Nine products were honored for innovative achievement by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Boating Writers International (BWI) at the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference (IBEX) in Miami Beach. The Innovation Awards, organized by NMMA and judged by BWI, recognize products that best meet criteria based on innovative distinction from other products currently being [...]

The Pirates of the Colonial America exhibit will make appearances at three 2010 boat shows held by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). Created by historical researchers John Moga and Jon Paul Harpen, the interactive exhibit provides a visual history of pirates in early Colonial America. The family-friendly display will be featured at the Kansas [...]

The 2008 Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract reveals an in-depth look at boating trends, the boating industry and its impact on the economy last year. Recreational boating in the United States contributed $33.6 billion to the economy 76 percent of boat owners earn less than $100,000 per year 17 million boats are on the water, 95 [...]

Gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol rather than the present 10 percent could become the norm, and boaters are speaking out about it. Since boat engines aren’t made or tested for fuel containing more than 10 percent, motors and fuel systems could be damaged and warranties voided. Pro-ethanol lobbyists and ethanol makers recently petitioned the Environmental [...]

The Mastercraft Boat Co. is asking for more than 200 laid-off employees to return to work. The boat manufacturer was faced with financial crisis at the beginning of 2009, resulting in the layoffs and a production halt. As dealers’ inventory diminished however, demand for Mastercraft products increased and the company began rehiring its employees. Seniority [...]

Correct Craft’s president and CEO Bill Yeargin says that even though the company laid off about 100 workers, the boat maker isn’t going anywhere. “We’re solid financially, we’ve got orders through the second week of October,” Yeargin says. “But we start looking out over the next few months, come the first of September we’ll be [...]

Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have detected open-ocean tsunamis using satellite radars that measure sea surface texture. Forecasting the direction and intensity of a tsunami might one day be possible with this technology. Large tsunamis stir up and darken ocean water on the leading edge of the wave. The rough water forms [...]

A new fiber in Unifi’s Repreve family of recycled products is made from 100-percent post-consumer PET bottles. This new addition offers a post-consumer option to the brand’s hybrid blend, which combines pre-consumer and post-consumer materials. The Repreve line now includes several types of recycled fibers and filaments.

A special Small Business Administration (SBA) loan program for veterans has increased since the Recovery Act. The SBA’s Patriot Express Pilot Loan initiative provides loans to veterans and their spouses to be used for business purposes, including start-up, expansion, equipment purchases, working capital, inventory or business-occupied real estate purchases. The Patriot Express loans are similar [...]

Marine accessories manufacturer Ameritex filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and sold its assets to the Taylor Made Group. The business will be reconstituted as Ameritex Fabric Systems and relocated to Taylor Made’s facility in Bradenton, Fla. Ameritex ran into trouble when its two top customers, Genmar Group and Crownline Boats, closed plants and filed [...]