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NC Boat Builders Forum Provides Direction and Recommendations |
This is not a new topic, only one that seems to be worsening daily. Here are some of the issues that commercial marina owner/managers, local and transient boaters, marine communities, and costal tourism officials will have to contend with in the coming year.
Marina owners and “want-to-be” marina owners are increasingly reporting to us that the Corps of Engineers is holding up, denying, and complicating permits for new and expanding marinas and boating-related ventures up and down the coast – even when these have gained permits and/or favorable comments from CAMA. The rationale, as explained to us by these owners, include off-the-record comments from Corps representatives that there is concern about an increase in no wake zone requests. By eliminating new marina slips and thus increased boating on Corp-controlled waterways, they will avoid having to deal with this complicated and political issue.
More discouraging news comes from counties like New Hanover County, which has asked to amend their Land Use Plan to allow for residential marina expansion in Outstanding Resource Waters, but not to allow commercial marina expansion. This reinforces a trend where public/commercial marina growth is being stunted, while there is a proliferation of residential, condo-based marinas. Boaters suggest that public access isn’t as important as the state would have you believe. This feeds the ongoing problem of public access to boating waters and goes in the opposite environmental direction since commercial marinas have far better controls and regulations for pollution than do small marina complexes with no commercial constraints and manned operations.
Now Federal OSHA is targeting marinas for inspections and new initiatives – especially those with boat repair facilities that can be construed as having boat construction areas. For a chilling look into this topic, read the article on page six of the October Soundings Trade Only, or contact NMMA/MOAA’s Jim Frye (202) 721-1630.
And finally, the increased time, money and effort involved in expanding and/or building new public/commercial marinas, combined with the economic concerns related to recent and projected hurricanes, have had a detrimental effect on obtaining loans for these public-serving marinas. In their place, and utilizing the prized few coastal locations suitable for true water-dependent businesses like marinas, are high end marina-complex condominiums and boataminiums that can pay the high price of regulatory, political and zoning roadblocks to public boating.
There are ways for marinas to show that they are not the polluting nuisances that regulators would have you believe they are. During the Marina Forum at the NC/SC MarineEXPO, several marina owners indicated their willingness to participate in the Clean Marina program. This program, a joint effort of our NCMTS and the Division of Coastal Management, was started during the summer, but there was no response from marinas. Those at the marina forum said that the checklist for the program arrived in the middle of the busy season and there was just not the time available to completely fill out the checklist and/or to work on the Best Management Practices that were suggested. So we are giving all coastal marinas a second chance to be cited as a Clean Marina. In January we will be mailing the checklist and program details out to all coastal marinas.
Please take the time to review the information even if you are not choosing to participate. This checklist was designed to cover all the processes at your facility that are likely to be more scrutinized and regulated in the years to come. By making an effort now to clean things up, you may be saving yourself fines in the future. NCMTS will assist you in complying with Clean Marina standards if you discover you fall short in some areas. This is a learning experience and is not meant to target marinas that are below Clean Marina standards. Your checklist will remain the confidential property of Marine Trades Services. To demonstrate the depth of marina commercial misconception, one of the CAMA commissioners (at a recent CRC meeting) indicated that they should not support the Clean Marina program because “no marina is clean”. Use our www.NCMTA.com website for additional information.
NC/SC MarineEXPO has closed its doors for 2000 with mixed reviews. The good news is that almost all of our seminars, the Hatteras Yachts tour, the dinner and NCMTA lunch had both good attendance and quality participants who rated the seminars, dinner and luncheon highly. Forum participants left the show with new information, new facts, new contacts, and new ideas. What was lacking was quality time and contact between event participants and what was a near record number and diversity of exhibitors. While we can show several great letters of appreciation from exhibitors that made very valuable contacts and had commercial success, there were too many who were wondering where the people were and why they paid to participate. We are looking for ways to address this critical issue before we decide what to do and how to change this event. Call or e-mail us your suggestions. Next year, the SC Marine Association takes over the control of the show, which will be in Charleston, November 8 and 9.
The Thursday MarineEXPO 2000 Boat Builder Forum was attended by over 60 individuals, representing builders, repair yards, associations, and product and service providers to the building industry. The open discussion hit on a number of topics ranging from regulatory overkill including ergonomics and EPA MACT rules, to promotion options focusing on NC built boats, to better design and utilization of Community Colleges training and recruitment programs, to the critical lack of information about the magnitude of the economic impact of the boat building industry and its positive employment and financial impact throughout the state – especially in rural communities.
The next steps will be ours. We will work with the Research Service division of the SBTDC to design and conduct a study of the NC boat building industry that will include information on employment, property tax values, and other economic impact information, as well as similar information for secondary contractors and major vendors. We will also be planning and organizing one or more events where the builders can host legislators and community leaders for the purpose of informing them about the industry. Your suggestions, comments, and participation are welcome.
The USCG will apparently resume inspection of boat factories building boats under 20 feet in length. According to a Soundings Trade Only-October 2000 article (pg30), the USCG, through an independent consulting company, will look to inspect 4,000 builder facilities – with a 1,000 anticipated in 2001.
There will be no surprise inspections, but only those made by appointment. The inspections will deal with flotation, weight capacity, capsizing, electrical and fuel ventilation systems of those boats under 20 feet. The American Boat and Yacht Council will be training the inspectors starting in December.
NC Labor Commissioner Harry Payne Jr. drew a crowd of near 100 during his talk for the NCMTA luncheon held during MarineEXPO. Commissioner Payne discussed the benefits of the new apprenticeship programs developing through partnerships of community colleges and boat builders. He also talked of the various issues the boat building industry faces, especially with OSHA regulations and ergonomics. He cited the case of the waterfront builders having to follow federal OSHA standards, while non-water front builders must adhere to state OSHA rules.
While Harry is finishing his final term as Labor Commissioner, he assured the audience he would stay involved with the boating industry, which he indicated was especially close to his heart.
Whether the crowds were hungry for food or for insight from Mike Sciulla, editor of BOAT/US, will never be known, but the all industry dinner at MarineEXPO brought in many more people than registered.
Sciulla filled the room with facts and figures on the marine industry telling us with nearly 3/4 million boats in North and South Carolina, the region would rank third after MI & CA, but ahead of FL in terms of registration.
Combined sales of boats, motors, trailers and accessories from NC ( #8) and SC (#9) would top $650 million, making this the second largest boating market in the country after Florida.
In addition Sciulla cited new efforts underway such as the Better Boating Opportunity Action Team, which referees disputes between boat owners, builders and dealers. He also indicated the Boating Infrastructure Grant Program is coming close to fruition and funds will be released to those who want to expand transient facilities and services.
For
more information contact Sciulla at 703-461-2864 or go to www.boatus.com.