Marine Fabricators School of Excellence will be held Aug. 4-5. A hands-on workshop for marine fabricators will be held Aug. 4-5 at Australia’s Ultimo Campus of TAFE NSW - Sydney Institute. The first day will focus on manufacturing processes for polished, flexible and rigid clears. The next day will focus on marine upholstery designs, fabrics, [...]

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in May awarded more than $14.27 million in Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program competitive grants to 10 states and the District of Columbia. The service also will provide approximately $2.48 million to 27 states, commonwealths and territories willing to match smaller, non-competitive grants dedicated to boating infrastructure projects. “Anglers [...]

The National Marine Manufacturers Association’s (NMMA) 2013 Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract, featuring industry statistics and research date, is now available for members to download. This collection of recreational-boating data features more than 360 pages and includes updates on boater and boat owner demographics, an 18-year history of recreational boat and engine exports and imports with [...]

The U.S. Coast Guard has released its 2013 Recreational Boating Statistics, revealing that boating fatalities totaled 560—the fewest boating fatalities on record. From 2012 to 2013, deaths in boating-related accidents decreased 14 percent, from 651 to 560, and injuries decreased from 3,000 to 2,620. The total reported recreational boating accidents decreased from 4,515 to 4,062, [...]

Emphasizing products that advance the “business of boating,” Boating Industry has selected its top 40. With submissions ranging from new boats to software to accessories and more, the winners were chosen based on such factors as innovation, impact on the industry and how they advanced their category or created a new category. All products listed [...]

The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), taking place Sept. 29–Oct. 2, 2014, at the Tampa Convention Center, has announced that legendary basketball coach Bob Knight will present a motivational speech on “Winning” at the annual Industry Breakfast on Sept. 30. NMMA President Thom Dammrich will deliver the “State of the Industry” address followed by [...]

Herculite Products Inc. has appointed Chad Twombly vice president of direct sales to manage its Performance and Custom Products Division, which includes the automotive, agricultural, military, tent and structures product divisions. Twombly has been with Herculite for more than six years and has been working in the textiles industry for more than 15 years. He [...]

Ferretti Group is opening its first Ferretti Group China showroom in Qingdao, saying the company plans to open more showrooms in northern and southern China. Ferretti, which announced its plans during the 12th China (Qingdao) International Boat Show, partnered with Speedo Marine, the official Ferretti Group dealer in China, and debuted Ferretti Yachts 870 for [...]

The U.S. House of Representatives voted in May to make permanent a tax credit that rewards businesses for investing in research and development, adding $156 billion to the budget deficit over the next decade. The tax credit had expired at the beginning of the year. The bill passed by a vote of 274 to 131, [...]

Sunbrella fabrics has launched “Perspective New England,” a three-part web series on the multiple uses of its fabrics, including at home, on the water and on a road adventure. The series will explore design challenges presented by a trio of projects—“The Rhode Yacht,” a vintage revival of a 1977 Airstream Argosy Trailer; “The Real Yacht,” [...]