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RAY
SCOTT OUTDOORS, INC. Triton's
New Safety Innovation Call it an oddity. Or a very revealing fact. Figures compiled by the U. S. Coast Guard reveal that in many cases fishermen drown in boating accidents are found "with their zipper down." Heeding Nature's Call in a bass boat can be serious business. Even dangerous. Or life threatening. And, even if the angler is wearing a Coast Guard approved life vest, and stumbles overboard. At a recent boating safety conference at Point Clear, Alabama, I spoke to a group of national state boating officials. As an unofficial survey, the question: "How many of you receive reports of drownings in boating mishaps when the victim is actual wearing a life preserver?" To the man, 50 hands went into the air. Each year, the U. S. Coast Guard expects to fish from 600 to 1,000 bodies out of our lakes, streams and rivers. A tragic loss of life. And, in many cases the simple fact of truth is that the overboard angler - out on the water alone - couldn't get back in the boat…and succumbed…even though wearing a life vest. Falling in the water is always a danger no matter what the activity. Pro B.A.S.S. angler David Fritts was caught on camera at a Super B.A.S.S. Tournament tumbling into the water simply reaching out to lip a bass. We call the famous Bassmasters TV footage the "Fritts Flip." What was more interesting, however, was his extraordinary difficulty in getting back into the boat. It took a long time, lots of tries, and the helping hands of a strong companion. We can smile at this video "blooper" but imagine a solitary fisherman with bulky clothes in cold water. It is a deadly scenario, life vest or not. Consider hypothermia: The subnormal loss of body temperature. In cold water, your body core temperature will drop to the point of a clear and present danger in 20 minutes. Loss of reason. Difficulties in use of limbs. Either, you summon the strength to crawl back in the boat or welcome the hereafter. At this point, in the final moments, you obviously start praying for a miracle. Like Jacob's ladder in the Bible, the ladder from earth to heaven that Jacob saw in a dream. A miracle. A way out. A ladder. For bass boaters, their prayers have been answered. The newest innovation in bass boat safety unveiled by Triton Boats and president Earl Bentz. A built-in safety ladder. For sure, step-ladders on ski and recreational crafts ain't a new idea. But, on a bass boat? The first time I made the suggestion and observation at a Triton Boats factory tour, Earl Bentz had the same reaction. "Good idea. Good safety feature. But, on a bass boat?" Then, the wheels started to turn. "If we can design a concealed ladder without changing the lines of the hull or interfere with the boater's fishing, why not try," reasoned Bentz, who has achieved numerous firsts in boat designs in the company's short seven-year history. Well, Earl Bentz and crew have achieved another first with their newly designed safety ladder. It is hidden from view until the angler releases a convenient and simple latch enabling the ladder to telescope from the stern. And it is compatible with the sleekest of bass boat designs. The new safety ladder represents a breakthrough in safety and family use that will pump new life into the bass boat economy and prime the pump for new sales records for Triton's network of over 150 dealers throughout the U. S., Canada, Europe and Japan. Of course, that's my opinion. And, I'm onboard as the "official spokesman" for Triton Boats. But, truthfully the Triton/Ray Scott Safety Ladder is the best thing to take place in bass boat safety, since the required use of a "kill switch" cut-off device on outboard motors. Virgil Chambers, executive director of the National Safe Boating Council, applauds Triton's newly designed reboarding ladder. "The importance of this innovation is the availability to an angler who has fallen overboard, to reboard the boat with no outside assistance," explained Chambers, who presented a special award for "Life Saving Innovation" at the recent Triton's dealer meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. "This always-ready ladder will save lives due to its accessibility and ease of use," commented the director of the National Safe Boating Council headquartered in Bristow, Virginia. "Triton Boats will save lives of anglers through the introduction and use of this product," said Chambers. As a member of the National Safe Boating Council Hall of Fame and founder of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, I'm proud of our boating safety record: The mandate to wear life vests in B.A.S.S. tournament competition. The campaign for the bass boat manufacturers to equip kill switches on boats. And, promoting the automatic inflatable life vest by SOSPENDERS, a vest anglers will wear. But, as simple an idea as the ladder may seem, it's a brilliant, built-in safety feature and a marketing marvel for the bass boat industry. As Earl Bentz remarked in accepting the NSBC Special Life Saving Award for Innovation: "We manufacture boats for the serious bass tournament professional, as well as, the weekend angler. Triton has always considered comfort, style, performance and safety. The ladder is just a continuation of that commitment. And, this feature will give our bass boats greater flexibility to be used as a family craft for swimming, water-skiing or diving." No one knows better than the folks at Triton that the purchase of a bass boat is most often an overall family decision. And now that a bass boat can truly be a family boat makes owning a Triton a lot more family-friendly investment. This past year, Triton's dealer network sold over $150 million dollars in boat rigs. The popularity of the Triton brand is evident in that some 43 dealerships topped the one-million dollar mark in sales. That's to Earl Bentz and Triton's credit. During a sluggish economy, when many companies refused to invest in new innovations and product improvements, the Ashland City, Tennessee based boat builder stepped to the plate…and has hit another home run. Besides the new built-in safety ladder, Triton has developed 32 different improvements into its 2004 line of X-Series models. For the full story, log on their website at www.tritonboats.com and review the new features. Among them, roomier casting decks, rod lockers capable of holding a dozen fully rigged rods, and a larger 46-gallon live well and overflow system. According to Earl Bentz, the new 2004 X-Series will be shipped to dealers starting July 1st. The "Scott Safety Ladder" will be available on four of the bass boat models: the Tr-18, Tr-19, Tr-20 and the Tr-21 footers. For a family man and a fisherman, any of these four models translates into safety and security for their future. It's like buying a two and one half-million dollar Life Insurance policy. Do the math: A 40-year old man, making $100,000 a year with 25 years left to work will earn over two and a half million dollars. That is providing he stays in the boat. Or he falls overboard and climbs back over the stern with Triton's safety ladder. |