Marine Accessories

Do not forget you dog when you are out boating, even if you think they can swim they can panic just like people do so make sure us have a dog life vests on them because you do not want to ruin your trip by having  something happen to your pet.  Their are vest for just about any size dog so make sure you shop around to get the proper vest for you pet and dogs do not seem to be bothered by having them on.

If you’re going to be on the water after dark your boat needs the following lights:

• A Green Light – showing from dead-ahead to 112.5 degrees down the starboard (right) side of your boat.
• A Red Light – showing from dead-ahead to 112.5 degrees down the port (left) side of your boat.
• A White Masthead Light – showing through the entire 225 degrees covered by both the Green and the Red lights combined.
• A White Stern Light – that shows from dead-astern to 67.5 degrees on both sides of the stern (a total area of 135 degrees).

Make sure you always do a safety inspection of all of these must-have accessories to make sure they are in good working order before heading out to the water. Otherwise you may find yourself in deep water with the authorities, and headed back to shore with a hefty fine to pay.  Remember boat lights other than the lights talked about above are not safety lights.

How handheld GPS units work

Global Positioning System (GPS) is a navigation technology that provides precise time and location data by using 24 Navigation Satellite Timing and Ranging (NAVSTAR) satellites. Each satellite completes one Earth orbit every 12 hours. They are positioned at an altitude that allows them to cover the same ground once every 24 hours (minus four minutes).

Each satellite carries an atomic clock, transmitting both its position and a time signal, which a GPS receiver picks up. They are positioned so that at least four can be seen from any spot on the Earth. Since a handheld GPS unit can receive data from multiple satellites and each satellite provides information that is appropriate to its own location and distance, the GPS unit performs the mathematics and arrives at a position fix to within 50 to 100 feet. Many factors can have an impact on accuracy, including atmospheric conditions, buildings, tunnels and heavy foliage. However, reviewers say that the latest high-sensitivity GPS receiver chips all but eliminate those issues.

Most GPS units also use Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). This system is based on a network of 25 ground-reference stations. Each station receives GPS satellite signals, corrects any errors, and then forwards corrected signals to a Wide Area Master Station, which makes some additional calculations and uploads the newly corrected data to a satellite. The message is finally broadcast on the same GPS frequency and picked up by GPS receivers capable of reading WAAS signals and within the broadcast coverage area of the WAAS. The difference in accuracy can be significant: a WAAS-enabled GPS receiver can fix your position to less than 10 feet. While that might not make a big difference if you’re driving in a car, it’s a big deal if you’re on the ground trying to find the turn to your base camp.

Most handheld GPS units provide the ability to store up to 1,000 or more waypoints , which are simply coordinates for a selected location. You can program waypoints while you’re traveling, or you can program them before you leave home or camp. It’s a fundamental marker that aids the unit in plotting the routes that interest you — sort of a virtual breadcrumb trail.

Towable inflatabe toys popularity is on the rise. In answer to this rising demand manufacturers have come up with many exciting and fun designs. There is no right answer in design…it’s merely a matter of preference and performance.

SINGLE RIDER TUBE: Single rider tubes can only hold one rider at a time and are usually high performance models. A single rider ski tube is ideal for tricks, jumps, flying, and high speed as they are much more maneuverable. Single rider tubes are perfect for towing behind jet skis. In addition to being more affordable and easier to store, single rider tubes can use standard strength towing lines and harnesses.

MULTI-RIDER TUBE: Multi-rider ski tubes hold from 2-6 people. Multi-rider ski tube towables are an excellent choice for families or groups of small children. Multi-rider ski tube towables are big, heavy and fairly slow in the water. They should only be used with a heavy duty tow line and harness. Take caution and make sure you adhere to weight limits and stress limitations on all equipment or your tow line might snap and whip the riders, causing serious injury. Multi-rider ski tubes are more expensive and harder to store due to their size.

STANDARD TUBE DESIGN: A standard ski tube is comparable to a large inflatable inner tube. Passengers have a choice of laying across the top of the ski tub on their tummies, sitting in the hole or on top of the tube with their feet in the hole. Standard ski tubes come in both single and multi-rider models.

DECK TUBE: A deck tube is flat and looks like an inflatable mattress. When riding a deck tube towable, you would lie on your stomach and hold on to the handles. This gives the rider a greater perception of speed because their face is forced to be closer to the water. Deck towable tubes offer the best high performance features.

RIDE IN TUBE: A ride in ski tube is much like a raft. Riders sit on a seat or on the floor, with sides surrounding them.

If you’re one of the many boat consumers who struggle to navigate the open waters with a map, a portable marine GPS is an easy solution to your frustrations. This handheld digital device is available in several models that range from basic functionality to a countless list of advanced features. If your needs are simple, or you follow an economical budget, a basic model that provides a compass and location storage is ideal. And for those who salivate over the latest and greatest technological gadgets, you’ll be impressed with a detailed satellite photo and a mini-USB port.

Imagine the adventures you’ll have with a newfound freedom to explore any ocean, lake or river without the worry of getting lost. In addition to the valuable technology at hand, a portable marine GPS offers extreme destination flexibility. Cast your anchor on the outskirts of any remote island or cove and continue your journey on foot. By sea or land, your sense of direction will never again be flawed; leaving your voyages and mind at ease.

Garmin has a large selection of affordable fishfinders just right for recreational anglers who like to fish in primarily freshwater.  Garmin Fishfinders have a super bright, high resolution color display with improved user interface, plus UltraSchroll for screen updates at live-action speeds and many come with a dual beam transducer which provides excellent coverage in shallow waters.  High performance sonar receivers are found in most Garmin marine lineup as well as Auto Gain setting adjusts sonar sensitivity automatically, See-Thru technology shows weak and strong returns simultaneously, along with many other features found on a Garmin Fishfinder.

Fishing is for everyone no matter how old or male or female, if you catch fish it is fun and the more fun it is the more you go fishing that is the reason you need a Humminbird fishfinder to make sure you catch fish all the time.  Fishfinders come in all sizes and shapes and permanent mount as well as portable which means their is one for you and at a price to match.   You can get a fishfinder to us on land as well as on your boat so fishing is the place you need to be.

Just because you think summer is almost over and you are not thinking about summer products well the sun shines the year around and that means you can use a portable solar panel the year around to charge you phone and any rechargeable device you might have.  I do not know about everyone else but my boating season is not yet over and I am already thinking about next year and what I need to make next year better thank this year.

Have you watched to boats that look about the same and also the same size but they look completely different running in the water because they set different in the water well chances or that one of the boats has trim tabs and the other one does not.  Trim tabs make a huge difference in how a boat works in the water when you have several people and the weight is not evenly placed on the boat with trim tabs you can level the boat so that it rides very smooth so if you want great performance with your boat get Bennett Trim Tabs.

Watching people pull their boat up to the boat dock without using fenders is really funny with the rough water and a lot of arms trying to keep the boat of the dock while getting gas, now you know the boat got a few marks on it.  This would not happen if you had boat fenders out, then you see the people that use the boat fenders and take off with them hanging over the side this is also not a good thing to do.  Keeping you boat in good looking shape just think about what you are doing.