Marine Accessories

Boating activities are as varied as the boats and boaters who participate, and new ways of enjoying the water are constantly being discovered. Broad categories include the following:

• Paddlesports include ears(lakes), swiftwater (rivers), and ocean going types, usually covered-cockpit kayaks.
  • Canoes are popular on lakes and rivers due to their carrying capacity and efficiency on the water. They are also easy to portage, or carry overland around obstructions like rapids, or just down to the water from a car or cabin.
  • Kayaks can be found on calm inland waters, whitewater rivers, and along the coasts in the oceans. Known for their maneuverability and seaworthiness, kayaks take many shapes depending on their desired use. Rowing craft are also popular for fishing, as a tender to a larger vessel, or as a competitive sport.
  • Rowing shells are extremely long and narrow, and are intended to convert as much of the rower’s muscle power as possible into speed. The ratio of length of waterline to beam has much importance in marine mechanics and design.
  • Row boats or dinghies are oar powered, and generally restricted to protected waters. Rowboats are generally heavy craft compared to other has
• Sailing can be either competitive, as in collegiate dinghy racing, or purely recreational as when sailing on a lake with family or friends.
  • Small sailboats are commonly made from fiberglass, and will have wood or aluminum spars, and generally a sloop rig (two sails: a mainsail and a jib). Racing dinghies tend to be lighter, have more sail area, and may use a trapeze to allow one or both crewmembers to suspend themselves over the water for additional stability.
  • Daysailers tend to be wider across the beam and have greater accommodation space at the expense of speed.
  • Cruising sailboats have more width, but performance climbs as they tend to be much longer starting Length Over All of at least 25 feet (six metres) re-balancing the dynamic ratio between length of waterline (aiding speed) and beam width (adding cargo and people space).
• Freshwater Fishing Boats account for approximately 1/3 of all registered boats in the U.S., and most all other types of boats end up being used for fishing on occasion. The boating industry has evolved and developed Freshwater Fishing Boat designs that are species-specific to allow anglers the greatest advantage when fishing for walleye, salmon, trout, bass, etcetera, as well as generic fishing craft.

• Watersport Boats or skiboats are high-powered Go-Fast boats (specialized towboats in fact) is designed for activities where a participant is towed behind the boat such as waterskiing and parasailing.
  • Variations on the ubiqutous waterski include wakeboards, water-skiing, kneeboarding, inflatable towables, and wake surfing. To some degree, the nature of these boating activities has an impact on boat design. Waterski boats are intended to hold a precise course at an accurate speed with a flat wake for slalom skiing runs. Wakeboard boats run at slower speeds, and have various methods including ballast and negative lift foils to force the stern in the water, thereby creating a large and “jumpable” wake.
  • Saltwater fishing boats vary widely in length and are once again specialized for various species of fish. Flats boats, for example, are used in protected, shallow waters, and have shallow draft. Sportfishing boats range from 25′ to 80′ or more, and can be powered by large outboard engines or inboard diesels. Fishing boats in colder climates may have more space dedicated to cuddy cabins and wheelhouses, while boats in warmer climates are likely to be entirely open.
  • Cruising boats applies to both power and sailboats, and refers to trips from local weekend passages to lengthy voyages, and is a lifestyle. While faster “express cruisers” can be used for multiple day trips, long voyages generally require a slower displacement boat (trawler) with diesel power and greater stability and efficiency. Cruising sailboats range from 20′ to 70′ and more, and have easily managed sailplans to allow relatively small crews to sail them long distances. Some cruising sailboats will have two masts (ketch, yawl, or schooner rigs) to further reduce the size of individual sails and make it possible for a couple to handle larger boats. Diesel- (now sometimes electric-) powered Narrowboats are a very popular mode of travel (and accommodation) on the inland waterways of England.
• Racing and Regatta‘s are common group activities in the sub-culture of boaters owning larger (twenty-five foot plus) small boats and larger Yachts, and are frequently organized around a Yacht club or Marina organization
  • Sailboat racing can be done on conventional family sailboats racing under one of the simpler handicap formulas [1] (PHRF, or Performance Handicap Rating Formula is one such rule), or can be done on specialized boats with virtually no accommodation or compromises for comfort. Racing is generally either one design, where the boats are close to identical, or handicapped where the boats’ finishing times are adjusted based on their predicted speed potential. Racing is further broken down into ocean racing, where boats start at one port and race in the ocean and back to the same port or a new destination, or buoy racing where boats race around prescribed courses and return to port at night. Several famous races cross oceans, like the biennial Transpac Race[2] from Los Angeles to Honolulu, or the Newport-Bermuda Race [3]from Newport, Rhode Island to Bermuda. Other races actually circumnavigate the globe, like the Volvo Ocean Race or Vendee Globe race.

If you love to spend your vacation in the water and you are the adventurous type, then wakeboarding is just the sport for you. This board sport is relatively new but has gained popularity during the last few years.

In wakeboarding, a boat with a rope tows the rider. The rider rides on a buoyant board, called a wakeboard, and uses the wake to launch himself up into the air and then back into the water. Though this may sound simple, there are quite a few tricks and spins to learn before you can master the sport.

The essentials for wakeboarding are wakeboards and wakeropes. Wakeboard length varies between 120 and 150 centimeters and the wakeboard width is between 40 and 45 centimeters. Beginners should begin with longer wakeboards with square edges or square rails. Square-edged boards are more stable and easier to control, though round-edged boards are easier to land. Round edges also allow boards to easily gain speed, providing quicker lifts during air tricks. Krown, Hyperlite, Liquid Force and CWB are specialized wakeboard manufacturers and their wakeboards cost between $350 to $600.

Experienced wakeboard riders also take into consideration the rockers, fins, bindings and the design of the board. Bindings or boots provide a secure attachment to the boards and should provide a comfortable support for the heel and ankle.

After water skiing for many years I finally tried wakeboarding.  I could not believe how different it was and how much fun I had.  I thought that I had done every water sport that would interest me until I tried this.  It was truely a challenge and it brought out the competitive side of me to master the wakeboard.

This Body Glove wakeboard is designed with fiberglass reinforced for a stiffer ride. 6 removable fins allows the rider to customize their ride from tight and true, to loose and fun. Hold-Um bindings have 3 point adjustment system with 1 inch foam foot bed and high density EVA heel inserts for softer landings. Binding fits shoe sizes 5-12. 139cm long. Wakeboards are fun for the people who are trying to get the most out of their boating trip.