Offshoreonly.com - New non-for-profit formed to improve boating safety

New Organization Formed to Improve Powerboat Safety

Ocala, Fla., October 7—Four marine industry veterans have joined forces with one goal—to improve the safety of all aspects of powerboating. Tres Martin, Brad Schoenwald, Jacky McDaniel and Eric Colby have formed Powerboat Safety International, a not-for-profit organization that will work with boat manufacturers, engine builders, accessories makers and event organizers to make powerboating safer.
For the last decade, Martin and Schoenwald have been at the forefront of boating safety, teaching students at the Tres Martin Performance Boat School, the leading resource for instructing owners of performance boats to operate their vessels safely. Among the best-known throttlemen and crew chiefs in offshore racing, Martin is a four-time world and national champion who was named Throttleman Of The Year on numerous occasions and was an inductee into the American Power Boat Association’s Hall of Champions. The 46-year-old grew up in the performance-boat world working at the legendary Everglades Marina. He still consults for a variety of boatbuilders on setup of new models. He founded Tres Martin Performance Boat School five years ago and has taught hundreds of people to operate their boats. He lives in Ocala, Fla., where he raises horses and rigs boats on a limited schedule.
Retired Coast Guard Officer and current civilian employee of the United States Coast Guard, Schoenwald, 45, has been an outspoken advocate of boating safety for the past 10 years. He joined forces with Martin in 2004 to expand the school's focus to include programmed instructional technologies and human factors engineering. A licensed master, his boating background ranges from Motor Life boats on the Oregon coast to fast pursuit boats, and large cutters. Schoenwald also developed a safety management system for organized powering boating events that has been adopted by the insurance industry and now provides the availability for proper event insurance for Poker Runs. With frequent presence at poker runs around the country if not in his own Cigarette 38’ Twin Step Top Gun, Schoenwald can be found running fast cats and V-bottoms at owners’ requests. Schoenwald lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
McDaniel has been a longtime behind-the scenes presence at the Tres Martin Performance Boat School, handling administrative duties. She actually gave Martin the idea to start the school. She resides with Martin in Ocala and is an experienced equestrian.
An award-winning journalist, Colby has long been a champion of safety in the performance-boat world. Like Martin, Colby is a former offshore powerboat racer. In his 20 years of writing boat tests and features for magazines such as Powerboat, Boating, Performance Boats and H2O Full Throttle, he has logged thousands of hours behind the wheel of boats ranging from 18’ bowriders to 38’ offshore performance models to 76’ yachts.
Powerboat Safety International was formed to make all aspects of recreational boating safer and is in the process of developing an accreditation program for all aspects of the industry including driving schools, boat models, accessories and events. For more information, go to www.pbsint.org.