Topics 

• Waterways Dredging Issues Get Heard on Capitol Hill

• Missing at the Table

• No Booth at the Miami Boat Show  2004

• The Feel Good  $25.00

• Power Wash Regulations

• Must-read for Composite Boatbuilders - Soundings Trade Only MACT Article

• NC Boatbuilders at Miami Boat Show: Attend the NMMA Environmental Committee

• Jarrett Bay Boatworks and Chatlee Boat and Marine Score National Media Exposure

• NC boatinglifestyle Magazine Creates Unique NC Boating Reader Niche 

• Springtime NC Boat Shows Continue

• 2004 American Boating Congress takes place May 3 & 4 in Washington, DC

• NC Boaters Can Claim Fuel Tax Refund

• New Information on Permits, Regulations, Safety, and Training

• Mack Boring Plans for Expansion in Wilmington

Waterways Dredging Issues Get Heard on Capitol Hill

A number of boating representatives from east coast states briefed Congressional members and staff on the growing problem of dredging needs along the Intracoastal Waterway. NC Congressman Mike McIntyre’s Chief of Staff, Dean Mitchell, helped the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association put the meeting together, according to Rosemary M. Lynch of AIWA. Kelly Cayer of Representative Walter Jones’ office also attended along with 16 legislators and staff. An economic development study and a new Congressional Caucus are being planned, with Congressman McIntyre’s office taking the lead on the Caucus formation. More will information will be provided as it becomes available. Visit our site for ongoing NC information. NCwaterways.com – waterfront issues and the AIWA site for Congressional contact information: http://www.atlintracoastal.org/Congress/NC1.htm.

Missing at the Table

The above dredging issue is an example where NC needs an active marine trades/marina association. For those business owners/managers who have indicated interest – thank you. We will be working to solve this issue in February. If you haven’t provide comments, do so soon: Mike Bradley Mbradley@SBTDC.org / 252-728-2144.    

No Booth at the Miami Boat Show 2004

No NC peanuts (our trademark booth handout) or NC Coastal Boating Guides (we handed out over 2,000 maps in 2003) at the Miami show this year… all a matter of funds. We wish the best to the 30+ NC exhibitors and we will be planning to work with you in Miami in 2005.  

The Feel Good  $25.00

Reality is that this newsletter and the NCwaterways.com website are entirely produced and maintained by a state agency program – the SBTDC NC Marine Trades Services. The site refers users to over 3,500 NC marine businesses (each company can access their data to update), and has about 5,000 unique web visitors per month. This newsletter is sent to 2,000 NC businesses by email and 800 by fax. Our funding to maintain and manage this effort is limited. A $25.00 tax-deductible business donation check made out to the SBTDC (Small Business and Technology Development Center) and sent to P.O. Box 406, Beaufort, NC 28516 would go a long way. Thanks.   

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Power Wash Regulations

All facilities falling under SIC codes 373 (boatyards and boatbuilders) and 4493 (marinas) need an NC Stormwater Permit (General permit NCG190000) unless there is no exposure of process materials or industrial activities to rainwater. If there is, then the facility also requires a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SPPP) mandated by the permit. The Plan should identify all point source stormwater outfalls, address reduction of exposure of materials and activities to stormwater, and specify operational best management practices (BMPs) for such activities as sanding and grinding, spray painting, and pressure washing. The rub is that there appear to be few, if any, BMP solutions other than recirculation systems that meet the water quality criteria.  

The NC190000 Permit and the SPPP forms and process are not simple. To gain an overview, see our marina / boatyard section from the Business Assistance Tab and look over our Clean Marine Best Management Practices from that page or click here. There are consulting firms that provide assistance and, in many cases, do the paperwork, but we are just now compiling a list of NC companies that provide these services. If you can forward known/tested consulting company references, please email us. North Carolina companies only.

Must Read for Composite Boatbuilders

The February 2004 issue of Soundings Trade Only has an article by Melanie Winters entitled "Now is the time to act on MACT" which covers most of the questions asked by mid-size, composite boatbuilders. The article is NOT available on their website, but you may be able obtain it at Sounding's Subscription site. (Soundings is free to marine businesses). The referenced EPA site information is found at: www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/boat/boatpg.html - also found our site's Boat Builders page.

