What Are You Doing For Mother’s Day?
Mother’s Day is this Sunday and the phone lines will be burning up and restaurants will be packed as kids (young and old) mark a day just for mom. If your mom likes to get out on the water one of our limited edition Inflatable PFDs with HIT in hot pink might be perfect for her. You can find a dealer on our main website.
If you are far from home or have some time Sunday check out the Toyota Texas Bass Classic on CBS. Two Mustang Survival sponsored pro-anglers are featured in the show. Dave Mercer of Facts of Fishing is the event emcee and also provides color commentary. BassMaster Elite Series Angler Mike McClelland is one of the anglers and was part of the top pro-am team in the event.
Posted by Rob McMahon on May 9, 2008 @ 10:57 am in Boating, Fishing | No Comments »
The F3 Inflatable Fishing Vest PFD Wins Award
We were really excited to hear the F3 Fishing Inflatable Vest PFD that we launched late last year received the North American Fisherman Club Member Tested & Recommended Seal of Approval. The NAFC has nearly half a million members and the panel members each received a PFD to try and give feedback. The vest was ranked a 9.3 out of a possible 10 points.
I thought I’d like to share a couple of comments from the reviewers:
“This high-quality product comfortably combines a fishing vest with a quick-inflating PFD. Plus, it has plenty of storage pockets.” Ethan Ball Rexburg, ID
“This vest is a must-have. It’s not bulky and is very comfortable. The 10 pockets, breathable mesh back and attachment for a landing net are it’s best features.” Joey Trammell, McAlester, OK
Posted by Rob McMahon on May 7, 2008 @ 2:10 pm in Mustang Spottings | No Comments »
Spirit of Canada Update
We are sailing in great sunshine but expect it not to last as a low pressure system is developing between us and the coast. The positive side of this low pressure system is that we will be sailing downwind almost through to the end of the trip. We are expecting 35+ knots of wind tonight with some rain squalls and possible thunder and lightening. We have just under 500 miles to go and I have been monitoring the ice situation in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, it seems there is plenty of ice left from the long winter and late Spring thaw. With a carbon hull on the boat it’s very fragile and susceptible to sharp objects in the water, I have decided to make a stop in Halifax for a week or so to give the ice a chance to clear.
BOATsmart! Canada Summer Jobs
BOATsmart! Canada, one of our biggest boating safety partners, is looking for candidates for Promotional Team Leaders and Team Reps summer job positions. This is a great opportunity to travel, spend time on the water, work in a small team, practice your marketing and promotional skills and get paid.
The Summer work term is from May 14 through September 15. There are still a number of positions to be filled, so be sure to apply today.
More details on the job and qualifications can be found in the careers section of their website.
Your Caption?
This picture was sent in to us from Zack at our Bellingham dealer LFS. What caption would you put?
Ram-Air Gear Dryer
FDIC was a great opportunity for Mustang to hear feedback from so many people who use our gear as part of their job. It was also a chance for us to learn about other products that would interest people that use our gear.
One of those products that I came across at FDIC was the Ram-Air Gear Dryer, a vertical dryer used by Fire Departments to quickly dry gear after use and have ready for the next mission. I stopped by the Ram-Air booth and met with company president, Lance Dornn, to see one of the dryers for myself.
Lance uses Mustang’s Ice Commander Ice Rescue Suit to demonstrate how his company’s dryers work. Instead of using heat, the Ram-Air Dryer uses pressure forced, ambient air which can even get into those hard to reach places including the insides of gloves! The dryer has an automatic timer that can be set for up to 12 hours so that you can control drying time based on what type of gear needs to be dried.
Does your department use the Ram-Air Dryer? Leave a comment on OutThere and tell other Mustang users how it works for you!
For more information about Ram-Air and their dryers, visit www.ramairgeardryer.com.
Posted by Scott Miller on Apr 17, 2008 @ 2:36 pm in Ice Rescue, Mustang Spottings, Search And Rescue, Water Rescue | No Comments »
Oregon State Marine Board Podcasts
Our friends over at the Oregon State Marine Board have started their own Podcast! They caught our attention by doing a video of a give away of Mustang Survival life jackets to kids that participated in their Jr. Boater Program at the Central Oregon Sportsmen’s Show.
Posted by Rob McMahon on Apr 16, 2008 @ 3:37 pm in Boating Safety | No Comments »
Spirit of Canada Qualified for Vendee Globe 2008
It’s official. Spirit of Canada Qualified for Vendee Globe 2008
Canadian single-handed sailor Derek Hatfield is officially qualified to enter the Vendee Globe 2008 - a singlehanded non-stop race around the world.
Just before Christmas, Hatfield completed the Transat Ecover B2B, the single-handed transatlantic race from Brazil to France that is a qualifier for the Vendee Globe. It was also a great chance to shake down his racing machine, the Canadian-built Open 60, Spirit of Canada. Then just last week, all the documentation and official medical training was completed and filed with the Vendee Globe organizers and the official race number; #15 was issued by the organizers.
“I am very proud to finally finish the qualifications for the Vendee Globe 2008. It has been a lot of hard work getting this far but with the support that we receive from so many Canadians, we will be on the start line this November.” said Hatfield. On November 8, 2008, Hatfield, 56, will be the only Canadian in the race competing. He and the Spirit of Canada will be the first Canadian team to attempt the race.
Certainly there are always legends made during the Vendee Globe, started in 1989 by famed French sailor Philippe Jeantot. It is a single-handed yacht race held every four years and is non-stop around the world, starting in les Sables d’Olonne France, rounding Cape of Good Hope at the tip of Africa, entering the Indian Ocean, then the Southern Ocean, dancing around icebergs, rounding Cape Horn, finishing back in France.
The number of participants is capped at 30 and represents the world’s elite sailors. It is the pinnacle of a sailor’s career to enter and finish the Vendee. The sailors must show they are able to enter the Vendee by completing a single-handed race such as the Transat Ecover B2B. Sailors must also demonstrate that their boats are up to the task, by completing a test to determine if their boats can be righted after capsizing and the boats must also meet a series of design specifications.
Hatfield is currently sailing from France to Canada to allow for more training, fine-tuning and repairs following the grueling race that saw two other boats dismasted in their attempt to qualify for the Vendee.
Now Hatfield’s biggest challenge is to raise more money and awareness about his campaign in Canada. The former Mountie has so far managed to raise funds through corporate donations and his “Around Together”
campaign that offers to put a name on the boat along for a small donation. He’s raised $1,600,000 and put over 5200 crew names on the hull through the Around Together campaign but needs to double that in the next few months before he leaves as well as additional corporate sponsorship. His budget for the race is about $3.5 million and he has borrowed money as well to pursue the goal. For the Vendee, that’s a shoestring budget as his competitors will have at least twice that for their campaigns.
“The countdown to the Vendee Globe is now on and the next six months will go by very quickly,” said Hatfield. “We have a number of hurdles ahead of us; mostly of the financial kind; but as one skipper recently told me in Brazil, If the Vendee Globe was easy, then everyone would be doing it.’”
Hatfield though is confident such hurdles will be overtaken and he will not give up until Spirit of Canada reaches the finish in France in the spring of 2009.
Posted by Rob McMahon on @ 9:23 am in Mustang Supports | No Comments »
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