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Inspecting the Inspector
By Mark Corke
Look on most modern boats and somewhere you might well find a plaque with the legend "NMMA certified." I am the first to admit that I have seen these stickers often and have never really given them a second thought, but I've recently found out a little more about NMMA certification. The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) was formed in 1979 in a merger between the Boating Industry Association of Chicago (BIA) and the National Association of Engine & Boat Manufacturers of New York (NAEBM). The nonprofit organization represents over 1,400 manufacturers of both complete boats and boating-related products.
Much of the inspection focuses on safety. Pitts and Newsome check the integrity of the gas locker on a Sabre 365.
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The idea of the NMMA certification program is to ensure consistent manufacturing standards, which either equal or exceed those required by the U.S. Coast Guard. The program isn't compulsory, but many of the major U.S. manufacturers see the benefit of membership and inspection as proof to buyers that the boats they are buying are of high standard and meet all applicable standards of the ABYC (American Boat and Yacht Council), the body that is responsible for laying down the requirements for boat construction.
I went along and watched inspector Tim Pitts at work; he was accompanied by Robert Newsome, the director of engineering standards for the NMMA. Newsome’s job is to oversee the recruitment, training, and continuing standards assessment of all the inspectors. Inspectors are not direct employees of the NMMA, but are independent contractors, mostly yacht and boat surveyors who have an intimate knowledge of boat construction methods and practices.
Similarly, the engine installation comes under close scrutiny. The NMMA inspection does not address such things as the size of the engine in a particular boat, for instance, only that it meet the relevant standards for installation and safety.
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We started off by walking around the facility, Tim could clearly learn a lot from the way that the factory was run, and he pronounced everything in the Sabre factory to be in order. Then he boarded some boats and peered into the recesses of boats on the production line. Nothing, it seems, gets past an eagle-eyed inspector. Hose clamps and wiring are just one one of the areas where a boatbuilder might be tempted to cut corners, and Pitts checked each boat carefully, especially in areas that the average buyer might overlook. Power installations, stanchion bases, statutory labels and markings, and gas lockers were all checked in short order.
Pitts checks the shore-power connection for correct placement and installation.
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At the end of the inspection the inspector's sheet had a gratifying series of ticks; had he found anything out of compliance with the required standard, he would have addressed these with the manufacturer. Newsome and Pitts were keen to point out that they were not in the business of trying to trip up or catch out manufacturers. Pitts summed it up well: “All we want is to work with manufacturers so that they can produce the best boats possible that the public will want to buy. Knowing that the boat has passed an NMMA certification gives the consumer increased confidence and knowledge that they have bought a quality product.”
So next time you see one of those little stickers on a boat, you can be sure that an inspector has given it the green light at the time of construction.
Posted: November 13, 2007
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