We are looking for all types of watercraft for our 2023 Watercraft Inspector Training to be held at Bloedel Donovan on April 6th. Volunteers will provide their boats for new and returning staff to get familiar with boat parts and inspection and decontamination procedures. We need a variety of boats including pleasure, fishing, PWCs, and ski or wakeboard boats. In exchange for volunteering your vessel, we will provide you with a $10 volunteer discount that can be used in addition to the discount earned by taking the AIS awareness course on your 2023 Annual Permit!

Please contact the Whatcom Boat Inspection Program at (360) 778-7975 or email kblange@cob.org if you are interested in volunteering your boat.

During the pandemic, the City of Bellingham offered financial relief for the Whatcom Boat Inspection program by automatically applying a $10 discount to the price of annual Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) boating permits required to launch on Lake Whatcom and Lake Samish. With the end of the Washington State COVID-19 emergency orders, annual permit costs are reverting to the pre-pandemic price structure. But the AIS boating permit discount is still available. Take the AIS Awareness Course and complete the test to earn your “AIS Awareness Course Certificate” and a $10 online discount code for your 2023 permit purchase. Thank you for being a responsible steward of our local lakes and preventing the spread of invasive species! We look forward to seeing you on the water in 2023.