Main Phone: 519 978-0666
We at CAMS have been involved in the marine industry for the past 40 plus years in various capacities. Our goal is to educate the public boating communities in pleasure craft safety and condition. It is generally known that the average life of a fiberglass boat is approximately 25 years. The life cycle of a fiberglass boat varies according to many factors some of which include construction design and the maintenance habits of the owner(s). All vessels are at some stage of their life cycle. A new vessel is only new once and degradation starts from that moment on. The same principle of life cycle can be applied to safety equipment. Some of the equipment life cycles, such as marine distress flares and shells (four years from the date of manufacture) are regulated by controlling bodies such as local and federal governments. Other safety equipment, such as life jackets, anchoring arrangement and heaving lines etc., need to be inspected periodically. There are professional people who are trained and experienced in inspecting vessel equipment. These people are called Marine Surveyors. In Canada pleasure craft marine surveyors are “unregulated” which means that anyone can deem themselves a Marine Surveyor. This happens, however, Insurance companies are becoming more particular in the marine surveyors that they accept. From experience, we have noticed that many untrained, uneducated marine surveyors usually do not survive in business more than a few years. More recently, some insurance companies are requiring fiberglass moisture levels be included in insurance survey reports. This important because as a fiberglass boat ages, moisture increase in the structure eventually leads directly to degradation of the structure.
to be continued…