The Yacht Safety Bureau, Inc. (YSB) was a non-profit corporation organized under the membership corporation law of the State of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

that provided safety and testing standards for the

marine industry Maritime transport (or ocean transport) and hydraulic effluvial transport, or more generally waterborne transport, is the transport of people ( passengers) or goods (cargo) via waterways. Freight transport by sea has been widely used throu ...

in the United States. Located in

Westwood, New Jersey Westwood (known as "The Hub of the Pascack Valley") is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 10,908,Underwriters' Laboratories The UL enterprise is a global safety science company headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, composed of three organizations, UL Research Institutes, UL Standards & Engagement and UL Solutions. Established in 1894, the UL enterprise was founded a ...

. The Yacht Safety Bureau created test standards. Another company, the

American Boat and Yacht Council The American Boat and Yacht Council is a non-profit organization which sets standards for the safe construction and maintenance of boats in the United States. It is a standards development member of the American National Standards Institute. Founde ...

set performance standards.

History

The Bureau was established in 1947/48 by Ed S. Terwilliger based on work begun by E. D. Wright, a marine surveyor, as an independent, privately owned organization. The funding came from a group of insurance companies (yacht underwriters) and from National Association of Engine & Boat Manufacturers, Inc. (NAEBM). The board of directors was evenly divided between

marine insurance Marine insurance covers the physical loss or damage of ships, cargo, terminals, and any transport by which the property is transferred, acquired, or held between the points of origin and the final destination. Cargo insurance is the sub-branch o ...

companies and boat manufacturers. Early work included inspecting boat yards and writing reports on boat storage yards. Investigations into marine accidents lead to standards for testing of individual items of marine equipment. Reports developed as a result of these investigations became guides to underwriters and their surveyors and to boat builders. With United States Coast Guard cooperation, the American Boat and Yacht Council was formed to develop recommended practices and standards for boats and their equipment with reference to safety. In 1959, the Yacht Safety Bureau was reorganized as a non-profit public service membership corporation in the State of New York with no change of its name. It provided a testing laboratory and labeling service for boats and their equipment. In 1969, it became the Marine Department of

Underwriters' Laboratories The UL enterprise is a global safety science company headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, composed of three organizations, UL Research Institutes, UL Standards & Engagement and UL Solutions. Established in 1894, the UL enterprise was founded a ...

Sources

*''Product Safety: The Story of the Yacht Safety Bureau'', by E.S. Terwilliger as told to Art Stout, July 1962 Issue of ''The Boating Industry''.

References

{{reflist

External links

* UL Marine Department, now simpl
Personal Flotation Devices

American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC)

National Association of marine Surveyors (NAMSGlobal)

Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (SAMS)

International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS)

National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)
(which is what became of the National Association of Engine & Boat Manufacturers, Inc. (NAEBM)). Maritime safety organizations Organizations based in New Jersey