Changing Scene

The International Marina & Boatyard Conference (IMBC) has posted a “Call for Presenters” at its website, MarinaAssociation.org/IMBC. The deadline for submitting presentations is April 26, 2013.

The conference, produced by the Association of Marina Industries (AMI), is scheduled for January 29–31, 2014, at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Presentations should be designed for intermediate to advanced levels of experience without overt company or product promotions.

West Marine, the largest specialty retailer of boating supplies and accessories, has once again been named by Forbes magazine as one of “America’s 100 Most Trustworthy Companies.” According to Forbes reporter Jacquelyn Smith, the most “transparent and trustworthy businesses that trade on American exchanges” were selected by partnering with GMI Ratings (GMI), a global research firm that examines environmental, social, and accounting risks affecting public companies.

McMurdo has signed on as the official Safety and Rescue Products Partner for the 2013 Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing, the United States’ premier dedicated Class 40 sailing race. The 2013 race will kick off in Charleston, South Carolina on May 11.

The crews aboard the participating Class 40 yachts will be provided with McMurdo Fast Find 220 Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) to assure their safety on each of the offshore legs of the 2013 race.

To improve service in Europe Walker Bay is positioning stock of all product lines, replacement parts and accessories in a European Warehouse in Madrid Spain. This new warehouse location is in cooperation with long time Spanish Distributor Touron SSP. The stock is available to dealers and distributors as needed but customers will still be ordering direct from the North American factory for larger orders. This move will help to improve availability and service levels throughout the region.

Bruce Kirby, a Canadian and the original designer of the Laser is launching the “Kirby Torch”.

The Laser sailboat is no longer in production in North America and Europe and because the Laser trademark is being held by the former builder, the boat’s name had to be changed in order for Bruce Kirby’s design to continue to be sold world-wide as a One Design class.

The newly-christened Kirby Torch has a very Canadian focus. The Laser started in Canada, quickly becoming an IYRU-recognized international class in 1974. Then in 1983, the original builder went bankrupt and rights to the design reverted to Bruce Kirby Inc.

The Safariland Group (the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of protective products and equipment primarily for law enforcement and the military, has acquired Mustang Survival and its related entities, Mustang Survival Inc. and Mustang Survival Mfg., Inc. (collectively, “Mustang Survival”).

Mustang Survival is the North American market leader in lifesaving equipment for recreational, military, law enforcement and industrial users in the marine and aviation environments. For more than 45 years, Mustang Survival has been transforming innovative ideas and technologies into high-quality and practical lifesaving products such as inflatable personal flotation devices, flotation clothing, dry suits, anti-g suits and a wide range of products to protect serious users in extreme environments.

Canadian builder Coastal Craft plans to add a 65-footer to its existing line of welded aluminum yachts in 2014.

The new Coastal Craft Concord 65 will be the biggest model the builder advertises, followed by 56-, 45- and 40-foot models. Gregory C. Marshall is the naval architect for the 65, whose deep-V hull will have a top speed of more than 30 knots. When the standard twin 900 hp Volvo 13L diesels with IPS3 pods are pulled back to a speed of 26 knots, the new design will have a range of 400 nautical miles.

Mustang Survival is pleased to announce a three year exclusive sponsorship program with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) Boat Operations And Training (BOAT) Program’s Officer Water Survival Course.

As part of the BOAT program’s Officer Water Survival course, maritime law enforcement officers will receive hands-on experience to prepare for survival in the water – either by an unexpected fall or during an altercation. As part of the sponsorship, students in the OWS course will be outfitted with Mustang Survival PFDs designed for the Public Safety and Law Enforcement category.

As part of their recent newsletter, the NMMA shared that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Fisheries Service released the results of its rapid appraisal effort on the impacts of Superstorm Sandy on the commercial and recreational fisheries of New Jersey and New York.
The assessment considered impacts and uninsured losses for the bait, for hire, dealer, harvester, marina, and processor sectors. Uninsured losses for the two states are estimated to range from $155 to $198 million, with the average insurance coverage in New York at 35% and in New Jersey at 24%, indicating that insurance coverage for the fisheries sectors in the region was insufficient. Five million dollars in fisheries relief funding was included in

Mercury Marine announced the company has added 21 dealers to its North American dealer network during the month of March. The new additions span the continent and include five dealers in Canada and sixteen in the United States.

Four of the new Canadian Mercury dealers are:

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