Trailer Boats articles from November 2004

Trailer Boats archives from November 2004

Ehlert launches Heroes of Horsepower Tour.
November 1, 2004... Kicking off in February 2005, Trailer Boats and its sister magazines are co-producing a mobile tour of the Novi, Michigan-based Motorsports Hall of Fame. Dubbed the Heroes of Horsepower Tour, the 75-foot-long, interactive "museum on wheels"...

Keep on trucking.(On Plane)
November 1, 2004... My neighbors must hate me. At least once or twice a month I tool home in a buff, new tow vehicle--usually a top-of-the-line model. It's not mine, of course, but rather a press vehicle that's on loan for a shoot or tow test. I don't mind their...

Memory lane.(Letters to the Editors)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I had to laugh when I read Jim Barron's article on fly-by-wire technology (Propulsion Report, September). I owned two of the electric-shift Evinrudes he wrote about. Their "Selectric" models were probably the worst things invented. The flaw was...

Rust never sleeps.(Letters to the Editors)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... My boat trailer is about 10 years old. It suffers from rust, has a backing release on the coupler that doesn't work, and brakes that need to be replaced. Over the years, my trailer has caused more grief than my boat. A good idea for an...

Which boat to buy?(Letters to the Editors)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Wonder if you can give a sailor some insight into four choices of a walkaround fishboat. I've narrowed my search to the Campion 622, Glastron 213, C-Dory 19 Angler and the Seaswirl 1851. These are all within $1000 of each other. Three of them...

Polaris quits the boat biz.(Dock Talk)
November 1, 2004... Slightly more than a month after Polaris' marine division displayed several new 2005 personal watercraft (PWC) and sportjets at the company's 50th anniversary celebration in St. Paul, Minnesota, Polaris announced it was exiting the marine...

West Marine honored for leadership.(Dock Talk)
November 1, 2004... In recognition of marine retail giant West Marine's contributions to the marine industry and aftermarket, the National Marine Manufacturers Association's (NMMA) Accessory Manufacturers Division (AMD) presented the company with its Robert...

Fascinating feats of engineering.(Dock Talk)
November 1, 2004... If you're tired of being confined to 8 1/2-foot beams, but don't want to give up the flexibility that comes with trailer boating, check out Amazing Space's (209/983-0841; jbrignolio@aol.com) 12-foot-wide pontoon boat. With the push of a...

In tow: keep your cool with large-capacity oil pans.(Dock Talk)
November 1, 2004... Ford's new turbocharged 6.0L Power Stroke diesel is a powerhouse for towing, and the addition of an aftermarket, large-capacity oil pan makes this engine even more capable. Offered by PML (310/671-4345; yourcovers.com), the Ford TorqShift deep...

Getting personal: Yamaha WaveRunner VX110 blasts onto the scene.(Dock Talk)
November 1, 2004... Yamaha's new-for-2005 three-seat personal watercraft (PWC) is not one of the fastest or most fully equipped watercraft on the market, but the VX110 is poised to top the company's best-seller list, and may well change the way people think about...

Something's fishy: Key West 225 ready for offshore challenges.(Dock Talk)
November 1, 2004... Key West continues to make its mark in the saltwater world with the introduction of its 225CC Bluewater. This 22 1/2-foot center console is based on last year's 2220--but with changes that make the 225CC better suited as an offshore adventurer....

Watertoy profile: go neo with new Body Glove women's vest.(Dock Talk)
November 1, 2004... Since the early 1960s, when flotation vests were first made specifically for waterskiers, they were made for men, not women. But since men and women are shaped differently, and because more women are waterskiing and wakeboarding than in...

SKI locker: making waves with Supra's new Launch 24 SSV.(World Premiere)
November 1, 2004... At 24 feet, the new Launch 24 SSVis Supra's longest boat to date, and with an 8 1/2-foot beam, it's also the widest. Designed for wakeboarding, this 2005 debut features a standard ballast system with three bladders for 1800 potential pounds of...

