January Boat Shows
The 2010 Boat Show season in nearly upon us. Many boating experts agree that the best time to buy a boat is in the off-season. In January alone, there are over 45 boat shows across the country, giving boaters a popular venue to browse many boat manufacturers and styles, find a good deal and a way to enjoy the hobby you love during the cold winter months. Why not visit a boat show near you in 2010?
Related Boating Articles:
Boating Lessons: Do You Have the Required Coast Guard Safety Equipment?
The Coast Guard has certain boating safety requirements for recreational boats up to 65 feet. While the boating safety laws are essentially the same for each size category of boats, some differ. Do you know what safety equipment you are required to have on board at all times for your boat size? Just as important, is the equipment you have in good working condition? If you are boarded by the Coast Guard, you could be fined if either you don't have the equipment, or the equipment is in unsatisfactory condition. Worse, if you find yourself in trouble, you may wish you had complied with Federal boating safety laws that require life jackets, flares and sound producing devices among other things.
To find out which equipment you are required to have aboard, find your boat size, and use this handy reference to comply with the Coast Guard boating safety rules specific to your size boat.
Boating Lessons is an About.com Powerboating weekly feature designed to provide busy boaters with short tips and instruction about boat maintenance, boating safety, navigation, boat handling and more. To receive Boating Lessons and all Powerboating blogs automatically, sign up for the Powerboating RSS feed. For boating news and information delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for the weekly Powerboating e-Newsletter.
Fall Boat Cleaning Tips
Caring for and maintaining your boat is easy when tasks are broken into simple to follow instructions. Learn more about boat maintenance, engines and the essentials to care for your boat.
Here are a few articles to get you started:
2. Maintain or Restore the Exterior
The 2010 Sea Ray 450 Sundancer
New for the 2010 model year, the Sea Ray 450 Sundancer is combination of sleek design and smart technology like its standard Axius® propulsion system with joystick control, a cockpit entertainment center with optional grill and TV, and a designated "media room" in the cabin, the Sea Ray 450 Sundancer raises the bar for express cruisers.
The seamless hardtop features a sunroof and the cockpit boasts two doublewide benches with flip-up bolsters and armrests. The helm is complete with driving and navigation aids to make operation easier than ever including: the SmartCraft® VesselView display, the Axius or Zeus joystick control, and the amazing Skyhook® station-keeping feature.
The cockpit and interior are no less impressive. The cockpit has an L-shaped wet bar with an ice-make and optional grill, refrigerator and flat screen TV. Inside, the cabin features a V-berth stateroom with shower and head, an aft media center that converts to accommodate more sleeping room, and a spacious galley with stainless-steel appliances and loads of storage along the port side; to starboard, a dining area with folding table easily coverts to a sleeper.
Boating Lessons: Know Your Ropes
Okay, so most boaters know that rope is called line when used aboard boats. No matter what it is called, line is an essential boating supply and it pays to know about the different types of line and its uses, and also to properly care for it to maintain its integrity and extend its life.
Because there are many uses aboard your boat for line, there are many different types and sizes of lines to match. Did you know that line is classified by whether it is natural or synthetic, it's construction and size? Each type of line excels at different uses aboard a boat. Follow the links below to learn about the construction and types of different lines, their uses and the right size of line for your boat.
Here are a few tips for caring for the line aboard your boat:
1. Inspect all the lines aboard your boat annually. The salt and sun combine to degrade the line and severely weaken it. Line that is frayed or worn is compromised and will not have the same strength, which could be dangerous if it breaks, or parts, suddenly when you most need it.
2. Look for places on the line that receive added wear and tear. You can buy covers that slip over the line and protect the line from friction and abrasion, thus extending its life. These covers work particularly well on mooring and anchor lines where frequent chafing occurs.
3. If you boat in salt water, be sure to rinse all your lines with fresh water and hang them to dry. The salt can create tears, and if line is put away wet, mildew sets in. You can also wash your lines periodically with mild soap.
4. Replace line that is worn, frayed, or compromised in any way. Line seems like a small detail, however, it does heavy duty work aboard your boat in the form of keeping your boat moored and/or anchored and fending off bumps and scrapes.
For more information about the types, construction and uses of different line aboard your boat, read Boating Supplies and Accessories - Dock, Mooring and Anchor Lines.
Boating Lessons is an About.com Powerboating weekly feature designed to provide busy boaters with short tips and instruction about boat maintenance, boating safety, navigation, boat handling and more. To receive Boating Lessons and all Powerboating blogs automatically, sign up for the Powerboating RSS feed. For boating news and information delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for the weekly Powerboating e-Newsletter.
Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show Begins This Week
Save Working Waterfronts
BoatUS recently announced the "Keep America's Waterfronts Working Act of 2009," introduced in May by Rep. Chellie Pingree, (D-ME) and cosponsored by Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA). The legislation would allow local governments to use federal grant funds to purchase a threatened marina outright or a non-profit group could obtain a grant to buy development rights in order to keep a working boatyard in business, rather than see it sold for residential development.
With developer's eyes on waterfront parcels, water-dependent businesses like marinas, boat yards, commercial fishing operations, boat builders, and charter boat fleets are getting pushed out from the only place they can do business. A bill now in Congress would provide federal funding to coastal and Great Lakes states to help preserve and protect working waterfronts.
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) urges boaters and anglers to contact their members of Congress to co-sponsor and support H.R. 2548, the "Keep America's Waterfronts Working Act of 2009."
For more information on the bill as well as suggestions for writing your member of Congress, go to www.BoatUS.com/workingwaterfronts.
Boating Lessons: Take a Boating Course
Did you know that statistics for boating fatalities and accidents climb in relation to the number of operators who have no formal boating safety education? Even if it is not required by your state's law, it just makes sense to take a boating safety course. My hope is that all states will pass laws requiring boaters to attend a boating safety course before being licensed to operate a boat, but until then, I urge you to be proactive and take a class.
Beginning boaters can find boating safety classes online and through traditional boating organizations that give the basic boating safety information you need. Most meet state requirements to operate a boat legally.
Even if you are an advanced boater, you can find classes that will add to, and compliment, your nautical knowledge and know-how. The Coast Guard Auxiliary offers classes in advanced seamanship such as navigating, boat handling, lines and knots and weather. There are even courses offered to children.
In the spring and summer, we want to be on the water as much as possible, which is why fall and winter is a perfect time to take a boating course. Spend your time wisely this winter, and next spring you will reap the benefits of safety and confidence on the water.
Find a boating course near you:
Boat Storage - Choosing a Boat Cover
Boat storage is a popular topic at this time of year. Three option exist for winter boat storage: outdoors with a boat cover, outdoors with shrink-wrap or in an indoor facility. If you are opting to store your boat for the winter outside in your back yard or some other facility using a boat cover, the writers of Boat Doctor at Boating Magazine have a few tips to offer in the October issue that you will find helpful. Briefly, here are few things to consider:
1. Purchase a boat cover made of breathable material to prevent mildew and promote air circulation.
2. Choose a cover with seam sewn with the best materials and construction.
3. Lighter colors fade less than darker colors.
4. Choose the best for your budget, but try for a semi-custom or custom made cover if possible.
5. Don't forget the support poles to prevent moisture from pooling and the cover from sagging.
More information about winterizing a boat and winter boat storage:
A Great Example That Saved a Life
Too often, the news from the Coast Guard is bleak as they go about their daily duties of search and rescue. However, every now and then, there are shining examples of what boaters do to be safe on the water, such as in the case of the man attempting to break a record when his personal watercraft sank between Naples and Marathon.
Fortunately the man had a VHF radio and a SPOT GPS messenger, both of which alerted the Coast Guard to his distress. He was rescued quickly as a result of making wise financial investments. Captain Pat DeQuattro, Coast Guard commander, Sector Key West said, "We were happy to save Mr. Pagliccia and get him to shore safe. Mr. Pagliccia took some great safety precautions that led to his quick rescue such as having a radio and the SPOT GPS messenger and we recommend other boaters utilize similar safety equipment."
I couldn't agree more! Boaters - you need a VHF radio and an EPIRB or Personal Locator Beacon such as the SPOT Satellite messenger. With them, you give rescuers a greater chance of finding you should an accident happen.
Here are resources to get you started:
The Best EPIRBs or PLBs to Buy
Marine Electronics Review - SPOT Personal Locator Beacon
Marine Electronics Review - ACR Electronics AquaFix 406 I/O Personal Locator Beacon
Marine Electronics Review - ACR Electronics ResQFix 406 GPS Personal Locator Beacon
Marine Electronics Review - ACR Electronics GlobalFix iPRO EPIRB
VHF Marine Radios - Your Life Line in an Emergency
Boating Lessons is an About.com Powerboating weekly feature designed to provide busy boaters with short tips and instruction about boat maintenance, boating safety, navigation, boat handling and more. To receive Boating Lessons and all Powerboating blogs automatically, sign up for the Powerboating RSS feed. For boating news and information delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for the weekly Powerboating e-Newsletter.