Trailer Boats articles from December 2001

Trailer Boats archives from December 2001

AMERICAN SPIRIT.
December 1, 2001... Nightmarish images of the attacks and collapse of New York's World Trade Center have collective memory of America -- and indeed the world. While the loss of life has been horrific, many more would have died without the swift, heroic efforts and...

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS.
December 1, 2001... SWITCH SELECTION In Jim Barron's September 2001 Tech Letters, he responded to William Cobb of Reno, Nevada, who was asking about battery switches. While the basic information Barron gave is correct, a word of caution is advised. There are...

BOMBARDIER SOARS INTO THE FISH-BOAT BUSINESS.
December 1, 2001... It did not take long for Bombardier to start creating a captive market for its Evinrude and Johnson outboards. Less than six months after buying the engine brands, Grant, Florida-based Bombardier Recreational Products has launched a line of...

VOLVO PENTA BOOSTS RATINGS ON FOUR STERNDRIVES.
December 1, 2001... Chesapeake, Virginia-based Volvo Penta has tweaked four key gasoline sterndrive engines to upgrade the horsepower ratings. The company has also changed the suffix designations to reflect the increased power. Here is a rundown of the changes:...

SEA RAY IS THE MOST SEARCHED-FOR BOAT BRAND, SAYS BOAT TRADER.
December 1, 2001... When it comes to the most-searched-for boat brand on the Web, Sea Ray leads the pack, according to boattraderonline.com, the Internet version of the popular Boat Trader publications. The website claims to have the largest database of boats...

FOUR SEA-DOO PWCs NOW HAVE "OFF-THROTTLE" STEERING.
December 1, 2001... Safety critics often point out that personal watercraft (PWCs) lose maneuverability when you back off the throttle, as in a panic stop. As a result, PWC builders have begun addressing the problem with systems that provide some steering in...

HANGING TOUGH.
December 1, 2001... My first new boat was a sturdy, no-nonsense walkaround cuddy that ended up serving me well for four years. I expected it would lack some frills -- being an inexpensive boat -- but I soon found that it lacked some basics, too. The most pressing...

HOLIDAY PRESSURES.
December 1, 2001... We were about three hours into our trip south for a boating vacation over the holidays when I pulled off the interstate for fuel. I almost skipped the quick check-over I perform every time I stop for gasoline when towing a boat. I had no reason...

ELECTRONICS Q & A.
December 1, 2001... DIFFERENTIAL NOISE My differential GPS (DGPS) operates flawlessly during the day, however, sometimes at night its indicator shows a signal drop. Why is the reception different after dark? Don Hall Oxnard, California The...

CREATING STABILITY.
December 1, 2001... When it comes to boats, there are several types of stability. For example, directional stability is a boat's ability to go where it's pointed without erratic steering or loss of control. Yet to most boaters, stability means how tender or...

POWER PROJECTIONS.
December 1, 2001... This is the time of year when we get our first look at what's new and exciting for the next model year. We have already revealed, tested and detailed some of the hottest marine engines for 2002, such as the V-6 four-stroke outboards from Yamaha...

GREAT GIFTS.
December 1, 2001... It's getting cold, so it's time to warm up by preparing your holiday shopping list for the special people in your life who happen to love watersports. Here are my suggestions. STOCKING STUFFERS There are plenty of stocking stuffers to...

SEA-DOO GTX 4-TEC.
December 1, 2001... It's a revolutionary time for personal watercraft (PWC), as two of the industry's largest names -- Sea-Doo and Yamaha -- have unleashed the world's first four-stroke-powered PWCs at virtually the same time. We'll let readers sort through who...

YAMAHA WAVERUNNER FX140.
December 1, 2001... Hailing the WaveRunner FX140 as the "world's first four-stroke PWC," it's easy to see why Yamaha is so pumped up over its new high-performance three-seater. Boasting an MR-1 engine designed expressly for PWC use, this four-cylinder, 988 cc...

REINELL 190.
December 1, 2001... Balanced on Reinell's R3 stepped hull, the sporty 190 combines bowtider versatility with sportboat pizzazz. Rated for sterndrives to 250 hp, this 19-footer serves up nimble handling, while still packing plenty of punch for skiing, 'boarding or...

