The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised a rule to regulate area source emission standards for paint stripping and surface coating. The EPA agreed to limit its definition of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). The original rule would have regulated area sources that include boatyards, marinas and small boatbuilders with emissions of HAPs under 10 tons. [...]

According to Spader Cos., sales rose 3.5 percent for the average used boat dealer since last year. Spader attributes this rise to a 14.2 percent increase in pre-owned boat sales. New boat sales are up only 0.6 percent from 2006. New boat inventories at dealerships were up only 1.7 percent from last year, while pre-owned [...]

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ruled that employers are required to pay for almost all personal protective equipment (PPE) required by OSHA’s general industry, construction and maritime standards. The employer is expected to make sure the employees’ PPE meets OSHA standards. All employers must change their existing PPE payment policies by May 14, [...]

Registrations for new powerboats fell 7 percent since last year, according to the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association (NMMA). Jet drive boats were the only segment to see growth, with registrations rising 9 percent. However, NMMA president Thom Dammrich believes inventory reductions may position the industry for growth in the last half of this year. The [...]

AB Inflatables moved all boat production to a new factory in Colombia from Venezuela. The 100,000-square-foot facility is located in the duty-free zone near the waterfront and is three times the size of the old one. AB Inflatables moved because of difficulty finding dependable, skilled labor, along with aggressive labor unions and government red tape [...]

Greg Lentine, president of NorCross Marine Products, was appointed as the new chairman of the Marine Aftermarket Accessories Trade Show (MAATS) Planning Committee. MAATS will be held July 16-18 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

John Boyle & Co.’s manufacturing facility will become part of Glen Raven’s technical fabrics division in March. John Boyle employees, totaling 147, will remain in Statesville, N.C., as part of Glen Raven. New signs will be installed at the new location.

The CertiPUR-US initiative sponsored by the Polyurethane Foam Association (PFA) establishes voluntary performance, environmental, health and safety standards for qualified foams. The initiative is based on Europe’s CertiPUR program, but includes physical performance standards that quantify durability, consistency and comfort. Visit www.pfa.org.

Marinas, in an effort to control rising insurance costs, are inserting language in slip contracts that shift liability to the slip holder. Boaters could have to pay for injuries, lawyers and damages out of pocket—even if the marina is to blame—if the boat insurance policy doesn’t include contractual liability. Boaters should check their marina slip [...]

Compiled by Juli Case Question: Due to the weather and saltwater in Florida, we use a plastic #10 separating zipper with locking pulls. The locking pulls give our installers and customers difficulty. The pin drags and sticks. We use a popular brand and have tried a non-locking pull from another supplier, but that didn’t work. [...]