Gary Reich

When it comes to debating hot topics and building long friendships, you can’t beat getting together in person. That was the vibe at the American Boat & Yacht Council’s Standards Week in Annapolis, Md., this past January.

The event kicked off ABYC’s 70th year of existence with a cocktail reception, annual meeting, and hospitality suite dubbed the “Chill Zone,” sponsored by Dometic. As always, the Project Technical Committee meetings were the main event, bringing together experts from around the world to review, debate and revise the technical standards that support a safe marine industry.

The core of the ABYC is its body of standards, published in the annual Standards and Technical Information Reports for Small Craft. More than 400 volunteer marine professionals on 15 Project Technical Committees continually research, develop and revise these standards throughout the year. These professionals come from all fields of the industry, including the Coast Guard, trade organizations and private entities.

Internationally, the ABYC collaborates closely with safety organizations such as Transport Canada and other standards organizations, including the International Organization for Standardization.

Each ABYC standard is revised or reaffirmed every three to five years. The results of this year’s meeting will inform Supplement 64 of the Standards and Technical Information Report for Small Craft, to be published in July. This “Big Blue Book” covers major boat systems and development, and the annual review of these standards has correlated directly to a significant reduction in the number of boating accidents since the ABYC was founded in 1954.

Building on last year’s hybrid approach, the ABYC’s organizers opened Standards Week to far-flung members of the marine industry by offering a virtual option to attend. Remote stakeholders joined the discussions from as far away as Great Britain, Italy and South Africa.

This year, something became clear: The industry is becoming more involved in creating and revising the standards that keep boating safe. As boatbuilding and repairs evolve, the gap widens between the Code of Federal Regulations and the reality of new technology in recreational boating. Marine industry stakeholders know this, and they showed up en masse for the discussions.

It was in that spirit that this year’s Project Technical Committees got to work. Over the course of four days, seven committees met to review ABYC standards in their fields of expertise. They debated questions like this one: Do the practices prescribed in ABYC’s C-5, Construction and Testing of Electric Navigation Lights, conflict with any of those in the ISO Standards? The Navigation Lights and Sound Signals Project Technical Committee dove into the process of testing a navigation light, clarifying key elements related to measuring luminous intensity, and determining the appropriate tolerance and variability.

The Electrical Project Technical Committee met to discuss E-11, AC and DC Electrical Systems on Boats, among other topics. In a packed room, the committee heard updates from the subcommittee on conductive charging systems, ampere interrupting capacity, autotransformers and source of power. To address the 280 submitted comments on the standard, the committee had multiple rounds of discussion, resulting in deep dives into isolated DC systems, digital switching, toroidal transformers and paralleling conductors.

As today’s electrical systems are getting increasingly complex, the standard continues to evolve to keep pace. Case in point: This Project Technical Committee is developing voltage-drop and ampacity tables for 48-volt DC systems to address the growing popularity of 48-volt components.

The Hull Performance Project Technical Committee discussed two standards: H-1, Field of Vision From the Helm Position; and H-29, Canoes and Kayaks. On a side note, H-1 is one of the oldest standards in ABYC’s cache, first published in 1965. The committee reorganized the standard to improve the clarity of the operators’ “eye positions” for evaluating visibility from the helm. On the kayak front, a subcommittee proposal was accepted to create an alternate method for determining sit-on-top kayak capacity. This alternate methodology will address some of the challenges with smaller kids’ kayaks. Also, the group delved into the requirements for flotation on sit-on-top kayaks.

The Hull and Deck Structures Project Technical Committee reviewed several ABYC standards: H-3, Exterior Windows, Windshields, Hatches, Doors, Port Lights and Glazing Materials; H-40, Anchoring, Mooring and Lifting; and T-17, Compass Installation. After research and testing, the committee accepted a proposal related to water-sports (skiing, wakeboarding) and water-toy (tubing) attachment points. This proposal will be incorporated into H-40.

Meanwhile, the Engine and Powertrain Project Technical Committee exhausted the comments on P-1, Installation of Exhaust Systems for Propulsion and Auxiliary Engines. Fun fact: P-1 is even older than H-1, as it was first published in 1962. Some of the requirements in the 1962 standard are still present in the current publication. After lively debate, this committee formed a subcommittee to update the material permitted to be used in exhaust systems. The committee will also begin developing a standard for outboard diagnostics.

With the success of Standards Week 2024, the ABYC looks forward to Standards Week 2025. These standards are designed to keep up with industry needs, and they must reflect what’s happening in the field. Reach out if you’d like to get involved. 

This article was originally published in the April 2024 issue.