Weekly 5: Florida leads nation in boating fatalities

The BI Weekly 5 is a collection of tips, news and data affecting the boating industry this week. Be sure to look for the BI Weekly 5 every Tuesday on BoatingIndustry.com.

1. Florida leads nation in boating fatalities

With 581 crashes and 70 deaths in 2014, Florida tops the list of boating accidents and fatalities, according to U.S. Coast Guard data.

Nationally, deaths and injuries both increased, but the three years from 2012 to 2014 still set a record low for deaths, injuries and accidents.

2. Marquis Yachts settles VanDutch lawsuit

Wisconsin-based Marquis Yachts has settled its contract dispute with VanDutch Marine, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.

Marquis had filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in April, alleging contract violations. Under the settlement, all the issues have been resolved, the companies said in a joint statement.

3. Florida yacht brokers seek change in import laws

The Florida Yacht Brokers Association wants to make it easier for foreign yachts to be sold to Americans.

Under current law, foreign-flagged yachts visiting U.S. waters can’t be sold to U.S. buyers in most cases, unless U.S. import duty is paid first. The brokers want the import tax to be paid at the time of sale, not before — in much the same way that import taxes are paid on yachts sold in Europe.

The association says the change would result in hundreds more yachts available for U.S. buyers.

4. N. Carolina proposes boat tax to pay for dredging

As part of a plan to fund a new state dredging program, North Carolina is considering a tax on vessels more than 24 feet long.

The tax would help pay for the Shallow Draft Navigation Channel Dredging and Lake Maintenance Fund. All boats that are used for recreational or commercial fishing and are at least 24-feet long will be required to pay the tax. The amount of the tax will be based on boat length.

5. Four tips for managing online reviews

You can’t ignore the world of online ratings and reviews or hope it’ll go away. While it can be a potential negative, you can also turn it to your advantage.

MarketingProfs offers four tips on making the most of “rampant rating.”

 

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