Press Releases

July 28, 2005, Edgewater, MD: The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) announced today that an online searchable database for archived standards, funded by a donation from the Brunswick Boat Group, is in the works. The database will include ABYC standards published since 1972, and the tentatively named Archived Standards Online is scheduled for completion in August.

Brunswick Boat Group agreed to provide project funding for a comprehensive archived standards database containing electronic versions of the ABYC Standards and Technical Information Reports for Small Craft from 1972 to the present. The new database will combine 33 years of standards up to the current published version in Adobe PDF format. The service will be available to anyone visiting the ABYC Web site at www.abycinc.org, and those in need of archived ABYC standards will be able to search the database by keyword, scope, title, or date. The desired achieved standards resulting from a search may then be purchased on a pay-per-use basis.

John Adey, ABYC's technical director, said, "Previously those in need of older standards were charged for not only the standards, but also for the research time needed to determine the proper version, and finally shipping for a paper copy. Now the research will be done by the user, online, resulting in the ability to purchase the desired document for download immediately. This project is something that has been needed for some time now, and we want to sincerely thank Brunswick for their generous donation and continued support of ABYC and our consensus-based safety standards."

Dave Marlow, director of product integrity for Brunswick Boat Group said, "Builders, attorneys, surveyors and investigators are in constant need of information that pertains to older boat models. This project will give easy access to the standards from 33 years ago until now. This is yet another step toward increased accessibility to the acknowledged standards used for building and repair in the marine industry, and Brunswick Boat Group is happy to assist ABYC with such technological advancements that will benefit a widespread audience."

About Brunswick Boat Group
Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., the Brunswick Boat Group is the largest maker of pleasure boats in the world. 2004 net sales were $2.3 billion. The Boat Group makes Sea Ray, Bayliner, Maxum, Hatteras, Meridian and Sealine pleasure boats from 16 to 100 feet; Baja high-performance boats from 20 to 44 feet; Albermarle, Boston Whaler, Palmetto, Sea Boss, Sea Pro and Trophy offshore fishing boats from 13 to 33 feet; and Crestliner, Lowe, Lund, Princecraft and Triton fishing, deck and pontoon boats from 10 to 26 feet; Land 'N' Sea and Kellogg parts and accessories distribution, and Attwood, marine parts and accessories. The Brunswick Boat Group, along with its various boat manufacturers, has been a strong supporter of ABYC and the ABYC Foundation through generous donations that have funded special projects which directly benefit the entire marine industry. For more information, visit www.brunswick.com.

ABYC has been developing, writing and updating the safety standards for boat building and repair in the United States for over 50 years. ABYC is actively involved with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as well as education and certification programs for marine technicians. These standards are available on CD-ROM, online (Web-STIR) and in printed form. Membership and general information can be requested by visiting the ABYC web site at www.abycinc.org.