Reader survey results.(Dock Talk)
November 1, 2004... MILKING THE SEASON When we asked readers in our September issue's Question of the Month how much time they anticipate boating after Labor Day before putting their rigs up for winter, we didn't expect such a strong showing of diehards....

Question of the month.(Dock Talk)
November 1, 2004... Does your spouse or family enjoy boating as much as you do? * Probably more than I do * About the same; we all love boating * Maybe just a little less * They're fair-weather boaters--they only like it when everything's perfect...

Skipper's challenge.(Dock Talk)
November 1, 2004... If you want the smoothest ride possible in rough waters, get behind a larger vessel and follow in its wake to the right or left of the: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] a. transom b. prop wash c. starboard stern Paraphrased from...

Cleaning stainless.(Boat Improvement)
November 1, 2004... Stainless steel was invented in England about 100 years ago. Besides iron, carbon and nickel, this steel alloy's composition has somewhere in the range of 10 to 30 percent of chromium in its makeup--the more chromium in the mix, the more...

Annual assessment.(Boating Basics)
November 1, 2004... When considering the purchase of my home, I hired a home inspector to give me a professional opinion of what condition it was in. The guy saved me a bundle by pointing out needed repairs that I passed along to the seller. He left me with a...

Online repairs.(Propulsion Report)
November 1, 2004... The marine world is brimming with innovations and it behooves boatowners to keep up with developments. Staying informed can save you money and a whole lot of grief, whether you take your problems to a mechanic or fix them yourself. ...

Data bank: DataTach's multifunction instrument helps you find your rig's ultimate setup.
November 1, 2004... Do you want a record of how your boat performs, in terms of both acceleration and top end? Want to see how it responds to different propellers, and be able to determine prop slip for each while you're actually testing? Want to save dash space?...

Shooting the breeze: Chaparral's 260 SSi is ready to roll with the punches--no matter how rocky the conditions.(Cover Story)
November 1, 2004... We headed out onto Southern California's Lake Perris with some trepidation. Forty mph Santa Ana winds with 50 mph gusts careened across the water's surface, sending a constant barrage of 2- and 3-foot wind waves to assault our bow. It was the...

6 Puget Sound hot spots: from Olympia and Seattle to sleepy Quilcene, try these six sensational spots for a Northwest boating adventure.(TBM Destination)
November 1, 2004... About 10,000 years ago, Washington's Puget Sound was formed when the southern tendrils of the Ice Age's great glaciers receded. The Pacific Ocean filled the void with the ebb and flow of its saltwater tide, nurturing one of the planet's largest...

A good thing better: Dodge Rams with the new "600" high-output diesel and auto tranny are now more towing friendly.(Test)
November 1, 2004... When we last reported on a Dodge Ram Heavy Duty pickup with a Cummins I-6, turbocharged, inter-cooled diesel in our Tow Vehicle of the Year (TVOY) shoot-out in the February 2003 issue, we were more than pleased with the engine's pulling power,...

Utility player: Polar Kraft's new twin console Kodiak is adaptable to all kinds of boating fun.(Test)
November 1, 2004... Arguably, it's the biggest challenge in boat manufacturing: Designing a multipurpose model that does many things well. Boats that try to be all things to all people frequently come up short on all fronts, but Polar Kraft's new Kodiak V198 Twin...

Durable goods: boats built for Pacific Northwest ocean waters must be ready for anything. Here are 12 top examples.(Buyer's Guide)
November 1, 2004... Among my most vivid childhood memories are those of accompanying my dad and grandpa down to the docks that dot Oregon's central coast, either to buy fresh fish or crab off the boats or to actually "go out." The boats, with names like Betty Jo...

