Marine fabricators are creating original exterior applications as their customers seek protection from the elements - and want to look good doing it. Employing the latest in technology, today's durable yet attractive fabrics and hardware meet the needs of boaters requesting a high-quality product that makes them stand apart from the crowd. The [...]

Created by Thibault Penven, a student at Ecole Cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL), Switzerland, the Ar Vag (which translates as “boat” in Brittany) is a folding fabric vessel with oars. Designed for use as a shuttle between the shore and a larger vessel, it functions well on a lake or in quiet seas for a [...]

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced $11.4 million in grants to 29 states under the Clean Vessel Act (CVA) grant program. The CVA program provides funds to states to construct, replace, renovate and maintain facilities that assist recreational boaters in properly disposing of on-board septic waste. The program also provides information and education [...]

The Personal Watercraft Industry Association (PWIA) has issued the following statement on the importance of safe personal watercraft operation and education: PWIA, which represents personal watercraft manufacturers, stands by a long history of advocating for mandatory boater education and safe boating practices for those riding the more than 1.29 million jet-propelled watercrafts registered across the [...]

April 15, 2012, marked the 100th anniversary of Safety Components’ mill located in Greenville, S.C. The Dunean Mill was built as an electrified site that manufactured fine, high-quality cotton goods, transitioning to a synthetic fabric mill by 1935. The Dunean Mill was one of the first to weave rayon, polyester, Nomex and Kevlar.

Major General Michael Walsh requested that Army Corps District Commanders consider selectively expanding life jacket mandatory-wear policy at targeted locations within their divisions. In 2008, the Army Corps of Engineers began a study of life jacket wear mandates at a small group of test lakes. The Corps has issued a report on its findings. The study allows [...]

The House Small Business Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations held a hearing “Sinking the Marine Industry: How Regulations are Affecting Today’s Maritime Businesses.” The discussion included HR 1439, which would require a physical presence in a state before any kind of gross receipts tax could be imposed. The hearing also covered regulatory actions by [...]

California State Sen. Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) dropped a bill that would have banned copper-based boat-hull paints. The bill was based on the premise that copper-based antifouling paints used on recreational boats were the main culprit for copper pollution in marinas statewide. The senator called for more studies to be completed before moving forward. NMMA [...]

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) has integrated the Southern California Marine Association (SCMA) and its members with NMMA in an effort to expand boating participation and the market for recreational boating throughout the U.S. SCMA and its members will be part of NMMA under the newly formed NMMA West. The integration reflects NMMA’s decision to open associate [...]

The Lacey Act protects plants and wildlife by prohibiting trade in wildlife, fish and plants that have been illegally taken, transported or sold. The law affects boat manufacturers as it applies to imported wood products. On June 7, the House Natural Resources Committee voted to move forward with the Lacey Act amendment bill (HR 3210). [...]