A bit of in-house business first: You’ll soon see a slight change in the way the Marine Fabricators Association presents itself. Our parent group—IFAI—is undergoing a new branding effort that will bring all of its member organizations under a more-unified image. The aim is to simplify and drive decision-making for the company and also signify that the entire organization has the same vision and values and is working toward the same goals.
The most prominent change effecting MFA is that the name of the annual MFA National Convention is being changed to the Marine Fabricators Conference. The annual meeting will continue to offer its informative seminars, social gatherings, shop tours and the popular themed opening reception. You will also see some minor “graphics” changes in the conference logo (the magazine will keep its name and overall look) to more closely align with the overall corporate image; the name change also more accurately reflects that the meeting is built around marine fabrication.
To that point, we’ll plan on seeing you in Clearwater Beach, Fla., next Jan. 14–16.
When it comes to reality TV, I’ve seen more chefs chopped, stars danced, dogs whispered and bars saved than is probably healthy. But then, I’m not always in control of the “clicker.”
But I was amused to stumble across a show on Animal Planet called “Flipping Ships,” sort of a marine version of “Pimp My Ride,” on which old beaters were converted into customized cars featuring improbable add-ons.
Hosted by Edwin McCain, who enjoyed a brief flirtation with music stardom in the ’90s, the show features the usual array of talented backwoods types who turn seemingly useless hulls into fully functional if wildly impractical watercraft. A junked Sea King is turned into a floating ’57 Chevy, a beached pontoon boat becomes a football-themed “party barge,” and an old camper is fitted out for overnights on the water.
It’s all a bit more than wacky, but also a lot of fun. And there’s more than a little fabrication involved. Think of it as a bit of televised beach reading.
