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Maintaining Boating Standards
by Ron Reisner
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As a marine surveyor, I'm often asked, "What are ABYC Standards -- and are they something boaters are required by law to keep?"
ABYC stands for the American Boat and Yacht Council.
ABYC is a marine industry non-profit organization with the purpose of setting voluntary technical standards for the construction and use of pleasureboats. Volunteers on technical committees address different aspects of pleasureboats, usually related to user safety.
ABYC standards are developed or updated from time to time and the results are published. Anyone can purchase the "Standards and Recommended Practices for Small Craft" from ABYC.
ABYC standards are not laws; however, they have become the standards of the industry in the areas they address.
The preface to the published standards states they are "the product of a consensus of representatives of government, industry, and public sectors ... intended solely as a guide to aid the manufacturer, the consumer and the general public in the design, construction, equipage and maintenance of small craft."
Most ABYC standards relate to mechanical systems and safety, including fuel systems, AC and DC electrical systems, visibility, steering systems, through-hull fittings and propane systems. These standards are increasingly relied upon by the marine industry and the public as the courts come to accept them as industry standards.
The findings and recommendations of marine surveyors abound with such words as, "federal requirement," "certified," "approved," "safe" and "recommended."
Bear in mind that a marine surveyor's findings and recommendations should be defensible. Ideally, there will be some authority (a law, standard, code or regulation) behind the finding or recommendation. At a minimum, according to these standards, "good marine practices" should apply. This refers to whatever has proven to work (or not work) over a substantial period of time.
A good surveyor will differentiate between historically accepted practices and those that have the backing of law, or are established and published standards. This is especially important when the boat buyer or owner has a bank or insurance company looking over his or her shoulder.
The Code of Federal Regulations, mostly in Title 33 and Title 46, addresses such issues as electrical systems, fuel systems, safety equipment and marine sanitation. Both Congress and the Coast Guard have come to rely, in part, on ABYC for the development of language that goes into law. It is no surprise that Coast Guard officers sit on many ABYC technical committees.
When you hire a marine surveyor, you hire expertise, experience and ethics. At least, that's the theory.
When the surveyor goes over the results of the survey with you, don't hesitate to ask what authority he or she is relying upon for recommendations. The survey information belongs to you -- and it should be a useful working tool for you.
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This article first appeared in the September 1, 1996 issue of Sea Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
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