Press Releases

For Immediate Release 03-26

Contacts: Caroline Chetelat, (410) 956-1050 cchetelat@abycinc.org

August 7, 2003 Edgewater, MD: The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) announced that the updated CD-ROM version of the Standards and Technical Information Reports for Small Craft (the 'ABYC Standards Manual'), is now available to ABYC members for purchase. Contained in this latest version is Supplement #43, which includes the new standard E-11, AC and DC Electrical Systems on Boats, as well the other documents that comprised this year's supplement. The newly revised Rules and Regulations for Recreational Boats (CFR) is also featured on the CD-ROM at no additional charge.

This new electronic version is PDF based and includes Adobe Acrobat reader at no extra charge, along with an improved 'search' feature and other enhancements, that include:

• A one page CD-ROM installation and additional features purchase guide,
• Improved graphics;
• Ability to copy and paste text and graphics;
• Cross-platform compatibility (MAC or PC); and
• For an additional fee, the ability to access add-on features such as the ABYC Compliance Guidelines, previously only available in print, and a newly created Comparison Reports feature, which allows the user to view documents included in this years supplement in a side-by-side comparison with the previous version of the standard. These additional features can be conveniently purchased anytime that this version of the CD-ROM is in effect.

John Adey, ABYC's Technical Director said, "The change over to PDF format is the biggest update to this year's CD-ROM." "Having the CD in PDF format has allowed us to also offer add-on features, such as the Compliance Guidelines and the Comparison Reports, without having to increase the price of the basic CD-ROM package," continued Adey.

A complete list of the pricing packages is available by calling the ABYC Membership office at (410) 956-1050.

The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) is a not-for-profit organization that has been developing, writing and updating the safety standards for boat building and repair in the United States for nearly 50 years. ABYC is actively involved with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as well as certification programs for marine technicians. These standards are available on CD-ROM and in printed form. To order the CD-ROM, you may call ABYC at (410) 956-1050. Membership and general information can be requested by also calling (410) 956-1050 or by visiting the ABYC Web Site at www.abycinc.org.