The American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) has released a revised version of the Standards and Technical Information Reports for Small Craft with Supplement 52.
ABYC was organized to develop safety standards for various areas of the marine industry, including design, construction, equipage, repair and maintenance. Since 1959, ABYC has reviewed standards for every category at least every five years.
"With new technology and the increasing complexity of boat systems, it is extremely important to have current and relevant standards to protect the boating public," said Brian Goodwin, ABYC Technical Director.
Goodwin, and other industry professionals, are held responsible for the testing and evaluation of safety measures. ABYC standards are set by a committee comprised of experience representatives of government, industry and public sectors. All standards are authorized by a Technical Board.
For 2012-2013, ABYC standard H-28 Inflatable Boats was corrected, standard A-32 AC Power Conversion Equipment and Systems was added, and standard TA-27 Batteries and Battery Chargers was withdrawn. Fifteen standards were revised and include: A-22 Marine Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Systems, A-26 LPG and CNG Fueled Appliances, E-11 AC & DC Electrical Systems on Boats, H-1 Field of Vision from the Helm Position, H-5 Boat Load Capacity, H-8 Buoyancy in the Event of Swamping, H-24 Gasoline Fuel Systems, H-29 Canoes and Kayaks, H-37 Jet Boats – Light Weight, P-4 Marine Inboard Engines and Transmissions, P-21 Manual Hydraulic Steering Systems, P-23 Manual Steering and Propulsion Controls for Jet Boats, S-30 Outboard Engine and Related Equipment Weights, TH-22 Educational Information about Carbon Monoxide, TH-23 Design, Construction, and Testing of Boats in Consideration of Carbon Monoxide.
More information about the newest update to standards can be found in the official ABYC press release.
