Getting your boat ready for the summer is more than brushing off the cobwebs and swabbing the deck. A little preparation goes a long way in preventing any problems happening when out in the middle of the lake. Powerboatguy has compiled a basic checklist to get that boat ready for another fun summer of boating. 1. Charge the battery 2. Check your fuel filter 3. Re-attach cooling hoses (if you took them out while winterizing your boat) 4. Clean air cleaner 5. Put frost plug back 6. Close any water caulks 7. Check fan belts 8. Check Power steering fluid 9. Check oil level 10. Check hydraulic level 11. If you have one, run tilt trim up and down a few times. 12. If you have “muffs”, attach them. 13. Start a small flow of water. Start your engine and run…Keep Reading
Every year, I hear about someone who had a boat accident that just didn’t have to happen. Why don’t people use common sense when they’re getting into their motorboats? Anyone who owns or operates a boat should know you need to take a boating course, keep on the lookout for buoys, check the weather reports, skip the booze and stay alert. But there are three other extremely important safety elements that are neglected time and again. According to the 2014 Recreational Boating Statistics, the Coast Guard counted 4,064 accidents that involved 610 deaths. The most common types of vessels involved in accidents were open motorboats on vessels less than 21 feet. Most of these deaths were from drowning, and 84% of these victims were not wearing a life jacket. You wouldn’t think of going in a car without buckling your seatbelt, so why not keep yourself safe on a boat,…Keep Reading
So, a couple of weeks ago you were out on the lake and landed a couple of nice sized small mouth bass. Seemed like there were probably more out there where those came from. But exactly where? After a while some fishing spots seem to all look the same. And this can be made even worse by changing water levels, storm debris, and mother natures’ general mucking around. But hey, your memory is perfect, so you head out to where you remember and, dang, where have those fish gone. Maybe it was down the shore a bit. No, in the next bay. We’ve all been there (or not!). Now you can spend hundreds of dollars for some fancy fish-finder, or a buck on an app for your iPhone. FishermanGuy is an app that let’s you drop markers, or “Digital Buoys” on a map of your journey. You start the app…Keep Reading
If you love your boat(s!) as much as I do, you probably want them to go faster. Or get up on plane faster. Well, that funny-looking thing stuck on the bottom of your motor is pretty important to how your boat operates. So important, you could write books about it. Well, people already have- my ‘go to’ favorite is “The Propeller Handbook: The Complete Reference for Choosing, Installing, and Understanding Boat Propellers” by Dave Gerr. I just finished my most recent boat construction project- a 13′ 7″ twin-sponson wooden hydroplane from a design penned in the 1960’s. On the back is a 45hp Mercury Classic Fifty (chosen not only for low weight, but also because it’s block is shared with the 44xs motor used in Class D hydro racing- a motor I dream about owning for this boat). I was in the quest for a 45+mph top speed and I…Keep Reading
Bow down!! This is what happens to a boat when the hull rise up and glides on top of the water. The holeshot. Your boat picks up speed and you’re flying over the water. Wakeboarders, wakesurfers, waterskiers need the holeshot so they can practice their sport. Powerboatguy is there to help.