BOAT TESTING: IT'S ALL IN THE RIDE

The United States Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety's Recreational Boating Product Assurance Division works with various standards organizations in testing boats to validate proposed voluntary standards. This paper describes one such test. The purpose of the test was to validate the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) powering standards for tiller-steered boats and to compare the results to the United States standard for safe powering. The test was a joint effort between the Coast Guard, volunteers from the boating industry, and other organizations. The ISO standard uses a barrier avoidance test to evaluate how much power the boat can safely carry and still avoid running into or through a barrier. An imaginary barrier was set up by placing buoys in a line and placing a third (turn) buoy at some distance perpendicular to that line. The distance between the line and the turn buoy was determined by the speed of the boat to be tested. The test boat was fitted with the manufacturer's recommended horsepower outboard engine. It was then accelerated in a straight line towards the barrier. As it passed the turn buoy, the boat was turned as quickly as possible. If the boat could safely turn without crossing the line, it passed. If not, it was tested again at a slower speed or reduced horsepower. Most of the boats tested did not pass with the horsepower recommended by the manufacturer.

  • Corporate Authors:

    United States Coast Guard

    National Maritime Center, 4200 Wilson Boulevard
    Arlington, VA  United States  22203-1804
  • Authors:
    • Eikenberry, P
  • Conference:
  • Publication Date: 2003-7

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Features: Photos;
  • Pagination: p. 66-67
  • Serial:
    • Volume: 60
    • Issue Number: 3

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00967963
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jan 11 2004 12:00AM