Quick Study.
December 1, 2001... Rinker's new 19-foot Captiva offers racy lines and a family-friendly layout When a boatbuilder pays close attention to the desires of buyers, a worth-while product usually emerges. Such is the case with the Rinker 192 Captiva. This...

Twelve Gifts A Boating.
December 1, 2001... Put a nautical spin on gifts for the boaters on your list You won't find a partridge in a pear tree on these pages, but what good would that do you on the water anyway? Besides, all those French hens, calling birds, turtle doves, swans and...

San Juan Winter.
December 1, 2001... Washington's San Juan Islands are a great boating destination at any time, yet in winter these isles assume a unique and desolate beauty Islipped the Starcraft into neutral when we spotted a bald eagle perched atop a craggy fir. Suddenly,...

Bridge Builder.
December 1, 2001... Suzuki bridges the midrange gap in the four-stroke outboard market with a stunning new 140. We give it a full test in the waters off Key Largo. The recent arrival of V-6 four-stroke outboards in the 200-plus hp range has created a sizeable...

Trailer boaters have more choices in tow vehicles than ever.
December 1, 2001... Buyers are driving the market right now, with many trailer boaters turning toward SUVs that have car-like rides and handling. Nearly 25 new SUVs of all sizes are either already in dealer showrooms or are on the drawing boards. These kinder,...

2002 STATE-BY-STATE TOWING LAWS.
December 1, 2001... 2002 STATE-BY-STATE TOWING LAWS MAXIMUM DIMENSIONS MAX. TOWING SPEED TRAILER ONLY STATE (MPH) LENGTH WIDTH ALABAMA ...

Pick the Perfect Propeller.
December 1, 2001... Time, effort and luck are all factors in finding the best propeller for your boat The most common question we get for Trailer Boats' Tech Letters department concerns propeller selection. With thousands of different makes and models of...

Lap of Luxury.
December 1, 2001... Its presence, poise and power assert the 2002 Lincoln Blackwood as a tow vehicle for those who wish to feel pampered Black is the color of class. You don't see too many blue or orange tuxedos, except on actors Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels in...

Tech Letters.
December 1, 2001... SERVICE SUPPORT I own a 1992 Four Winns 190 Horizon that I purchased new. I have personally maintained the boat per the OMC service manual. The boat has 375 hours on it and has performed flawlessly. I have always used the recommended OMC...

TOW CAR.
December 1, 2001... INTERNATIONAL RATING I just bought a 1972 International 1300 Series pickup with a 345 V-8, four-speed (with granny low) and dual wheels. I tow a flatbed. Do you know if any other makes have the same bolt pattern on the wheels? What tranny...

IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH DSC FROM JRC.
December 1, 2001... You don't have to be part of the Princess Cruise Line fleet to have excellent communications. New from JRC North America is the VHF200, a compact, fixed-mount DSC-enabled VHF radio. The waterproof radio has high and low output power and can...

HOOK UP FAST WITH CAPTAIN HOOK.
December 1, 2001... After a day of boating, you want to load your boat on the trailer with ease and go. Here's a tool to help you get your winch hook back on the bow of your boat without risk of slipping and sliding on the launch ramp. Captain Hook is a device...

ILLUMINATE AND SAVE WITH SOFT LIGHTS.
December 1, 2001... If you dislike bumping into things in the dark, reading in poor light, or squinting into a dark engine room, you may be interested in four new lighting designs from InterCon Marketing. Requiring a minimum of power, the light fixtures are...

SEA VIEW DISPLAYS OFFER HIGH-RES ON A SMALL SCREEN.
December 1, 2001... For boaters who want the convenience of a compact, easy-to-mount marine monitor, the new MB-800 from Sea View Displays may be what you've been looking for. The 8,4-inch color monitor will give you the resolution of a 12-inch monitor, but uses...

HEAD GAMES.
December 1, 2001... Is your boat equipped with a marine head? That was the question we asked readers in our September 2001 issue. The survey on our website -- trailersboats.com -- took place from August 20 to September 15. Only about a third of you -- 35...