NC Boatbuilders at Miami Boat Show: Attend the NMMA Environmental Committee           

NC boat builders attending the Miami show may want to consider attending or sending a representative to the NMMA Environmental Committee meeting on Wednesday, February 11, 2004 from 11:30 am until 1:00 pm in room A-105 at the convention center.  The reason: networking with national boat builder regulatory representatives, discussing and learning about upcoming regulatory and safety issues that will influence boating. These include MACT full compliance, evaporative emissions, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) plans to revise the engineering control technology information on styrene emissions from boat building issue, and a range of topics brought up by committee members and visitors. It is a good opportunity to see where NMMA resources are working on behalf of the industry. John McKnight will welcome you, but it is a good idea to give him a call at this new number (202) 737-9757 or by email at jmcknight@nmma.org.

Jarrett Bay Boatworks and Chatlee Boat and Marine Score National Media Exposure

The January/February Boat & Motor Dealer awarded Chatlee Boat and Marine it’s 2003 Dealer of the Year award and made the Chatlee team the cover photo, providing a five-page article on the Sanford dealer. The company, owned by Robbie and Jeff Yow, has been in business for 36 years, employs 35, maintains an inventory of 250 boats and has its own test lake. Information at www.chatleeboats.com.  The February 2004 edition of Professional BoatBuilder magazine features a six-page article on Jarrett Bay Boatworks of Beaufort. The article details the history of the builder and its boats – including its new 32-foot fiberglass – as well as a discussion of the builder’s 30-acre marine industrial park and the growth of the park’s marine tenants. www.jarrettbay.com.

The NC Marine TradeWinds newsletter, strives to keep readers aware of articles on NC marine businesses that appear in national and international media. If you will bring these to our attention to this, we will reference them as in the above article.  You may fax the articles to 252-728-6988 – be sure to follow up with a phone call.

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NC boatinglifestyle Magazine Creates Unique NC Boating Reader Niche

With several editions under its belt, it appears this new NC boating magazine is making a home on the tables of boaters across the state. The magazine is a “slick” picture and article magazine providing stories on people, boating lifestyles and boats for the power boaters across the state.  Kudos to publisher and co-founder, John Ballantyne of Greensboro and Beaufort. For more information, go to www.ncboatinglifestyle.com.

NC Springtime Boat Shows Continue

Raleigh Boat Show, Raleigh Civic Center, Raleigh, NC January 29- February 1, 2004, Mid-Atlantic Boat Show in Charlotte February 5-8, 2004, Carolina Power & Sailboat Show in Raleigh February 20-22, 2004 and the Central Carolina Boat Show in Greensboro February 27-29, 2004.

2004 American Boating Congress takes place May 3 & 4 in Washington, DC

Still known to many as LegCon, this annual NMMA event should be on your calendar. Participants meet to learn the intricacies of communicating with our legislators related to the boating industry and can set up meetings to visit with their senators and representatives. Participants also interact with the Congressional Boating Caucus, consisting of an informal, bipartisan group of members of Congress concerned with issues affecting boating, recreation and the marine industry. Issues include: promoting recreational fishing, uniformity of standards, protecting boater access to public waterways, ensuring sound science-based regulatory policies, and opposing the imposition of new taxes on marine-related goods and manufacturing. For information and registration, www.nmma.org/abc/.  

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NC Boaters Can Claim Fuel Tax Refund

Boaters can claim a refund for taxed fuel used in off-highway uses in 2003. They can pull down forms from the following site, although these still only have 2003 forms. Just cross out the 2003 and pen in 2004 in the forms – www.dor.state.nc.us/downloads/motor.html  (see www.dor.state.nc.us/downloads/Gas-1201_Instructions_5-02.pdf) for instructions. The phone number for the state’s tax office is 919-733-3409.

New Information on Permits, Regulations, Safety, and Training

Mack Boring Plans for Expansion in Wilmington

Wilmington's North Carolina Mack Boring facility has announced a major expansion project. By adding 4.5 acres of land for a new facility, the company hopes to meet a growing need to accommodate sales growth and larger engine and component handling requirements. According to president Ned McGovern, "we stated in NC handling 350 hp engines and now we sell and service 900 hp equipment." Steve McGovern, vice president, heads up the Wilmington facility and can be contacted at carolina@mackboring.com. See company information at www.mackboring.com. 

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