Plastic grommets from Sinclair Equipment Company are transparent so fabric colors are visible, not the grommets. Made of UV-protected plastic, the grommets won’t deteriorate in the sun. A variety of hand operated, pneumatic, and automatic grommet-setting machines that cut and set grommets in one operation are also available from Sinclair. SOURCE Sinclair Equipment Company

Polydamp Hydrophobic Melamine (PHM) foam from Polymer Technologies repels water, while keeping low flame, smoke and toxicity levels. The foam provides lightweight acoustical and thermal insulation for marine, aircraft, transportation and medical applications where water resistance, water retention resistance, low flame propagation and minimal smoke generation are required. PHM has a density of .55 pounds [...]

A new collection of belting leather from Spinneybeck is 100-percent post consumer recyclable and features an aqueous-based, water-repellent finish. The full grain, aniline-dyed leather comes in four-by-five-foot pieces and is available in 14 colors. Free of barb-wire, brand and bite markings, the cleaner hide results in better cuts. The 3-millimeter-thick belting leather can be used [...]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule in the Federal Register that is designed to reduce exhaust emissions from diesel-powered recreational boats and simultaneously help the industry avoid a series of aftertreatment catalyst-based standards. The rule would have required U.S.-flagged recreational marine diesel powered vessels with engines greater than 2000 kW to install [...]

A two-year economic study on recreational boating in New Jersey indicates that in 2006, the state’s boaters spent about $2.1 billion on in-state recreational boating activities. Trip-related expenditures account for $1.1 billion and annual boating purchases, such as registration fees and maintenance, account for $938 million. The industry also provides about 18,000 jobs to N.J. [...]

The New York National Boat Show changed its show dates to Dec. 13-21 this year, nearly two weeks earlier than originally scheduled. The earlier date opens new marketing opportunities for the longstanding show, and ensures an increase in consumer attendance. Contact Michael Duffy at +1 212 984 7016 or mduffy@nmma.org.

The House of Representatives approved the U.S. Coast Guard Authorization Act in April. Included in that act was a provision to provide relief to the recreational marine servicing and repair industry. The provision includes exemption for the service and repair sector for the recreational boating industry from the requirement for coverage under the Longshore and [...]

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the Clean Boating Act to ensure recreational boaters and anglers, including uninspected charter fishing boats, won’t need federal permits. The act will move to the House of Representatives next.

The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) announced that multiple textile industry associations will conduct meetings at IFAI Expo 2008. The National Textile Association, Textile Bag and Packaging Association, and the Textile Information Users Council, as well as IFAI will hold meetings with their board members and membership to review the state of their industry, creating [...]

The fastest sailboats in the world are now being outfitted with high tech materials like carbon fiber for hulls and Kevlar, used in bulletproof vests, for sails. In the past, sailboats were made with wood hulls and cotton sails. In the late 1960s, fiberglass became the hull material used most and Dacron sails were predominant [...]