Trailer Boats articles from January 2006

Trailer Boats archives from January 2006

Funeral for a friend.(On Plane)
January 1, 2006... We're saying goodbye to an old friend this year. As far back as the mid-1990s, I knew this day would dawn.... and it is both bittersweet and exciting, but that's how it is when you witness the ebbing of one era and the promise of a fresh new...

Prime time.(Letters to the Editors)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... I read your article on Primer Bulbs ("Prime Time," October) with interest. You can't overstress the importance of keeping hoses and fittings the right size. Larger will work on any engine, but going too small will ruin an engine. ...

Angler management.(Letters to the Editors)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... So, there I sat, on the shore of Pine Flat Lake east of Fresno, California, reading the February 2005 issue of Trailer Boats. (Yes, I know... but I have a pretty busy schedule so I stack up the magazines and read them when I can.) Boating...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2006... In October's Tow Car department, we mistakenly reported that Bearing Buddy bearing protectors are a trademarked product of Unique Functional Products, when, in reality, the product is manufactured, trademarked and sold by Bearing Buddy, Inc....

Eminent domain.(TAKE ME TO THE WATER)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... Suggesting that the recent Supreme Court decision by a pro-business court may accelerate the loss of water access (On Plane, September) is wrong. The real issue is the politicians who claim that there is no impact from a tax cut. Government is...

Paradise lost.(TAKE ME TO THE WATER)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... The editorial "Paradise Lost" (On Plane, September) about eroding water access is a most important subject. Without water access, the idea of trailer boating loses significance. Don Deno via e-mail

Low bridge.(TAKE ME TO THE WATER)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... Please consider including bridge clearance specifications in future boat evaluations. As docking space on lakes gets more costly, marinas and other docking facilities are being situated on inlets and canals which require under-bridge passage....

Putting a tax on recreation.(Dock Talk)
January 1, 2006... A proposal floated by the President's Advisory Panel on Tax Reform, which surfaced last fall, would dramatically reduce eligible mortgage interest deductions on federal tax returns by as much as 60 to 80 percent. This deduction is popular among...

Boating fatalies hit all-time low.(Dock Talk)
January 1, 2006... According to statistics released by the United States Coast Guard, 2004 saw the fewest recreational boating fatalities since 1960. Though 676 such deaths were recorded, it's the lowest number resulting from boating accidents in the history of...

The worst brought out the best.(Dock Talk)
January 1, 2006... It was one of the worst natural disasters the United States has ever seen. In response to Hurricane Katrina's aftermath last September, hundreds of volunteers put business as usual on hold to travel to the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast to lend a...

Wallop Breaux gains additional funding.(Dock Talk)
January 1, 2006... With the passage of the Transportation Equity Act (HR 3) by the U.S. House of Representatives, the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund (ARTF) received a boost. Better known as Wallop Breaux, the ARTF funds boating and related programs to the tune of...

Ski locker: MasterCraft debuts its new, wider X-30.(Dock Talk)
January 1, 2006... In recent years, MasterCraft has built some radical designs into its inboard, specialized towboats. The picklefork bow of the X-Star, MariStar 280 and X-80 come quickly to mind. Yet, while the picklefork design adds space forward, some still...

Launch ramp: Sea Ray launches sporty new 20-footer.(Dock Talk)
January 1, 2006... True to its name, Sea Ray's new 195 Sport has a sleek, sporty look that proves its designers did not have "traditional" in mind. An abundance of amenities is packed into this 20-foot, 2-inch boat. An extended swim platform, full sunpad, and an...

Wake tools: O'Brien Sixam heats up the water.(Dock Talk)
January 1, 2006... The world record for men's slalom stood frozen for eight years at one ball at 43 feet off the 75-foot towline. Then, late last spring, slalom phenomenon Chris Parrish tried out his new slalom ski. Parrish broke the record not once but twice...

Getting personal: intake-clearing tips.(Dock Talk)
January 1, 2006... Some of my favorite waterways to ride on are also among the dirtiest. The aircraft carriers moored at the naval yard and the battleship New Jersey are remarkable to view from a tiny PWC, but the chocolate-brown water of the Delaware River in...

Something's fishy: Pro Sports debuts long-range cat.(Dock Talk)
January 1, 2006... The 2360 ProKat catamaran is a planing-hull design that's rated for twin outboards totaling 400 hp. Base power is a pair of Yamaha F150 four-strokes, a combination that offers smooth, quiet power and darn good fuel economy. According to testing...

Most boaters escape wiring woes.(READER SURVEY RESULTS)
January 1, 2006... When we posed October's Question of the Month ("Has your boat ever suffered significant electrical problems?"), we expected a fairly even mix of answers. Yet the poll surprised us, as fully 62 percent of readers who voted on TrailerBoats.com...

Skipper's Challenge.(READER SURVEY RESULTS)
January 1, 2006... Gear Case oil should be changed each fall. This prevents water from collecting and possibly freezing and expanding, which could damage seals or crack the case. If water has entered, the oil will look _______. a) black b) reddish ...

