 |
|
|
|
|
Atlantic Marine Trades Association NEWSLETTER ....................................................................................................................... Solo
Sailor Derek Hatfield of ‘Spirit
of Canada’
In
the Around Alone 2002 / 2003 which took him on a 28,700-nautical mile
voyage around the
world, Derek was pitch-poled and subsequently dismasted off of Cape Horn. His boat, the 40' 'Spirit of Canada'
was rebuilt in Ushuaia; Argentina through the help of a number of sponsors
including Decoma International, ocean racing sponsor; the Pindar Group as well as
numerous individuals from Canada and around the world. Derek completed the race
course in 3rd, in Class II,1st of the 40' boats in what is hailed as the
"Longest, hardest race for an individual in any
sport". Derek,
who lives in Lunenburg County; Nova Scotia began sailing as a
youth growing up in New Brunswick and
has more than 100,000 nautical miles of sailing and
yacht racing under his belt. He has
competed in countless national and
international
regattas on sailboats of all sizes, honing his
skills in both crewed and
short-handed events. Information about Derek
and 'Spirit of Canada' is at www.spiritofcanada.net
AMTA
hosts partner Discover Boating Associations
Hurricane
Juan Slams into Halifax Dartmouth Yacht Club took the fury of Hurricane Juan with damage to docks, equipment and member boats
The storm ripped northward through the
province, weakening quickly as tropical cyclones do over land, arriving
in Prince Edward Island as a tropical storm, but with winds still
gusting to hurricane force. Hurricane Juan will be recorded as one of
the most damaging storms in modern history for Halifax, N.S. (as
measured by the widespread tree blow-downs, power outages, and damaged
homes). Hundreds of thousands of Maritimers in Nova Scotia and Prince
Edward Island lost power when the storm passed Sunday night, with tens
of thousands still without power as the weekend approached. The last
time that the city of Halifax was hit by the eastern eyewall of a
hurricane (the worst winds in such a storm) was on August 22, 1893, when
a Category 2/3 ( sustained winds of 176-185 km/h) storm made landfall in
St. Margaret's Bay near 3.00 a.m. ADT. That storm, known then as
"the second Great August Gale," claimed 25 lives and sank the
vessels, "Dorcas," and "Etta Stewart." Prepared
by Peter Bowyer Marine
Liability Act Update In January 2003, Transport Canada released the Mariport Report on the Marine Liability Act and asked for public feedback on its recommendations. The department has reviewed this feedback and will now begin drafting the new regulations. These regulations would implement compulsory insurance for operators of: • all commercial vessels over 15 gross registered tons which carry passengers within Canadian waters only. These operators would be required to maintain insurance for their maximum liability under the MLA (i.e. $350,000 multiplied by the number of passengers the vessels is authorized to carry). In case of fleet insurance, only the top vessel would be used to determine the required insurance. • all commercial vessels less than 15 gross registered tons engaged in domestic carriage of passengers. These operators would be required to maintain liability insurance of $1 million for vessels carrying 12 passengers or less, and $2 million for vessels carrying above 12 passengers. These limits would apply to any operator of a single vessel or a fleet of vessels in this category. The
operators of non-motorized or inflatable hulled vessels, used mainly in
adventure tourism, would be exempted from the compulsory insurance
requirements in recognition of the unique activities these vessels offer
to passengers. Contact: Christina Van Loon, Communications, Ottawa (613) 993-0055 Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Protecting
Our Natural Heritage The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) announced an acquisition which will serve as a conservation foothold in the Mahone Bay Islands. Sheep Island, located approximately one mile from the mainland and one quarter mile from Gifford Island, has been purchased by NCC and will be protected for wildlife habitat in perpetuity. Sheep Island is 7.14 acres and is identified in the Bluenose Atlantic Coastal Action Plan (BACAP) as being the 12th island in most significant need of conservation. Arrival of Tall Ship Caledonia On September 16th, the Caledonia entered her homeport, Halifax, Nova Scotia. After two successful months of promoting Atlantic Canada throughout the Great Lakes, Caledonia will sail into Halifax, for the first time. The Caledonia, a 245 ft barquentine, will commence cruising the Atlantic region in 2004, bringing passengers from around the world to experience the splendour of Atlantic Canada's coastal communities. Owned and operated by Canadian Sailing Expeditions Inc. (CSE), the Caledonia will spend the winter in Halifax undergoing reconstruction to her interior decks. Once completed, the Caledonia will feature 34 cabins, a library, salon and dining room, comfortably accommodating 80 passengers and a crew of 20. Coastal communities can expect to receive international visitors to their ports, starting in June 2004. For more information call 902-429-1474 / 429-1475 or visit www.cansailexp.com Canada
Shipping Act(2001) Regulatory
Reform The Government of Canada is working on a regulatory reform project affecting all aspects of marine transportation. The Canada Shipping Act (CSA) has been a fixture of the marine mode since its enacting in 1936. It is the legal foundation for the protection of safety and the environment on three seacoasts, the inland seas of the great lakes, other navigable waters and on Canadian Ships. The Act applies to a diverse marine transportation industry including fishing vessels large and small, tugs and barges, Lakers, cruise ships, river rafts, pleasure craft and more. The original Act is outdated and does not suit Canada’s Marine Industry in the 21st century. The CSA will be replaced by a new law, the Canada Shipping Act 2001 (CSA2001), This law has received Royal Assent in November 2001 and will enter into force upon proclamation by the Governor in Council in 2006. Before the Law can be brought into force, all regulations have to be ready. Over 100 regulations must be reviewed and restructured. These regulations are the responsibility of Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada who share in the administration of the Act. Consultations on these new regulations are now taking place at regional Canadian Marine Advisory Councils (CMAC) and Recreational Boating Advisory Councils in 2003 and 2004. Pat Nelder of AMTA and Bob Harrity NorthEast Yachts, an AMTA member attended the consultations held in Moncton October 1-3rd. Initial consultations for regulations concerning Pleasure Craft included Aids to Navigation Protection Regulations, Boating Restriction Regulations, Collision Regulations and Prevention of Pollution from Vessels. Consultations will continue at the national CMAC meetings in Ottawa and the National Recreational Boating Advisory Council (NRBAC) Discussion papers are available from the AMTA office or from www.cmac-ccmc.gc.ca Nova
