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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 7, 2006 Coast Guard says it erred in issuing powerboat recall By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune The U.S. Coast Guard admitted Monday it erred in issuing a public recall of an Alumaweld powerboat model last week, saying safety officials jumped the gun in their investigation. The Coast Guard announced in a Wednesday news release that an 18.3-foot Super Vee LT boat built at Alumaweld’s factory in Eagle Point and bought from a dealer had sunk during a neutral- buoyancy test conducted by its Boating Products Assurance Division. Instead of opening a case and contacting Alumaweld to continue their investigation, division officials issued a public recall notice and safety warning — even before Alumaweld was notified of the test results. In its Boating Safety Alert, the Coast Guard said it ordered the boats recalled and urged owners to use "extreme caution" when operating the boats until the flotation "defects" were corrected. The agency rescinded the original alert Monday. Advertisement "It’s something that got out of control because our procedures weren’t followed," said Phil Cappel, chief of the products assurances division, which is responsible for safety tests on recreational boats. "We need to investigate this further," Cappel said. "We may eat crow on this or he may still have to do the recall." Alumaweld President Doug Rein insisted Monday that the boat tested by the Coast Guard left his factory with the proper flotation to meet federal standards that all recreational powerboats under 20 feet long must remain partially afloat when swamped or capsized. Rein said the flotation was removed at an out-of-state boat dealership and not replaced before the boat was sold to the Coast Guard. Rein did not identify the dealership, but said he believed selling the boat without the proper flotation was unintentional. Some media outlets reported the erroneous recall last week, and Rein said the false publicity has hurt the company during the heart of the winter boat-show season. "This has had a huge impact on us," Rein said. Rein declined to say Monday whether he planned any court action against the Coast Guard. "I’m just trying to get this thing resolved at this point," Rein said. "I hope the Coast Guard’s retraction will help get things turned around." The Alumaweld saga sheds light on this little-known Coast Guard program responsible for assuring that recreational boating manufacturers follow safety regulations in the new boats they produce. The division randomly selects new boats to run through the testing, and buys them off the shelf as a consumer would, said Dan Shipman, boating-safety program manager for the Coast Guard’s 13th District based in Seattle. After the failed buoyancy test on the Super Vee LT, the Coast Guard opened a formal case on the boat Dec. 17, Coast Guard records show. But someone within the division mistakenly listed the boat as a recall, though no actual recall "campaign" existed, Cappel said. Shipman said he saw the recall notice in intra-Coast Guard correspondence, and passed it on to some media outlets Wednesday in a press release. Alumaweld had eight Coast Guard recalls on boats between 1980 and 1992 but none since then, Coast Guard records show. Most past recalls involved failed labeling requirements and all were settled prior to Rein joining Alumaweld in 1993. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail Coast Guard says it erred in issuing powerboat recall ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations Casinos Canada dvd-r Generic Viagra Myspace Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Sudoku Online Advertisement s Advertisement