How To Launch Your Boat

Launching your boat will become a simple task with a little practice. If possible, select a quiet weekday morning for your first launch. The same basic principles apply to launching any size boat, whether you are launching a smaller sport boat like the See Doo challenger or a larger sport cruiser like the Sea Ray Sundancer.

The first rule when launching a boat is being prepared before you pull onto the launching ramp. That means having all your gear safely stowed, the boat key in the ignition, the boat drain plug in, the tie-down straps off, the trailer lights disconnected and a safety line connected to the boat’s bow. It can be very frustrating watching someone loading fishing or picnic gear into their boat or apply sunscreen to their kids while their boat is parked on the launch ramp!

Keep the trailer’s winch strap and safety chain connected until you reach the water’s edge. It will only take a few seconds to disconnect them prior to launching. Back the boat down the launch ramp and stop before the stern of the boat hangs over the water. Unlock the winch strap and remove pins or other devices used to prevent the outboard motor from tipping down. Now back the boat down until the trailer wheels are submerged. When the boat is ready to float off the trailer, have your boating buddy hold the bowline or tie the line to your vehicle or winch handle.

Once the boat has floated free of the trailer either beach the boat or tie it off to the dock with the bowline. A confident boater will have someone start the motor and move the boat away from the dock until the driver has parked the vehicle and is ready to board. Either way, try to launch quickly as a courtesy to your fellow boaters.

The same rules apply when putting your boat back onto the trailer, but there are a few hazards you should be aware of, especially if you’re tired or feeling rushed. When you tie up at the dock, have your vehicle keys in your pocket, retrieve your vehicle and claim a spot in line. Before you pull your boat out of the water ensure the engine has been tilted up.

Many launching problems will be avoided by making sure everything on your boat is in working order before you leave home!

Crewed Motor Yachts – Sail The Seven Seas Without Stress

Crewed motor yachts are yachts that you charter for a vacation without needing to have any sailing experience. With the crewed charters, you don’t have to do any work in handling the yacht or navigating the waters of the location you choose. You can choose to have a luxury charter where you have exquisite surroundings and meals prepared by a chef. Waiters bring you drinks and the members of the crew will provide instructions for water sports if you need any. Crewed motor yachts range in size from yachts that can only take 2 passengers to ones that can take up to 12 or more. Some manufacturers of motor yachts include, Azimut Yachts, Ferretti Yachts and Sunseeker Yachts (pictured), just to name a few.

A crewed motor yacht charter is an excellent choice for a family vacation. Children are welcome on these yacht charters, but none of the crew will be assigned to looking after them, even with luxury motor yacht charter. Parents are expected to keep the children entertained and to bring whatever they need for enjoyment aboard with them. Crewed motor yachts are perfectly safe for children, but like any location, you do need to keep them within your sight at all times.

When you choose a luxury motor yacht charter, you have a personal chef to prepare your meals. However, before you arrive to meet the yacht, you will already have informed the company about your food preferences through the food preference sheet. This sheet also includes a list of beverages for you to choose from, which include soda, wines and alcoholic beverages. The chefs of crewed motor yachts take great care to prepare meals that you will enjoy and only use the freshest ingredients. In the case of fruits and vegetables, the chef of a crewed motor yacht charter may buy foods at the various locations.

With crewed motor yachts you have comfort and style. You do not have to bring anything with you and all the linens, dishes and utensils are there for you to use. Both the exterior and interior of these yachts are roomy so you can sit back and enjoy the charter in comfort. You don’t have to worry about the wind because the motor will take you to your destination on time. You can enjoy air-conditioning with luxury motor yacht charters, although most of the charter yachts do have this feature included. Depending on the location and type of charter, some crewed charter yachts include scuba diving equipment, kayaks and other equipment you would need to enjoy a variety of water sports.

Campion Boats

Campion Boats offers over 37 models and 48 variations of boats. No other North American boat manufacturer offers this many choices. Choices such as, High-Tech, High-Performance, Express Cruisers, Sterndrives, Outboards, Sport Cabin and Bow Riders to name a few.

Campion Boats is Canada’s largest independent boat builder.  As a customer, that means, you get the boat you want and the best value for your money. To many boaters the name “Campion” means quality. Every boat is beautifully finished & the award winning APEX hull design outperforms all others in speed, handling and fuel economy.

