Marine Accessories

Trim Tabs

Boats achieve their best possible running attitude at or near full speed and lightly loaded. As the boat slows from maximum speed it will begin to settle at the stern or “squat”. And as every boater has experienced, weight can vary to extremes by adding passengers, fuel, and gear. Uneven weight distribution makes the boat harder to handle, difficult to get up on plane, and usually results in some listing to port or starboard.

Large and small boats benefit from trim tabs for the same reasons—they get the boat out of the hole and on plane quickly, they correct for uneven weight distribution, improve speed, safety, and overall boat performance. A common complaint is “I only have two speeds—trolling and full throttle.” With trim tabs a boat
can perform at intermediate speeds while staying on plane this is where Bennett Trim Tabs will help.

The Benefits of Adding Trim Tabs
• Performance—Trim tabs increase speed, reduce pounding, correct listing, eliminate porpoising and offset prop torque.
• Efficiency—Reduce fuel consumption, reduce engine laboring, and eliminate squatting.
• Safety—Improve visibility, reduce wake size, improve handling, and reduce hull stress.

How They Work and What They Do
Trim tabs usually consist of two adjustable stainless steel planes mounted at the transom of the boat. Controlled by a hydraulic power unit, the tabs can move up and down when activated by the boater.

Think ailerons and elevators on an airplane. Trim tabs do much the same thing for a boat. They provide lift in order to compensate for changes in speed, weight distribution, and water conditions. When they are deflected downward, the water force on the trim tab creates upward pressure, raising the stern and reducing hull resistance. The surface area of the tab, the angle of deflection, and the speed of the boat all contribute to greater lift.

Getting on Plane
In order to get on plane faster, boaters often have to ask passengers to move forward. With the additional lift from the trim tabs, the boat will spend less time operating in the inefficient transition period before planing. The engine labors less, the boat gets better fuel economy, and passengers can sit where they please.

Independent Control
Because trim tabs are mounted on both sides of the vessel’s stern and can be operated independently, the
vessel’s side to side trim may be controlled by deflecting one side more than the other. This independent control of the tabs is essential in correcting for port or starboard lists.

Trim Tabs and Trailered Boats
Smaller boats will feel the benefits of trim tabs to an even greater extent than larger boats. Bass boats with high-pitch props can use the additional lift for an improved hole-shot. When pulling heavier skiers or multiple skiers, trim tabs provide the lift without the need for additional horsepower.

Things to Consider When Buying Trim Tabs
Installing undersized trim tabs is one of the more common mistakes. A tab that is too small will have to be deflected more in order to create sufficient lift. Just remember, the larger the trim tab, the more lift it will produce with the least amount of drag. As a rule of thumb, the largest trim tab that will comfortably fit on the transom will be the most efficient.
Choose about one inch of trim tab span for every foot of boat length. For example if your boat is 19-24’ in length, you’ll want a trim tab with an 18-24” span Bennett Trim Tabs has a great selection of trim tabs

Prepare for the most advanced action towables in history with the new CHARIOT WARBIRD series from SPORTSSTUFF. Their wide wingspans allow you to challenge even the toughest wake, while remaining some of the most stable rides on the water as their high backrests and multiple handles keep you in place. With a simple switch of the innovative dual tow points the CHARIOT WARBIRDS can be towed in the opposite direction, transforming them into a completely different ride. With the addition of the lounge canopy (sold separately) the CHARIOT WARBIRD changes into a shaded, floating lounge. No matter if you are in the mood for action or relaxation, the CHARIOT WARBIRDS have it all for having fun with inflatable water sports.

If you’re shopping for trim tabs, chances are you’re wondering about the differences between the two major types on the market - hydraulic and electric. 

Bennett Marine manufactures Bennett Trim Tabs the leading hydraulic system and Lenco Marine currently makes the most recognized electromechanical system. What most people don’t know is that electric trim tabs are not new but have been around for many years. In fact, Bennett Marine originally manufactured an electromechanical system. But in the best interest of the boater, Bennett changed to hydraulic due to its many advantages.

