Trailer Boats articles from May 2002

Trailer Boats archives from May 2002

Weight watchers. (On Plane).
May 1, 2002... Outboard engines are gaining weight these days, but just how much mass they're packing remains a question. The weight gains are the result of mandates set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for outboard emissions reductions, due...

Reassuring report. (Letters to the Editors).
May 1, 2002... Your "Twins vs. Single" four-stroke comparison (March 2002) was just the question I needed answered. I have a 2000 Crestliner 2360 Eagle with twin Yamaha 115 hp four-stroke outboards. I ordered the rig prior to the release of the Yamaha 225...

Hear me roar. (Letters to the Editors).
May 1, 2002... I am one of a small group of female boat salespeople. I have found that a lot of my customers (of the male gender) try to trip me up because they think I don't know anything about boats. I need to be on my toes even more than my male...

B.C. brake laws. (Letters to the Editors).
May 1, 2002... I enjoyed reading Dan Armitage's March Back to Basics column on trailer brake laws. Having owned a boat manufacturing plant and boat trailer dealership in Campbell River, British Columbia, for the last 17 years, I have more than a passing...

Beep alert. (Letters to the Editors).
May 1, 2002... In the March Electronics Q&A, Gordon West wrote of problems with the Standard Horizon Spectrum VHF radio, indicating that receive and transmit functions disengage when the PA or foghorn modes are switched on. I have the same radio. When in PA...

Wire wary. (Letters to the Editors).
May 1, 2002... In regards to David S. Yetman's March Boat Improvement column ("Sound Investment"), he states that when installing a stereo with only two speakers, you should run the left side (front and rear) speaker wires in parallel, and do the same with...

More New York. (Letters to the Editors).
May 1, 2002... I've had a subscription to your magazine for many years now and I devour each issue. I especially enjoy the travel and cruising stories, and often dream of going to some of the places you describe. Perhaps I missed it, but I can't remember you...

New Dodge 3/4- and 1-ton Ram pickups will tow up to 16,500 pounds. (Dock Talk).
May 1, 2002... Hot on the heels of Dodge's new 1500 Ram (see "Face Lift" on page 74) comes the 2500 (3/4-ton) and 3500 (1-ton) pickups, along with two powerful new engines. Standard in these 2003 models is a new 5.7L Hemi Magnum, a gasoline V-8...

Check out forecasts on your plotter. (Dock Talk).
May 1, 2002... It sounds like science fantasy -- reading wind and wave forecasts on your boat's chartplotter. Yet it is now a reality, thanks to the new C-Forecast system from Massachusetts-based C-Map/USA. The system provides graphic forecasts of wind...

Industry joins states to step up clean-engine promotions. (Dock Talk).
May 1, 2002... The nation's two leading marine trade groups are partnering with seven eastern states and one in the Midwest to promote retail sales of low-emissions outboards and personal watercraft (PWCs). The National Marine Manufacturers Association...

Samson post. (Term of the Month).
May 1, 2002... It is akin to a cleat, but with a thick up-right and two beefy horns. Resembling a towing bit, a single samson post is sometimes found in place of a cleat on the bow, and is useful in tying off a heavy anchor line or chain.

Skipper's Challenge. (Dock Talk).
May 1, 2002... In VHF radio communications, which of the following channels should be used to contact the marine operator? (a) 16, (b) 22A, (c) 24, (d) 27, (e) 72, or (d) any of these. For the answer turn to page 117. Paraphrased from Skipper's Challenge...

Sur-Mounting problems. (Boat Improvement).
May 1, 2002... Finding space for conveniences an accessories is a never-ending task on boats, especially small boats. We often convince ourselves (and the spouse) that moving up to a larger boat will make the problem go away. Yet we just end up with a boat...

Gimme Shelter. (Back to Basics).
May 1, 2002... May marks the beginning of both boating and camping season across much of North America, and many boaters kick off the summer by spending a long Memorial Day weekend aboard their craft, combining the two activities. On the Great Lakes,...

Electronics Q & A.
May 1, 2002... WHISTLE STOP I run my VHF handheld radio plugged into 12-volt accessory sockets. This allows me to move the VHF reception all over the boat. However, everyone says that my transmit signal has a whistle on it. Any ideas? Jack Howard ...

Who wins? (Propulsion).
May 1, 2002... As you may recall, in the February issue we ran a comparison test between 320 hp twin-prop sterndrives -- MerCruiser's MX 6.2L MPI and Volvo Penta's 5.7L GXi. That story brought forth some interesting -- even scathing -- comments from our...

Child's play. (Ski Locker).
May 1, 2002... At what age can a child learn to waterski? Kristi Overton, 1999 world slalom champion, learned at age 4. Sixteen-year-old Mikey Caruso, who recently won the Junior World overall barefoot title in New Zealand, was waterskiing at 2 and...

Lauch Ramp.
May 1, 2002... Avast, matey. Batten the hatches -- and man the pumps -- for surely Sea Ray's new 220 Sundeck is brimming with enough standard features to sink a lesser boat. Loaded to the gunwales with people-pleasing amenities, this 23 1/2x8 1/2-footer will...

Preparing for the worst. (Insurance).
May 1, 2002... You are zipping across your favorite harbor. The morning sun is glaringly low on the horizon. You hear a loud thump and looking aft you see that your out-drive has cut a floating board into two pieces. You raise the drive and discover that your...

Wild stepchild: making a stylish statement, Regal's stepped-hull 2600 LSR delivers room for 12 and amenities to match. (Boat Test).
May 1, 2002... While Regal didn't invent stepped hulls (the first designs we know of came about 130 years ago), we dare you to name a builder that's done more to popularize the concept in runabouts. Starting with its curvaceous FasTrac design in its 1997...