With dealers in 30 countries, boaters of all kinds can see, feel and test drive a Campion Boat.…Visit Campion Boats

Blue Fin Boats

Located Cape Cod, Blue Fin Sport Fishing Boats has been building quality boats since 1974. However, the Blue Fin of today has been designed by Harry Turner, avid fisherman and National and World Off-Shore Racing Champion. In addition to performance, Blue Fin Boats are designed with New England waters in mind. Anyone that has fished off Martha’s Vineyard or Block Island will tell you that a smooth morning ride to your favorite fishing spot will usually change radically by the time you head home. Many boats will get you home, but a Blue Fin will get you there safely, quickly and comfortably.

Our motto has always been “Built Blue Fin Tough”. There is no compromise in the construction of our boats when it comes to strength, durability and longevity. We take pride in building fine quality boats, able to withstand the rigors of everyday use Unlike most manufacturers, our strength criteria comes from the boats function rather than cost. And, our warranties are among the best in the industry; 15-Years on all Cuttyhunk Models and a Limited Transferable Lifetime Warranty on all Offshore Models.

Look at a Blue Fin and you will find nothing but the best possible materials and hardware. Stainless steel hinges/fittings, cast stainless steel rod holders, precision console wiring with heat shrunk connections, high quality switches/pop-up breakers, high density composite foam stringer/transom core, high quality pumps and hoses, stainless steel rails and innovative options and designs.…Continue reading

BAHA Cruiser Boats

The BAHA Cruisers Quality Difference!

Before you can make an intelligent decision to buy, we would like to tell you about the quality features built into every Baha Cruiser boat. We are confident our features create value that is unmatched by our competition!

Standards & Certification

All Baha Cruiser boats are built using the A merican B oat and Y acht C ouncil (ABYC) standards and recommended practices. All Baha Cruiser Boats are also NMMA certified. Boats built to these standards are required to use better equipment and more stringent processes and testing than the basic US Coast Guard standards. Before you buy, check out the competition and see if they build to the same standards.

Hull Construction

Our hulls are constructed of some of the finest materials available today. To insure that your boat has a long-lasting and durable finish, we use gelcoat made of isothalic resin. This gelcoat has superior resistance to color loss, cracking, and crazing. Many of out competitor’s boats are made with orthothalic gelcoat, a good product, but inferior to Baha’s quality gelcoat.

To give you the best insurance against osmosis, the Baha hull is built with a layer of glass and vinylester resin. Vinylester resin is expensive, but it gives better adhesion to the gelcoat, and leaves fewer passages for water penetration, reducing the possibility of osmosis. The balance of the Baha hull is hand constructed using heavy woven glass composites to give you a hull with exceptional strength and durability, that will provide you with years of trouble-free boating.

Assembly

Other boats are assembled using screws or bolts and silicone. Most Baha boats are fiberglassed together after initial assembly, making the deck and hull a one-piece unit that is stronger and more resistant to leaks around the coaming. Stringers, flooring, seat parts, and transoms are fabricated using Greenwood XL ? Boat panel, which carries a lifetime warranty for your piece of mind (See Greenwood warranty for specific details)…Continue reading

Arima Boats

At Arima, we pride ourselves on the quality of boat we manufacture and produce. Quality construction goes into every component of an Arima boat. From dual hull construction to fiberglass stringers (Not Wood!). In addition, all our models are foam injected, thoroughly documented, and exceed Coast Guard requirements for safety.

Only the highest quality components are used in our boats!

Our boats are safe, economical, and easy to handle. Arima Boats are designed for smaller engines enabling them to run and plane at very low speeds, reducing gas consumption. They can be towed by smaller, more economical cars and stored easily in most standard garages. Our deep cockpits and wide hulls give you a more comfortable, stable, “I am safe” feeling, allowing you to relax and become one with the environment and the sea, the way boating was intended to be. With an Arima, you can troll straight without holding the wheel, allowing you to concentrate on landing the big one.

In addition, launching the boat is a breeze. Since you do not need to back your trailer down to the deepest part of the launch ramp, launching your boat is painless, and you do not need to buy a new truck just because you bought one of our boats. Launch them with the family car!

