Blog
Hurricane Season
on August 17, 2024
Well, it seems like hurricane season is now in full swing! Being prepared in hurricane season is very, very important. NOAA’s National Hurricane Center has put together a comprehensive preparedness checklist with important link & information here: https://www.noaa.gov/hurricane-prep One thing we’d like to remind you is to keep an eye on the storm surge. Extremely high waters can cause more damage than wind alone. In order to protect the lines on your boat, one site […]
Acrylic Windows
on August 10, 2024
Ever wonder why acrylic windows are used in favor of glass? The Acrylic Advantage Rigid, clear plastic gets is used instead of glass for boat windows because it delivers similar strength at half the weight, it’s much easier to fabricate, and it doesn’t shatter into a million shards. Plastic windshields and port lights are nearly always acrylic (PMMA), known by the brand names Plexiglas or Lucite. Plastic hatches are often made from poly-carbonate (such as […]
Hurricane
on August 3, 2024
Hurricane preparedness is something we all need to be aware of. If you boat anywhere down the East Coast or the along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, it’s not a matter of if you get a hurricane, it’s a matter of when. You’ll have to be ready to deal with some direct or indirect affects associated with a hurricane. Now that the hard reality is out there, there are some things to keep […]
DISTANCE
on July 26, 2024
Distance can be determined with some simple tools. Got a tape measure and a piece of string? You can use them to find out how far away you are from, say, a lighthouse. Measuring distance off by vertical sextant angle is an old navigation technique. It was used for keeping a safe distance from an object of known height, such as a lighthouse, the height of which is shown on a chart. Now, with modern […]
Lightning
on July 20, 2024
Lightning-powerful, dangerous, highly unpredictable. A direct lightning strike that results only in ringing ears and a few toasted electronics is considered lucky. While the odds of a boat being struck by lightning are only about one out of 1,000 boats, the consequences of a lightning strike call for some strategies to avoid disaster: Timing A strategy of boating only on sunny, cloudless days may work well in places like California, but that would mean almost […]
RIGHT OF WAY
on July 13, 2024
Boating Right of Way Basics There are a few boating right of way basics to follow, to make sure you boat safely with others everywhere.
Choppy Water
on July 6, 2024
Many boats handle choppy water different, so know your boat type. Power boats are designed with rough water in mind. Hull designs such as the deep V and even double hulls have made choppy waters less of a problem, but the burden is on the captain, that’s you, to get it right. Well designed boats are half the equation; the other half is you. Choppy Water Basics: 1. Batten down. No matter how skillfully you […]
Beaching A Boat
on June 29, 2024
Many new boat owners want to beach their boat, and go swimming. I strongly advise to resist this urge. While driving the boat into shore with the outboard or stern drive trimmed up is the simplest approach, leaving your boat bow to shore presents some possibly serious drawbacks. It’s easy to get stuck. A falling tide, wind, or waves pushing onshore — or even a large wake from a passing boat — can easily leave […]
Warranty
on June 22, 2024
Many think that a warranty covers everything. But most warranties have limitations. Is my extended-service contract an extension of my manufacturer warranty? Sorry, Service contracts are insurance policies, often underwritten by third parties not associated with manufacturers. These contracts are moneymakers for dealers; some retailers can mark up contracts more than 100 percent over the actual cost paid to the service-contract company. A true warranty offers broad coverage and has the weight of state and […]
Fuel Leaks
on June 16, 2024
Fuel Leaks can be avoided Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you probably know that during last several years, ethanol has been added to gasoline. But did you know that ethanol can degrade older fuel lines much faster then anticipated. Even newer hoses don’t have quite the same lifespan. Degraded fuel lines get brittle and will eventually leak — and a leaking fuel line is a disaster waiting to happen. If your hoses are […]