & Marina is located in Stuart on the St. Lucie River. Offering direct access to the Intracoastal Waterway, Lake Okeechobee and the Atlantic Ocean, Harborage is a full-service first-class marina and yachting facility with two marinas comprising 300 slips, and a three-story yacht club, specifically designed to cater to boating and sportfishing enthusiasts who are looking for sophistication off and on the water. Located at 955 N.W. Flagler Avenue in Stuart, Florida, Harborage is just under 1.5 miles from historic downtown Stuart, 5 miles from ocean beaches, 30 miles north of Palm Beach, 130 miles south of Orlando, and only 65 nautical miles away from the Bahamas. For the boaters, Harborage is located at mile marker 22A, 27° 12" 49' N-80° 15" 2' W, and the marina monitors VHF 16. For more information, call (772) 692-4000 or visit
www.HarborageYachtClub.com.
About National Marina Day
The Association of Marina Industries (AMI) coordinates National Marina Day as an annual celebration to highlight the important role marinas play in waterfront communities all across America. For more information, call (401) 247-0074 or visit www.marinaassociation.org/nmd.