Boating For Heroes Offering Free Fishing to the Military.

Boating For Heroes

www.boatingforheroes.org
Lady Lori 2.JPG
Greetings, While this is a site centering on fishing in awesome BC, I wanted to toss this out there. I'm part of an organization called Boating For Heroes. We fish primarily in the Puget Sound due to the proximity of multiple military bases in the region.

We offer 100% free fishing trips to all veterans, active duty and their families. This includes the US military and Canadian. Please go to the above web site and check us out. If you know of any current or prior military who would like a no cost fishing trip, please let us know.

If you are US military, no license is required on our boats. We have (2) RH Boats Seahawk class boats. One at 26' and one at 22', two sleds for rivers, 24' North River and 7 other assorted makes and models. We would love to have you onboard.

Roy Hyland
 
Awesome. I'd take any vet out in Vancouver anytime during our season. Boat usually moored from April to October. Milltown in Vancouver. Send a pm and I'll make it happen
Great program. Capt Mo
 
Boating For Heroes

www.boatingforheroes.org
View attachment 36133
Greetings, While this is a site centering on fishing in awesome BC, I wanted to toss this out there. I'm part of an organization called Boating For Heroes. We fish primarily in the Puget Sound due to the proximity of multiple military bases in the region.

We offer 100% free fishing trips to all veterans, active duty and their families. This includes the US military and Canadian. Please go to the above web site and check us out. If you know of any current or prior military who would like a no cost fishing trip, please let us know.

If you are US military, no license is required on our boats. We have (2) RH Boats Seahawk class boats. One at 26' and one at 22', two sleds for rivers, 24' North River and 7 other assorted makes and models. We would love to have you onboard.

Roy Hyland


Roy, first off I have to say "hats off" to you guys for doing this. I'm curious though, why are you limited to military service members only? Is there any consideration to expanding this program to include other recognized wounded warriors as well, such as first responders? (fire, police, EMS, corrections, etc). Or is there maybe a functional limitation that prevents this currently?

Thank you for this service that you offer to these individuals.

PL
 
Hi PL. This isn't limited to active military. It is open to ALL those who served or continue to serve, their familes etc. We have 13 boats, one of which is a 26ft RH BOATS Pro Cuddy that has an opening side gunwale that allows us to load wheel chairs directly onto the deck. We also use adaptive system to enable those missing limbs to fish. It's a harness type system that enables those to reel with one hand etc. While this was originally aimed at "military", we have Law Enforcement working on out boats as well so this has expanded a bit. I will never turn down first responders, EMS, etc from fishing. The main goal of the program tho is to aid those who are returning from overseas, those who suffer from PTSD, other mental disabilities, those who fought in other conflicts or served in hostile environments in giving them a place to relax and unwind. Military or first responder... the mental strees is great and there's no better way to help them relax than to fish IMHO> Hope this explains it a bit more. Please feel free to ask more questions.
 
I've added another blog that I want to post to other sites. Please let me know what you think or what corrections need made.

Stepping Up To The Plate: This can mean anything from playing ball to eating your favorite buffet. For this article we will use it to describe a group of our nations finest who step up to that plate each and every day. Thousands of Veterans, which some may call patriots, step up each day to help our nations military in a multitude of ways. One such group resides in the great Pacific Northwest where the fishing grounds run the full gambit of no fish, to some of the best on the planet.
Boating For Heroes ( www.boatingforheroes.org ) in particular was started about 3 years ago by Keith Mathews. A Vietnam Veteran and U.S. Naval retiree, Keith decided that the best way to help his fellow veterans and current active duty was to offer something in a way never done before. And that is to offer 100% free fishing trips to all active duty, veterans ( both disabled and not ) and their families.
Keith is the skipper of the Lady Catherine. A beautiful, sea worthy vessel manufactured by RH Boats out of the Medford, Oregon area. The Lady Catherine is 26’ Pro Cuddy (actual 31ft) long, has an enclosed cabin, head, twin Honda 150HP engines with a 9.9 HP Kicker. An added plus to this awesome vessel is the port gunwale. It is hinged and opens to accommodate wheel chairs, the disabled and a host of others that require ease of access to the rear deck. A ramp makes loading a piece of cake. Once closed, it melds seamlessly into the gunwale. This, in and of itself affords a great fishing opportunity to those who would otherwise be left at the dock.
The second vessel (there are 12 total boats in the fleet) is another great Pro Cuddy manufactured by RH Boats. The Lady Lori is 22ft long (actual 25’) has the same enclosed cabin with the “Alaska Bulkhead”, toilet, heat and every piece of fishing gear needed to slay Pacific Northwest lunkers. Both of these vessels are a sight to behold and draw the admiration of anyone who witnesses them on the water. The old saying that you “eat with your eyes before you eat with your mouth” comes into play here.
One of the great aspects of the patriots of Boating For Heroes is that they take absolutely no money from any active duty or veteran PERIOD. While Veterans fishing clubs abound, most use either sponsors, fees or other forms of cash flow to pay for the trips. This is not the case for the men and women of Boating For Heroes. This endeavor is solely funded by the veterans themselves. From the fuel to the bait. From the insurance, gear and the snacks onboard, this is all funded by them. If another veteran has some used fishing gear they want to toss into the mix, they utilize it as well.
As stated there are multiple boats that volunteer their vessel, time and comradery with Boating For Heroes. From beautiful sleds that handle rivers and lakes to a myriad of other shapes sizes and makes. This group of men and women can and do handle any fishing situation with a flare unmatched by anyone else.
It takes more to being a patriot than raising a flag or beating a drum and these men and women prove it on a daily basis. We invite all active duty and veterans to please sign up online at www.boatingforheroes.org. It would be on honor to have you onboard.
Roy “Gilligan” Hyland
Skipper - The Lady Lori.
 
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