Clean fight: We pit two-stroke against four-stroke in a battle between Yamaha's clean, green 200 hp V-6 outboards. (Engine Test).
May 1, 2002... There is a major sibling rivalry brewing at Yamaha Marine. That's because Yamaha is the only outboard builder to have clean, green 200 hp outboards in both two-stroke and four-stroke iterations. Yamaha's 200 HPDI (High Pressure Direct...

Getting connected: with a wireless phone and laptop computer, you can take the Internet boating.
May 1, 2002... Wireless phones and laptops are revolutionizing the way we communicate, allowing us to e-mail and browse the Web anywhere, including on the water. Why would anyone want to connect to the Internet while on the water? Whether cruising or in...

Whoosh wagons: once little more than oversized PWCs, sportjets are getting bigger and more powerful each year. (Buyer's Guide Sportjets 2002).
May 1, 2002... A decade ago, a sportjet was basically a personal watercraft (PWC) perched on a slightly larger hull. All were less than 14 feet long, and none had more than 90 hp or top speeds of more than 32 mph. Today, on the other hand, it's hard to...

Alley Cat: ready to mix it up anywhere, Aquasport's tournament-ready 23-foot cat welcomes all challengers. (Trial Run).
May 1, 2002... All center console aficionados share a common desire: They want a boat with unadulterated fishability. An effective layout is mandatory... that goes without saying, but it also must be able to get you safely to and from the grounds in rugged...

Spin Doctor: Edson's Power Knob will increase your steering control around docks. (TBM How-To).
May 1, 2002... Luxuries quickly become necessities once you've had a taste of the good life. Those of us old enough to remember the advent of color TV can probably recall the momentous switch from our old black-and-white sets. It would be hard to go back,...

High adventure: cradled in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada's Shuswap Lake offers calm, uncrowded waters, great fishing and breathtaking scenery. (TBM Destination).
May 1, 2002... 'This is our busy time and you could shoot a cannon and not hit anyone." With these words, Lorraine Seys, owner of the 130-slip Shuswap Marina, aptly describes Shuswap Lake in the lower interior of British Columbia. "If a family needs...

Face lift: The 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab is like an old acqaintance with a new face. (TBM Tow Test).
May 1, 2002... When you look at the new 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab pickup, right away you recognize the classic horse-collar front grill, but it's a tad wider than on previous models. Then there's the familiar swept-back windshield, which slopes even more...

Keep 'Em rolling: Rollapal's new greaseable shafts are designed to keep trailer rollers spinning freely. (TBM How-To).
May 1, 2002... Stuck trailer rollers are the bane of trailer boaters, and rust is usually the culprit. A frozen keel roller is particularly troublesome. The added friction can scuff a hull and complicate launching and loading. The shaft of a frozen roller is...

Tech Letters.
May 1, 2002... INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS I own a 20-foot Mariah Shaba "Z" with a 5.0L EFI MerCruiser engine. I had problems the last two times I had it out. The first time, we had cruised for some time on a fairly warm day. We beached our boat, and went...

Tow Car.
May 1, 2002... Editor's Note: As we announced in the April issue, Bob Kovacik passed away in early February, succumbing to cancer at age 64. His answers and advice have filled Tow Car since its inception 23 years ago, helping countless readers become better...

Chart a course for an American Adventure. (Gotta Have It).
May 1, 2002... New from Raven Cove Publishing is a full-color, poster-sized map entitled America's Great Loop Cruise Routes. The 23x27-inch map is matte laminated, so you can mark out your route -- and change your mind -- with erasable markers. Used in...

Poly-Planar's music machine is built for the high seas. (Gotta Have It).
May 1, 2002... POLY-PLANAR'S new MRD6O stereo is designed to take it when the going gets tough. Built exclusively for the marine environment, it features an integrated shock-resistant mechanism to provide skip-free CD sound, even in heavy seas. Thanks to the...

Be seen from a distance with flares from Skyblazer. (Gotta Have It).
May 1, 2002... For signaling devices you can depend on in an emergency, you might want to consider Skyblazer's Illuminator I signal pack. Included in the waterproof, buoyant pack are a 12-gauge launcher with bandolier, three red aerial flares and one white...

See where you're going with a JRC Radar/Chartplotter. (Gotta Have It).
May 1, 2002... JRC recently introduced its Radar 1800, a color radar and high-performance chartplotter combo. The radar and plotter displays can be viewed separately or as a split screen. When viewed together, skippers can use the two different perspectives...

Keep your boat scratch-free with KWIK-Lok II tie-downs. (Gotta Have It).
May 1, 2002... Have you been lying awake nights worrying about the possibility of tie-downs scratching the gelcoat on your boat? Indiana Marine Co. may have designed your dream-come true. Its Kwik-Lok II transom tie-down moves all hardware to trailer level,...

There's no lying with a Livorsi GPS Tournament towboat speedometer. (Gotta Have It).
May 1, 2002... How fast were you going? Really? Livorsi Marine's GPS speedometer promises more accurate readings than conventional speedos. Its 0-to-52 mph Tournament Ski Speedo provides precise speed readings, good looks and bold numbers. The "ski zone" of...

Run silent with a 5 1/2 hp electric outboard. (Gotta Have It).
May 1, 2002... Even if you live in an area that restricts gaso-line-powered engines on its waterways, you don't have to give up boating. Outboard Electric Corp. has come up with a new 5 [1/2] hp electric outboard that can take your pontoon boat or other...

Tow more boat and less trailer with Eagle's Aluminum Series. (Gotta Have It).
May 1, 2002... In the market for a new trailer? Eagle Trailers now offers a full line of lightweight Aluminum Series boat trailers. Features include standard torsion axles for better stability and smoother ride, upgraded tires, front center bunks for enhanced...