Separating Fact from Fiction
We encourage you to ask your fellow boaters and check out the boating forums online. (Such as some of these recommended forums to the left.) To help you get started in your research, here is a side-by-side comparison on the key differences between both systems:

Hydraulic:
The motor for the whole trim tab system, the Hydraulic Power Unit, is installed inside the boat in a dry environment.

Hydraulic actuators do not rely on a seal where the shaft enters the cylinder body. Instead the seal is made on the piston face inside the cylinder where no marine growth can occur. Even if a barnacle grows on the shaft, it will not cause a leak.

If a seal on a hydraulic actuator should break, its replacement cost is about $1.00 compared to the cost of replacing an entire electric actuator.

Electric:
By placing the electric motor underwater inside the actuators, the electromechanical system is prone to failure. Electromechanical actuators rely on shaft O-rings to maintain the watertight integrity of the system.

Sand, grit or marine growth on the actuator will cut the O-ring seal letting water into the system. When the shaft of the electromechanical actuator is extended out of the cylinder body, it creates a vacuum inside the actuator. When a vacuum is pulled underwater the result is inevitably water being sucked in to fill the void. Once water enters the actuator, the boat will need to be taken out of the water and the actuator replaced.

Batteries aren’t necessarily a commodity that consumers want to spend their money on-they just want their gadgets, vehicles, and boats to start without having to worry about how. That’s why when it comes to buying marine battery chargers, or any batteries for that matter, most consumers prefer to chose the least expensive option possible and save the extra cash for something a little more exciting. But does buying the cheaper battery actually cost more money? The claim in the industry is that though AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) and Gel batteries cost more than their wet-cell counterparts, they actually save money in the long run. Consumers are justified in wondering why they should spend more on expensive AGM and Gel marine batteries. In a world of creative marketing, we’ve all learned that a higher price doesn’t necessarily mean a better value. In order to find out, I checked with battery experts, not manufactures, to find out if AGM and Gel marine batteries were really worth the higher initial price.

It turns out that people who spend an awful lot of thinking about batteries all came to same conclusion; that overall, the AGM and Gel marine batteries are more cost effective over time than wet cell acid marine batteries. Many noted that the dollar value of that cost savings depends on quite a few factors, including how often boaters use their boats, percentage of time cruising, etc, but for regular boat users, the lifetime cost of AGM and Gel marine batteries is considerably less than that of a wet cell battery.

The other significant benefit of both AGM and Gel marine batteries is that they are maintenance free, which means no checking fluid levels, no adding water, no worrying about the fact that if you don’t do these things, you could force your battery into early retirement. Also because AGM and Gel marine batteries are sealed, there’s no corrosion and are spill-proof. They have a slower discharge rate than wet cell marine batteries, more discharge current, and lower deep discharge failure.

In the case of marine batteries, it seems that spending more now really does pay off in the end. Wet cell marine batteries generally sell in the $55 range, Gel marine batteries start at around $85, and AGM’s start in the hundreds and go up from there. But what about all the other accessories for my boat that I’d rather spend money on now?

I suppose I understand where the battery experts are coming from. Though I avoided rechargeable batteries for my home electronics for years because of the price, once I made the switch, I felt pretty smart about not having to run out the store to buy batteries or be unexpectedly stuck with electronics that didn’t work. Now when I see people using alkaline batteries, I’m constantly tossing in my 2 cents about the value of spending more for longer lasting batteries.

In the end, whether or not AGM or Gel marine batteries is a justifiable choice really depends on the boat owner. Yes, you’ll get your money back over the batteries lifetime. But if you’ve been stuck on a boat with no power, spent time cleaning corrosion off terminals, or destroyed a battery by forgetting to maintenance it, the choosing AGM or Gel marine batteries is probably a no-brainer.

Article Source: http://www.articlemanual.com

Recently, a leading tech publication has selected five of the best GPS navigators in the market, and 4 out of the 5 devices were Garmin devices. Laymen and experts all agree that Garmin currently produces the best GPS navigators in the market. So if you are in the market shopping for one, you can’t go wrong with this brand.