Question of the month.(READER SURVEY RESULTS)
January 1, 2006... How much does an engine's emissions efficiency (i.e., CARB rating) factor into your purchase decision? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Not at all * Only to a minor degree. I'm mostly interested in power * Not sure. Green is good--but...

Radio check.(Boat Improvement)
January 1, 2006... Bad stuff happens when your equipment doesn't work. Take, for example, the recent incident in which the lack of a functional VHF radio triggered a two-day search that covered 1366 square miles of ocean. Three 47-foot motor lifeboats, an 87-foot...

All the right stuff.(Boating Basics)
January 1, 2006... January is when I inventory my boat's safety gear. By learning what needs to be replaced now, I have the entire boat show season to shop and restock my craft. I like shopping the shows for boating accessories because these events feature a wide...

Smooth Drive.(Propulsion Report)
January 1, 2006... We have not seen a Yamaha sterndrive sold in the United States for quite a few years. It's been so long, in fact, that many newer readers might not even be aware that Yamaha builds a sterndrive. The fact is, the company built two. The...

Fast thinking: Baja's 23 Outlaw cuddy offers go-fast performance at family boat prices.(TEST)
January 1, 2006... Bling-bling price tags are par for the course in the world of go-fast boats, where rigs costing upward of $1 million attract fans who can afford such opulence. Baja continues to design boats, however, that fit family budgets while offering an...

Sunshine State cruising, Part two: Florida offers boating adventure at every turn. Join us as we explore the state's wealth of waterways.(TBM DESTINATION)
January 1, 2006... Whether your boating passions lean toward waterskiing, cruising, fishing or a combination of all three, few places can match Florida for sheer opportunity. Known for its warm, sunny skies and loaded with nearly every type of waterway...

Shake down: you can head off trailering trouble by giving your rig an annual checkup. Here's how to get started.
January 1, 2006... Caring for and maintaining your boat trailer can help prevent the broken trailer blues. By performing annual shakedowns, you can keep your rig in top condition. This has the obvious advantage of minimizing the risk of a breakdown that can not...

Success Formula: with a sharp new 24-footer in its lineup, Formula has its sights squarely focused on trailer boaters.(TEST)(Cover Story)
January 1, 2006... A 24-foot open bow is big by most boatbuilders' standards, but, for Formula, 24 feet is where the action begins. There was a time--not so long ago, in fact--when Formula thought it wouldn't build anything less than 26 feet. That's because...

Polar express: polar serves up a very cool dual console model that's equal parts family machine and fish chaser.(TEST)
January 1, 2006... An avid offshore fisherman will often choose a center console if he's in the market for a trailerable boat. This type of craft offers excellent utility and fishing room, and is ideally suited to southern climes. Those who want more creature...

Power to burn: technological advances continue to spur innovation and refinement in today's outboards and sterndrives.(MARINE PROPULSION 2006)
January 1, 2006... The world of marine power has witnessed some truly innovative technology in the past few years, particularly in outboards. And most of these developments have taken place in the upper horsepower range. In 2006 we are seeing the debut of equally...

Sophisticated sibling: based on a familiar GM sport-ute, the 2006 Saab 9-7X offers pleasing performance clothed in more stylish dress.(TEST)
January 1, 2006... When we first saw the Saab 9-7X sport-utility vehicle upon its debut last spring, we weren't quite sure what to think. It's attractive, in a European sort of way, and its numbers look good on paper. It's based on the GMC/Chevy Envoy/TrailBlazer...

Smart and easy: adding new gauges to an existing Mercury SmartCraft helm is child's play.(TBM How-To)
January 1, 2006... Many boats powered by latemodel Mercury outboards or MerCruiser sterndrives equipped with the Motorola 555 microprocessor probably came factory rigged with SmartCraft gauges. The most common are the SmartCraft SC1000 system tachometer and...

Overheating sterndrives.(Tech Letters)
January 1, 2006... Last month, I discussed some of the items to look for when trying to solve sterndrive overheating problems. A few mechanics wrote to tell me that I missed one important point, and they were right. You should check the rubber hose between the...

Won't pull, won't rev.(Tech Letters)
January 1, 2006... I have an older 20-foot Crestliner. It is a deep-V fiberglass run-about powered by a MerCruiser 233 sterndrive. I believe that the engine is a small block Ford. My problem is that the boat will barely climb on plane and the engine won't rev up...

Settle an argument.(Tech Letters)
January 1, 2006... A friend of mine claims that early OMC sterndrives used Buick engines. I maintain that all of OMC's sterndrives were Chevrolet powered. Who is right? Calvin Bruckner Charlotte, North Carolina Sorry, Cal, your friend is right.

Knock, knock.(Tech Letters)
January 1, 2006... I have a two-cylinder 40 hp Mercury outboard that I estimate is about 20 to 25 years old. The engine has run fine until late last summer, when it developed a knocking sound. It sounds like a rod knock. Before tearing it apart, I ran a...

