NMMA and ABYC join in standards-certification partnership
CHICAGO, Ill. — The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) have made an agreement that strengthens each organization’s efforts to encourage broad use of ABYC standards and the NMMA Boat & Yacht Certification Program, the NMMA reported in a statement yesterday.
The agreement calls for ABYC to become a much more active participant in the NMMA certification program by proposing new standards and conducting an annual review of the certification process. NMMA certification, which currently includes 31 ABYC standards, will work to strengthen boat and yacht certification requirements with the addition of nine ABYC standards to the program over the next three years. ABYC is also committing to more timely updates of standards to reflect market changes, according to the association.
“Improving the NMMA Boat and Yacht Certification program and developing strong consumer recognition of NMMA certification using ABYC standards is a major strategic initiative of NMMA,” said NMMA President Thomas Dammrich. “Working with the endorsement of ABYC and the U.S. Coast Guard, our ultimate goal is to provide boating consumers with a better, safer product, and a more enjoyable boating experience.”
“Broad scale use of ABYC standards in the manufacture of boats and boating accessories is key to ABYC’s mission of providing a safe and enjoyable boating experience for the boating public,” said ABYC President Skip Burdon. “This partnership between ABYC and NMMA is a watershed that will eventually lead to every manufacturer building to ABYC standards and having that verified by a third party inspector.”
As part of the agreement, NMMA will immediately begin using certification labels stating, “NMMA certified using ABYC standards.” The anticipated expansion of requirements for an NMMA-certified boat and yacht will lead to ultimate ABYC endorsement of the NMMA Boat & Yacht Certification Program and to an NMMA-certified boat bearing the label.
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