A boater’s winter goal is keeping the elements out of the vessel. In spring, it’s preventing toxins from entering our waterways. DIY boaters need to keep harmful substances from leaching into waterways directly from toxic bottom paint, parking lot overflow, and storm drains. Noxious elements also eventually enter our air and waterways from landfills. If…
Have your boat spring commissioned Spring commissioning is when your batteries are re-connected; the engine is run on a hose up to normal operating temperature to verify sufficient water volume flow and to flush the antifreeze out of your engine. An inspection is completed to ensure there are no leaks or abnormal conditions. We also…
The best fishing days are safe fishing days. With all of the excitement that often surrounds an upcoming fishing trip, don’t forget to run through a list of fishing safety rules for kids beforehand. Parents and fishing mentors need to remember that proper preparation, guidance and constant adult supervision are requirements when taking kids fishing.…
There’s a reason that watersports towers now seem to dominate the recreational boating horizon. Tow sports are the hot ticket, a way to greatly expand the enjoyment of your boat and get countless family and friends in on the action. And towers make enjoying those sports all the more fun, not just for the participant…
50 BOATING THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE 1. Navigate the “Great Circle Route” Depending on where you start, this classic cruising trip takes you through the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida, up the East Coast, into the Hudson River past New York City, across New…
Keeping your dog safe and happy on a boat means preparing in advance with a dog life jacket, dog-friendly water toys and more. The first time I took my dog on a boat, I learned with our first steps onto the dock that dogs experience things differently than people. We walked onto the floating dock,…
Test more than 90 boats, as our test team did in creating this year’s Boat Buyers Guide, and certain patterns emerge. For one thing, the outboard continues its rise in prominence. It began when new emissions regulations drove up the cost of sterndrive and inboard engines. For the longest time, a sterndrive was the best…
BOAT-TRAILER BREAKDOWNS Proper boat-trailer maintenance will help you avoid a breakdown. By Rich Johnson At the top of the launch ramp, the trailer suddenly lurched and fell slightly to one side. In the side-view mirror, I could see one of the wheels cocked at an ugly angle. The axle had broken just inboard of the…
Part of the beauty of boating is that it’s an enjoyable activity for just about all ages. I played on my grandfather’s boat in his backyard as a toddler and soon graduated to day-long bay fishing expeditions in search of “Big Charlie” on my dad’s boat. My husband and his brothers spent their summers canoeing,…
The boat-buying process is not overly complicated, even for a first-time buyer, but it’s still wise to know the steps involved. Every boat deal is different, but there is a general process buyers should be familiar with before purchasing a sport-fishing boat. As I mentioned in a previous article, brokers are quite helpful throughout the…