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Aluminum hulls are light, tough and up to the job of running rivers, but have the 

 disadvantage of readily transmitting soimd. As a result, earlier boats were noisy 

 for passengers and other people on the rivers they ran. Because of this we 

 worked with the Forest Service's Technology and Development Center at San 

 Dimas, California to initiate a program that would lead to quieter boats. They 

 did some initial testing in the spring of 1991 and held an acoustics workshop for 

 northwest boat builders in November. As a direct result of that meeting we 

 organized the Welded Aluminum Boat Manufacturer's Association (WABMA). 

 WABMA's first project was an acoustical testing program to help us identify ways 

 to quiet our boats. Studies were conducted as a cooperative project in 1993, with 

 WABMA, the Forest Service, State of Idaho, State of Oregon and Nez Perce 

 County participating. Tests of various makes and models of boats were conducted 

 by an acoustical engineering consulting firm and designed to provide us with 

 information that would identify sources of noise and ways to reduce it. 



Following the testing, WABMA held another seminar to disseminate the test 

 results and discuss ways to apply it in our industry. A November 14, 1993 

 Lewiston Morning Tribune article quoted Forest Service acoustic expert Rob 

 Harrison as saying that testing showed a drop of 6 decibels in just the last year. 

 "The boats are phenomenally quieter than just over a year ago. That's like 

 having a quarter as many boats on the river." The data collected from the testing 

 program has proven invaluable to builders, those who use our products and those 

 who share the rivers with them. 



Both the states of Idaho and Oregon have set limits on the amount of noise boats 

 are allowed to make. Our new boats easily meet those standards. This is due to 

 better mufflers, acoustical insulation in engine compartments, isolation of engines 

 and pumps from the hull and other measures identified by the tests. WABMA is 

 now initiating industry guidelines and a certification program for new boats that 

 will exceed the standards of every state in our Nation. 



Technological advances aren't confined to noise reduction. Continued refinement 

 of jet pumps have made them as or more energy efficient than propellers. The 

 obvious advantages of jet propulsion could lead to them replacing props in a large 

 segment of the recreation boating market. Modem jet boats are efficient, quiet, 

 maneuverable, safe and environmentally friendly. 



Safety 



According to Forest Service use figures, from 1990 through 1994 commercial jet 

 boats carried 94,934 passengers into Hells Canyon. A large percentage of these 

 people are seniors and many are physically chailenged. Yet, throughout the 

 entire history of commercial jet boating in Hells Canyon there has never been a 



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