Scotia Boatbuilding Week wraps up Nova Scotia Boatbuilding Week wrapped up its 2003 celebration on September 14th. Officially proclaimed by Premier John Hamm of Nova Scotia, the week of September 8 - 14th was a perfect time to tour the province and find out about boats and boatbuilding, an important and integral part of Nova Scotia's heritage and prosperity. The Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association (NSBA) put together self guided itineraries for three different tours of the province for visitors to take in the sights and sounds of Nova Scotia and to meet and visit with Boatbuilders. The week concluded with an Association open house on September 13th on the Halifax/Dartmouth waterfront with seminars about cruising in Nova Scotia, on having a custom yacht built and on close quarter handling for boats. Examples of Nova Scotia built boats were on display and the NSBA hosted a cash bar and BBQ for guests. VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW HAS The British Columbia Marine Trades Association(BCMTA) has acquired the full rights and ownership of the Vancouver International Boat Show (VIBS), the third largest consumer show in British Columbia and the largest marine show in Western Canada, the association announced In addition, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) has signed a contract to manage the show for the first five years, it was reported. In increasing its share from 50 percent to full ownership, BCMTA acquired the interests of Canadian National Sportsmen's Shows – BCMTA partner and show manager since 1988. A new direction "In
making the decision to acquire full ownership of the show, we were
responding to the wishes of our members who felt it was time to take the
Vancouver International Boat Show in a new direction consistent with the
goals of the association," said Chris Goulder, president of BCMTA.
"While the show has always been very successful for the public and
exhibitors, we felt the time was right to generate excitement within the
show and breathe new life into it." Economic
Impact Study Final
Report of the Economic Impact Analysis of
Recreational Boating in Canada 2001 Is
now available The Executive Summary is included with this newsletter.
The full report is available by contacting the AMTA office
Past president Chris Shaw and Pat Nelder present AMTA check for $11,891.49 to the IWK Telethon for Children. Money is raised by the recreational marine industry at the Halifax Boat Show Group Insurance Benefits for AMTA Members Over the last several months, you should have received correspondence from Luedey Consultants Inc. regarding the Group Insurance Benefits and services available for members of the Atlantic Marine Trades Association (AMTA). A number of AMTA members participated in an original study and we are now pleased to bring all members up to date on the results. In the review that was conducted over the last several months, in practically every situation where data was provided, Luedey Consultants Inc. was able to offer rates that would result in reduced annual benefit costs in the range of 5% to 20%. Furthermore, through the new program that Luedey Consultants Inc. has available for AMTA members, they were also able to: -
Provide rate guarantees up to November 1, 2004. All these advantages and improvements are made available at reduced costs by way of using the buying power of the AMTA. Whether you currently have a plan in force or if there are no benefits in place at the moment, if you would like to have Luedey Consultants Inc. prepare for you a proposal on the benefits and cost available, they would be pleased to meet with you and discuss this matter. There is no obligation to implement any plan after you receive the proposal, but you will get a full comparison analysis of your existing program (if any) to the AMTA plan. For additional information, call one of the consultants at Luedey Consultants Inc.: Bill Luedey Sr. at (902) 482-3640, Parnell Houweling at (902) 482-3641 or Bill Luedey Jr. at (902) 482-3642 Up-coming
Meetings AMTA
Board of Directors will meet October 22nd 2003 at 1PM in Halifax at the
Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron Halifax Boat Show Committee will meet October 22nd 11AM in Halifax at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron The
Atlantic Marine Trades Association (AMTA) is the official voice of the
recreational boating industry in Canada’s Maritime Provinces.
Incorporated under the Canada Corporations Act in 1987, AMTA is a
not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote the sport of
recreational boating and support its members in their endeavours. AMTA
members include manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, dealers and
brokers of yachts, boats, engines and accessories, as well as marina
operators, recreational marine service providers and other
boating-related organizations. AMTA is the owner of the Halifax
International Boat Show and a partner in Discover Boating, a national
initiative to attract more people to the recreational boating lifestyle. For more information about the Atlantic Marine Trades Association or for more information about the contents of this newsletter, please contact Patricia Nelder, Executive Director.
|
The
Halifax International Boat Show is pleased to announce that Derek
On
September 8th, the Atlantic Marine Trades Association (AMTA) hosted a
planning meeting of the Discover Boating Association Partners in
Halifax, Nova Scotia. In attendance were Sandy Currie and Robyn Connolly
from the Canadian Marine Manufacturers Association, Wayne Yamauchi of
the British Columbia Marine Trades Association, Jackie Crawford of the
Ontario Marine Operators Association, Yves Paquette of the AMQ (Quebec),
and Andy Adams of the Canadian Yachting Association. From AMTA were Pat
Nelder, Executive Director, Dana Barrett, President, and Terry Conrad,
AMTA Chair of Discover Boating.
At
12:10 a.m. ADT, Monday September 29, 2003, Hurricane Juan made landfall
in Nova Scotia between Shad Bay and Prospect. Juan arrived as a strong 