Maritime Adventure Boat Camp Wins Sea Tow Foundation's Highest Boating Safety Honor

On October 12, 2026, Maritime College’s Maritime Adventure Boat Camp was named winner of the Boating Safety Excellence Award, the highest recognition given by the Sea Tow Foundation’s National Boating Safety Awards. The annual camp also took home the award for Best Youth Boating Safety Initiative. Both honors were presented October 6 at IBEX in Tampa, Florida.

Now in its eighth year, the National Boating Safety Awards recognize efforts across the recreational boating industry that help build safer, more confident boaters. This year’s awards span nine categories, including education, community engagement, technology and advocacy. The Boating Safety Excellence Award went to one winner from among the category winners, chosen for its lasting impact on the future of boating.

The Maritime Adventure Boat Camp began in 2006 with four participants. In summer 2025, it celebrated its 20th year with about 100 daily participants. The program is designed for Bronx-area youth with little or no boating experience, from rising 5th graders through 9th graders. Campers earn their New York State Boating Safety Certificate and spend their days powerboating, sailing, kayaking, swimming and exploring marine science on the East River and western Long Island Sound.

Access is central to the camp’s mission. The Bronx has the lowest median income of any New York City borough, and the camp set a goal of providing financial assistance to 25 percent of participants. In 2025, 72 campers received assistance totaling $63,687. Families also discover the program through “Boogie Down to the Sound,” the college’s free annual waterfront festival, which draws about 1,000 community members. More than half of attendees say they have never been on a boat.

Parents have taken notice. Families surveyed from 2021 to 2025 rated their overall impression of the camp 4.93 out of 5.

Every program begins with a safety briefing and a lesson in properly fitting a life jacket, and everyone on the water, from campers to instructors to chaperones, wears a USCG-approved life jacket.

For more information about Maritime Adventure Boat Camp and other Waterfront programs, visit www.sunymaritime.edu/waterfront.