About Us - BoatLabels.com - boating safety labels, ABYC labels

Why BoatLabels.com?  When did it start? 

We created BoatLabels.com in March 2011 to provide boat owners, boatbuilders, and boat yards with a convenient source for the boating safety labels recommended by ABYC (American Boat and Yacht Council).  As a marine surveyor, it always seemed strange that was no source from which to obtain the labels in small quantities, and because of this, surveyors were hesitant to recommend them.  I'll be the first to say that not all labels seem to be necessary on all boats, but some are very relevant to addressing possible dangers onboard.  Furthermore, if any label is referenced in the standards, it should be available to boat owners.

We are distributors of warning labels produced by LEM Products, and Bernard Engraving.  So far, we've supplied labels to boat yards, boat builders, and boat owners in 48 US states & Puerto Rico, 6 Canadian provinces, and in England, France, Australia, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Croatia, Malta, Brazil, Ireland, The United Arab Emirates, Guatemala, Finland, and New Zealand!

Is it a conflict of interest for a surveyor to sell the labels?

I am no longer actively surveying. When I was surveying, I was aware that it would have been a clear conflict of interest if I included a finding in a survey report suggesting that a boat owner buy labels from BoatLabels.com.  If I felt that a label should have been on a boat that I surveyed, I provided the label free of charge.  To do otherwise would have been a clear violation of surveying ethics, rules of practice, and all common sense.

What are the shipping charges?

We charge a flat fee for processing and shipping orders.  There is a $4.75 fee for orders that are shipped via USPS first class mail, and a $10.75 fee for orders shipped via USPS Priority mail, or international shipments. 

First class shipping is free for any orders over $100, and Priority Mail shipping is free for any orders over $500.

Why aren't the labels less expensive?

First, the machinery needed to produce professional-grade labels is not cheap, and requires setup time that makes it impractical to produce the labels in small quantities.  Thus we must purchase the labels in large quantities and hold them in inventory. Even "large quantities" for the marine industry are not very large, so the pricing is a challenge. 

Then, creating and maintaining the web site, paying the site hosting and credit card fees, and paying state & federal taxes all add to the cost.  Even so, we try to keep the prices reasonable.

What are the labels made of?

The labels are made of a UV resistant layer of polyester over cast vinyl, with an acrylic adhesive. They are designed to hold up well in the elements - far better than something printed on a home label maker.

What's the best way to install the labels?

Make sure the surface is clean where the label will be installed.  The best approach is to clean the surface with isopropyl alchohol. Then pull back half of the protective backing on the label, position the label, and press that section of the label down onto the surface.  Finally, remove the rest of the backing, and press the rest of the label down into place.  A squeegie is the best tool for applying pressure.  

What's "Grimes Yacht Services, LLC?"

Grimes Yacht Services, LLC shows up on the PayPal payment page because that is the name of the parent company of BoatLabels.com.

Where is BoatLabels.com based?  How long will shipping take?

The company is based in Portsmouth, RI.  We aim to ship all orders via first class US mail within 24 hours of your order.  Thus, they will take from one to five days to reach you, depending on where you are.