Busy boating season launches with new protocols
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POLSON — Tourism related businesses like local Flathead Lake recreational watercraft and boat rental shops received some positive news recently.
The first day of the state’s move into phase two of the Reopening the Big Sky plan was on Monday, May 25. Gov. Steve Bullock lifted the 14-day travel quarantine for out-of-state travelers and residents arriving from another state or country to Montana.
Now that the weather is becoming more like summer, people are looking for outdoor activities. “Our phone has been ringing off the hook for the past week or so from people who are really eager to get onto the water,” said Julie Kok, co-owner of Flathead Boat Company. “It seems like people want to get out and do something outside.” The company is a family-owned and operated Polson business with more than 25 years of experience renting watercraft on Flathead Lake.
The Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana shared the results of a tourism business survey conducted in early May. The results suggested the state would see an increase in the number of travelers venturing to Montana once the 14-day quarantine was lifted.
Marc Medeiros, owner of Polson Boat Rental, said during an interview on Saturday: “We have seen an increase. It has been insane. Today, I had to turn down seventeen calls for boats. Our numbers are up tremendously.”
Kok and Medeiros said they will be conducting business a little differently this season as they navigate the uncharted waters of new additional safety measures put in place to protect customers and crew.
Under phase two, all businesses are required to continue following the social distancing and sanitation guidelines established in phase one.
“Sanitation protocols are going to be adhered to carefully,” said Medeiros. “We will wash out and wipe down everything. The high-use areas, like the dining table, cockpit area, steering wheel, the throttle controls, will get washed down a couple times with a disinfectant that kills on contact.”
Medeiros added, “We will be just like the airlines. There will be a delay before the boat can go out once again. No boat will go out until it has been cleaned; that means everything: keys, steering controls, shifter and life jackets, even if they were used or not.”
Phone calls are coming in for boat rentals, but fewer watercraft are going out. “We wanted to really make sure that we were enforcing social distancing,” said Kok. “So, we are releasing one boat about every 15 minutes and allowing one group of customers out onto the docks at a time. Customer groups waiting for rentals will also be separated by at least six feet.”
In an effort to limit interaction between customers and staff members, Medeiros implemented reservation software for online scheduling, waiver signatures and payments. Both Kok and Medeiros say they are looking forward to helping their customers stay safe while enjoying their summer adventure out on the lake.