Even when you have selected the brand, making a final choice can still be quite a daunting task ask Garmin produces a wide range of navigators. For me, I am always for the lookout for a product that gives me the best value for my money. I look for a product that gives me what I need without all the unnecessary bell’s and whistles. After some research, I finally settled for the Garmin Nuvi 255W portable marine GPS. Here is a quick look at what I got.

First of all, the price was right. At the time of writing, it costs around $180 a piece, which is as much as I would spend for a navigation gadget. Despite its price, it does come with a wide array of features. The 255W is so much more than a GPS device. With just a click of a button, you can find the nearest gas station, restaurant, or mall and find the shortest route to get there. Finding the best route tow reach your destination all the time will help you save time, energy and money.

You would think that a GPS device of this price would get you a small 3.5″ screen. The Garmin Nuvi 255W has a huge 4.3-inch touch screen that displays very clear images even in bright sunlight. The large screen makes it much easier to view, especially while you are driving. It also has 6 million point of interests and comes with maps of the USA (including Alaska, and Hawaii), Canada and several more. The Garmin Nuvi 255W also incorporates many functions that were once only found in more expensive navigators. It comes with text-to-speech functions, bicycle modes, image viewer, currency converter, calculator mode and much more.

See Fish in Bright Color

Fish returns and bottom information are clearly shown on the unit’s bright, sunlight-readable color display, making it easier for you to scope out your fishing grounds with garmin fishfinder.

Pinpoint Your Next Catch

Fishfinder 160C’s included dual-beam transducer provides excellent shallow-water performance, and the wide viewing angle lets you see fish even off the sides of the boat. The 160C also offers Ultrascroll™, which refreshes the screen with lightning speed so you always see the most up-to-date information. You can manually adjust the gain or set to Auto Gain, which adjusts the level of detail you see automatically.

Other features:

• Automatic display re-scaling on range change (no more vertical lines with range changes)
• Power output: 150 watts (RMS), 1200 watts (peak to peak)
• See-Thru® technology shows weak and strong returns simultaneously
• Unit remembers user settings when it is turned off
• Whiteline shows you how thick the bottom is
• 2X and 4X automatic and manual zoom
• Alarms available for fish size, shallow water, deep water and low battery
• Battery voltage indicator
• NMEA output

Built-in 2-way radio
2-way radio has a 1.8 mile range
Radio is waterproof to one meter
Radio floats if dropped The Colemanl Transmit Series is a life vest that all people in a boat should have.

Vest is segmented foam to bend and flex with you

Glideskin panels for superior wind resistance

Neoprene shell with mesh drainage 

100% beveled PVC foam

USCG approved

Choosing the right boat for the right purpose is the first step in operating a watercraft safely. Just as you would not expect a small runabout to be able to cross the Atlantic, a large motor yacht would not be suitable to pull water skiers. Boats come in many sizes and configurations and each is designed with a particular use in mind. All boats that are propelled by propulsion machinery are considered motor boats.

A personal watercraft, such as a jet ski, is considered a motor boat and is subject to the same rules and regulations as any boat of its size and horsepower. In many states, additional regulations are in effect regarding personal watercraft.

The safety equipment you are required to carry is determined by the length of your boat and the type of engine it has which allows you to pull a skier or several skiers or wakeboarders.

Finally, you can put a show room shine on any your boat without paying the cost of show room polishes. Advantage™, made exclusively for the Mary Moppins Company, washes and protects your boat or any other vehicle in one quick step.  Advantage is waterless and very easy to use and also good for the enviorment.

 I grew up out in the country and I have to admit I have a love for all things outdoors. One of my favorite pastimes during the summer is boating. There were so many lakes around the area where I grew up that it seemed like every weekend my family was camping or boating at the lake.Many times we would cruise around the lake all day long, not getting back to the dock until after dark.

We always had a dependable set of boat lights to help us guide our boat safely to shore, but I often heard stories about people who didn’t have lights and ended up colliding with another boat. Never underestimate the importance of boating safety.