More of this Feature • Part 1: Eyes on Emissions, On Shelves, and more • Part 2: Aegean, Italian Supermerger, and more
Related Resources • News/FYI Index
Elsewhere on the Web • Marinebankers.org

Eyes on Emissions
By 2006 your diesel-powered boat may have to pass an emissions test. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Christine Todd Whitman has approved a proposed rule that, when finalized, will regulate emissions from recreational marine diesel engines.

While the measure will initially target only certain types of engines still to be determined, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) says the rule will match the same limits for hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide that the commercial diesel engine industry currently adheres to.

The NMMA has, however, expressed concerns that engine makers will have to compromise performance and add weight to current diesel engine models. But the EPA has suggested that engine builders tap the latest technology to lower emissions, including turbochargers, seawater cooling systems, and electronic fuel injection.

Most builders already use these technologies in their engines, but their primary motivation has been to boost power, not to cut down emissions. The NMMA's main argument against compromising engine power is that it will put U.S. builders at a disadvantage in overseas markets.

The EPA is also currently reviewing a separate proposal to regulate emissions from gasoline stern-drive engines.

ONLINE: www.marinebankers.org
Your financial portfolio may not be the strongest it's been, but there are other ways to pay for your next cruiser than with cash. The National Marine Bankers Association (NMBA) has launched a Web site devoted to helping you learn about boat financing. Loaded with industry news and information, the site provides a range of features, including an interest calculator, to help you decide if a loan is smart for you. With 142 member banks, the NMBA can be a terrific financial resource in these less-than-friendly economic times.

ON SHELVES : The Captain's Wife
No, not Ahab's wife. This spouse was real. Her name was Mary Ann Patten, and in 1856 she became an international icon of the early women's rights movement. Douglas Kelley's book of her courageous journey is a terrific, historically accurate tale. When her husband falls ill with meningitis, Patten takes command of the clipper ship Neptune's Car as it sails around Cape Horn to San Francisco. She must not only grapple with navigating over treacherous waters, but also stave off the schemes of a mutinous first mate. In her day, the New York Daily Tribune placed her "among the noble band of women who, by their heroic bearing, under great trial and suffering, have won for themselves imperishable fame." The Captain's Wife is a powerful portrait of how that fame was won.
$23.95, hardcover. E.P. Dutton. 

December 2001
Nov. 30-Dec. 10. The International Paris Boat Show. (33) 4190-4710. 

2-4. The Ontario Marine Operators Association Conference and Trade Show in Alliston, Ontario, Canada. (705) 549-1667.

5-7. The International Workboat Show and Conference in New Orleans. (207) 842-5508.

6-8. The National Association of Charterboat Operators Annual Conference in Biloxi, Mississippi. (703) 519-1716.

TBA. The Istanbul International Boat Show in Istanbul, Turkey. (90) 216-359-1068.

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