Alumacraft boats

INDEPENDENTLY-OWNED MANUFACTURER

That means you get your boat rigged the way you want it. Alumacraft offers all major outboard motor lines for your boat. You get the outboard, the features, the options, and the service you want from America’s biggest, independently owned boat manufacturer.

GREATER SELECTION OF BOAT SIZES

Choose from 20’8″ long, high-performance, deep-V boats to simple 10′ flatbottom jon boats. Alumacraft boats come in a huge variety of sizes, shapes and styles for an endless variety of uses and budgets. You name it, we’ve got it.

THE ALUMACRAFT RIDE

Our pros call it the Alumacraft Ride. These guys have driven virtually every boat on the market. They tell us the Alumacraft Ride is drier, quieter, smoother and more responsive. The exceptional ride of an Alumacraft boat with the performance of a new generation outboard – it doesn’t get any better.

HIGH QUALITY HARDWARE

Alumacraft uses the highest quality hardware on the market. Chromed metal hardware is strong, durable and easy to grab and open, even with gloves on. Compare some of the hardware on other boats and you’ll be surprised.

HEAVIER GAUGE ALUMINUM

All Alumacraft boats, whether it’s our all- welded jons or one of our riveted tournament models, are made with heavy gauge, top quality, 5052 marine grade aluminum. That’s why you see Alumacraft boats that have been on the water for years and years. They last longer...continue reading

Albemarle Boats

Superior Ride

Let’s face it, the most important factor in your enjoyment and safety on the open sea is the design and construction of the hull, and there is simply no other sportfishing boat in our category that can favorably compare to the durability, strength, ruggedness and especially the ride of an Albemarle.

Albemarles are built on the foundation of the legendary Carolina hull, with its dramatic deadrise and elegant bow flare and have been evolving through decades of input from top naval architects. We have created a boat that is now legendary for its ability to take on even the most brutal head seas with comfort and confidence, track effortlessly in following or breaking seas and deliver a steady, stable platform whether trolling in the gulf stream or cruising with your family on the bay.

But just as important as the smooth, dry ride of an Albemarle, are the incredible lengths we go through to hand-build incredibly strong and safe hulls.….Continue reading

Advantage Boats

For nearly a quarter of a century, Advantage Boats has placed the highest priority on building custom sportboats with exceptional quality, performance and value for maximum customer satisfaction. Today, our business philosophy remains unchanged. We’re dedicated to being the industry leader in performance sportboats, creating innovative and technologically advanced new models with cutting edge graphics and colors.

Our new 40,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, allows us the opportunity to expand upon our goals….better serving our customers with specialized attention and consultation. Advantage builds every boat to order, exactly the way you want it equipped and powered

We personally invite you to experience Advantage…Continue

Absolute Powerboats

Every Absolute Powerboat possesses its own distinctive personality…….

From the choice of engines and drives to the choice of paint & graphics. Absolute Powerboats is a small family owned company that still believe in the value of a handshake and the spoken word. We believe predictable handling and stability are paramount in any model powerboat marketed for family use. Absolute Powerboats has mastered the demand of tooling.

Our experienced team began researching and developing our boats in 2002. We set out to build a boat that could handle the roughest waters like the ones we have here in our own backyard; at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. From cross country training with experienced professionals, to extensive preparation by MerCruiser master technicians on engine set up and rigging. Absolute Powerboats has been continuing refining and improving our product line and delivering the highest level of customer service in the industry.

At Absolute Powerboats every boat we build is treated as an individual custom creation with an endless choice of options, colors, interior layouts & engine packages with a fanatical attention to detail. Our unique true V hull design is one of the best rough water rides you will find anywhere in the world.

Our construction process is second to none. Featuring 100% wood free construction. Our hulls are completely hand laid, featuring all Vinyl Ester Resin and biaxial fiberglass mat. We have replaced all wood construction with the latest technology…..“Penske” board allowing our boat to be 35% lighter than the typical construction. In todays unique market everyone is looking for that great deal, that combines quality, dependability and value. Absolute Powerboats has all that and more.

Simply put…THIS IS THE BOAT YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!...continue reading