Winter's chill.(Tech Letters)
January 1, 2006... I wanted your opinion on winterizing techniques. I have a 2005 Chaparral SSi 210 powered by a 5.0L coupled to a Volvo Penta SX drive. Here, in California's high desert, winter temperatures can drop a little below freezing at night. My boat...

Where's the pump?(Tech Letters)
January 1, 2006... I have a 1988 20-foot Four Winns with a Volvo Cobra sterndrive. I have never had a problem with this unit, but felt it was time to change the water pump. My neighbor said it was an easy job and that it would require me to remove the lower unit....

Pick-up problems.(Tech Letters)
January 1, 2006... I just bought a beautiful Skeeter TZX190 with a Yamaha 150 HPDI on a jackplate and a 23-inch Yamaha stainless wheel (all factory). When my boat planes, the speedometer immediately moves from 0 to 40 mph (or thereabouts), and stays there...

Grand Cherokee rating.(Tow Car)
January 1, 2006... My current boat is an 18-foot runabout, but I am about to trade up to a 24-foot cruiser that weights 4600 pounds without the trailer. My question is about the tow rating of my 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Your tow ratings database available on...

Exhaust brake.(Tow Car)
January 1, 2006... First, I wanted to pass on an idea to other trailer boaters. I have installed a switch on the dashboard of my tow vehicle that routes power to the trailer brake system's reverse lockout solenoid (disabling the brakes), allowing me to descend...

Tow and stow.(Tow Car)
January 1, 2006... We just bought our first boat and, boy, are we having fun. Love your magazine! However, the one problem I am having is with storage. I can't keep the trailer boat in my driveway or on the street due to local zoning considerations. It would fit...

Beached whale.(Tow Car)
January 1, 2006... My tow rig is strong and a good puller, but the rear suspension is too soft. If I have to make a sudden hard turn to avoid debris in the road or some ding-dong pulls in front of me going 20 mph under the speed limit (which my rig can tow at all...

Windstar wondering.(Tow Car)
January 1, 2006... Last summer I blew the tranny on my 1999 Ford Windstar (3.8L V-6) minivan while towing our fish 'n ski boat. The vehicle didn't have an auxiliary transmission fluid cooler at the time, but I had one installed when the tranny was rebuilt. We...

Big tires and towing.(Tow Car)
January 1, 2006... I just bought a used 1998 Dodge 2500 four-wheel-drive short bed pickup with the Cummins 5.9L turbodiesel. It has 3.54 axle gears and the stock tires. My question is: If I buy larger tires to make it look better, does that affect the tow rating?...

Bourdon's tow tip.(Tow Car)
January 1, 2006... With all the attention we encourage you to pay to your boat and trailer, it's easy to forget the tow vehicle that gets it to and from the water. Towing places inordinate stress on the vehicle and all of its systems, especially cooling...

Key Wiz may be a boater's best friend.(TBM Tested)
January 1, 2006... Few boaters think much about a key to help open a flush-deck fuel-fill cap... until you can't find such a tool. Or you drop it overboard. Or it doesn't fit. Or you can't get a good grip to unscrew a tight cap. The new Key Wiz (561/735-9125;...

Boat Band-Aid.(Gotta Have It)
January 1, 2006... Leaks are never a good thing, and on a boat they can spell catastrophe. But you never know what might happen out there, so it pays to be prepared. The Peel-n-Patch ($12) from Ducky Products (626/797-7226; duckyproducts.com) acts as a Band-Aid...

All charged up.(Gotta Have It)
January 1, 2006... Why risk being caught dead in the water when you can easily keep your batteries charged and in tip-top form? Xantrex (604/422-8595; xantrex.com) recently announced its new XC series of smart battery chargers ($480 for the XC3012 and $680 for...

Phone home.(Gotta Have It)
January 1, 2006... Using a cell phone out on the water can be a crapshoot. Dead zones and bad connections can make it impossible to communicate with those on shore. However, by using Shakespeare's (803/227-1590; shakespeare-marine.com) CA-NEX Dual Band Cellular...

Metal health.(Gotta Have It)
January 1, 2006... It's winter, a great time to catch up with steel fittings around the boat and trailer. Rust, the No. 1 enemy of steel, is not only unattractive but very progressive and ultimately dangerous. The typical way to neutralize rust has been through...

Stay on an even keel.(Gotta Have It)
January 1, 2006... Whether you're encountering concrete ramps, gravel, oyster beds or rocks, it pays to protect your boat's keel. Even just normal launching and loading can take its toll. Keel Protectors ($150-$170) from KeelShield (309/698-3072; keelshield.com),...

Command performance.(Gotta Have It)
January 1, 2006... For those of you who are into performance outboard boating, whether you're chasing trophy bass or just out for a fast ride, a jackplate is a must-have piece of equipment. Bob's Machine Shop (813/645-3966; bobs machine.com), one of the foremost...