This Month's Featured Articles

- Featured Article -Boat Manufacturers Riding in the Trough
- Product Review -Liquid Image Video Swim Mask Explorer 5MP
- Boat Safety - Making Sense of Salvage Laws
- Joke of the Month - Florida's Cold Winter Takes Its Toll

Featured Article - Boat Manufacturers Riding in the Trough

Boat sales started declining in 2007 and since then, boat manufacturers have consolidated by reducing the number of brands they sell, closed factories and have been very aggressive with dealer incentives to work through inventories. Since then, about 20% of all dealerships have closed shop.

The largest boat manufacturer in the world, Brunswick Corp, has dropped eight brands to reduce cost and focus on boats they believe will sell in a difficult market. They have reduced their plants from 28 in 2007 to 14 today.

Diehard boaters are still being attracted to boat shows but they are looking for deals. Banks aren't helping as their credit is very tight on luxury items such as boats. But those who have cash can find bargains.

There is also a glut of used boats out there with anxious sellers that make selling new boats a real challenge for dealers. Those dealers willing to take trade-ins do have an opportunity to make things happen but must be careful and diligent in evaluating the trade.

Last month's Miami Boat Show drew only 91,500 visitors, a 5.5% decline from last year. Until the job market improves, consumers are going to continue to be cautious about spending on non-discretionary items.

Product Review - Liquid Image Video Swim Mask Explorer 5MP

The VGA Video and a 5-megapixel camera built into this snorkeling mask (operates to 15' depth) lets you capture what you see in still or video images—and keeps your hands free! The built-in 16 MB memory (27 high resolution pictures or up to 52 seconds of video) is expandable using a microSD card which allows you to expand memory up to 2GB for 3000 pictures or 72 minutes of video. The tempered glass lenses integrate cross hairs to help you line up shots, and an LED indicates still image or video mode. Images can be downloaded to your PC or Mac computer using the included USB cable. Video editing software included. Requires two AAA batteries (included).

Built-in 5-megapixel camera operates to depths up to 15'; 16 MB internal memory; expand up to 2GB with the microSD card slot

This neat litte mask can be purchased at Dive Cam Central for $119.00

Boat Safety - Making Sense of Salvage Laws

Maritime Salvage Law is based on the principle that ship owners should encourage independent salvors to save an endangered vessel and that one must make the risk of attempting to save a sinking vessel worthwhile. More importantly, law makers wanted to make the reward large enough to discourage would- be salvors from helping themselves to valuable cargo and freight. In addition, law makers recognized the expense required to maintain specially equipped salvage vessels and equipment and to have a crew ready to act on a moment's notice. Remember now that many Maritime Salvage Law precedents, still cited today, occurred during the days when sailing vessels carried all of the freight and cargo. They traveled thousands of miles from home with no method of communication with the home office. They were not only at the mercy of the potentially tumultuous sea but at the mercy of the local legal system as well. Thus most countries treated Maritime (Admiralty) Law cases outside of the civil courts and developed amazingly consistent rulings that created, for all intents and purposes, an international Admiralty system.

Today, there are three requirements for a pure salvage claim:

1) The ship or boat and/or other property must be in peril.

2) The salvor's actions must be voluntary. He must not be under any pre-existing contract or other legal obligation to help. Therefore, your local fire department would not be eligible for a salvage claim nor would the Coast Guard (but the Navy would).

3) The salvors must be successful in saving some or all of the property at risk.. If the vessel sinks while the salvors are attempting to save it and are subsequently unable to raise it, they are not entitled to any compensation, regardless of how much time and effort went into the attempt. One exception to this requirement is where the efforts of the salvors resulted in reduced environmental damage.

A failure to meet any of the above three requirements would negate any salvage claim.

Did the salvors of your two million dollar yacht meet these requirements? Was your vessel in peril? Yes. Was there a preexisting contract? No. Were the salvors successful? Yes. We therefore have a valid salvage claim. You may say, "I didn't authorize them to salvage my boat." By virtue of the fact that you allowed them on board, you authorized them to proceed. In fact, had you not permitted them on board, your insurance company might say that you did not attempt to mitigate the damages and refuse to pay a sizable portion of your claim.

Joke of the Month - Florida's Cold Winter Takes Its Toll