2005 tow ratings: more powerful engines make 2005's tow vehicles more capable than ever.(Special Section: Tow Ratings)
November 1, 2004... When auto manufacturers compete with the intensity that we've witnessed in recent years, the towing public wins. Following the launch of Nissan's first full-size pickup, the Titan (Trailer Boats' "2004 Tow Vehicle of the Year," March), the...

Dim headlights.(Tow Car)
November 1, 2004... I have about 6000 night-driving miles on my Dodge Ram tow vehicle (we head out after work Friday to beat the crowd at the lake on Saturday morning). Soon after buying my truck, however, I discovered that the headlights (even the high beams)...

Stuck surge.(Tow Car)
November 1, 2004... A good portion of my towing takes place in mountainous terrain, and I am often towing my heavy, 8500-pound boat down steep hills (5 to 7 percent grade). My trailer has a standard surge-brake system. Will the brake coupler slide back and...

It's a wheel drag.(Tow Car)
November 1, 2004... In September's Tow Car, you responded to a reader whose driveway was too steep to back his trailer boat into. The hitch and part of the lower trailer frame dragged on the concrete of the driveway. I suggest he try a pair of steel caster...

Schucks, it works.(Tow Car)
November 1, 2004... Every time I tow my boat, all the clanging and banging coming from the hitch hookup makes me think something is going to bust loose. Do the cushion hitches such as those sold by Schuck really work? Has Trailer Boats' staff ever tested one? I...

No spine.(Tow Car)
November 1, 2004... What is it about, say, a Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V or, for that matter, any of the subcompact SUVs that keeps them from towing more weight? Is it a question of mass (vehicle-to-trailer ratio), the durability of their transmissions or the small...

Bourdon's tow tip.(Tow Car)
November 1, 2004... Corrosion is the enemy of every boater, and the connections between your tow vehicle and trailer wiring harness are no different. Inspect these connectors frequently, and clean any signs of rust or corrosion using a small rat-tail file or a...

Bravo shifting.(Tech Letters)
November 1, 2004... After reading the [August issue's] Propulsion Report concerning the improved MerCruiser Bravo drives and their smoother shifting, I'd like to know if there will be a kit or any other way to update previous Bravo models. I own a 350 Mag MPI and...

Vibration concerns.(Tech Letters)
November 1, 2004... I have about 16 hours on a Suzuki 140 four-stroke. At idle and up to about 1200 rpm it has a slight vibration. The dealer said this is normal on Suzuki's 90 hp and larger engines. The boat is a 19-foot Arima, which is a very rigid boat with no...

Find the fuel leak.(Tech Letters)
November 1, 2004... I own a 1989 Sea Ray 16-foot bowrider with a 3.0L MerCruiser four-cylinder engine. My problem is that every time I lift the sunpad to get into the rear compartment, there's a strong smell of gas. I don't know if the gas line is wearing out or...

Dual batteries.(Tech Letters)
November 1, 2004... I have a 1990, 20-foot sterndrive cuddy. I just added a stereo with a large amplifier and I think a second battery is in order. I want a dual battery system that is as simple as possible, preferably with no switches to fiddle with. What are...

Cool new brakes.(Gotta Have It)
November 1, 2004... When trailering down steep inclines, ordinary trailer brakes can build up tremendous heat--temperatures can surpass 900 degrees Fahrenheit, causing brakes to fade. While this is unfortunate for any vehicle, it's especially dicey when towing a...

What's it weigh?(Gotta Have It)
November 1, 2004... Here's a great stocking stuffer for fishing fanatics. Tournament pros and recreational anglers alike will appreciate the new gripNweigh digital fish scale ($90) from XTOOLS (877/4XTOOLS; xtools.us). This accessory is a combination gripper and...

Easy come, easy go.(Gotta Have It)
November 1, 2004... For those lucky boaters who have lakefront property or otherwise are able to keep their boats in the water rather than on trailers, hydraulic hoists from ShoreStation (800/859-3028; shorestation.com) make perfect sense. Featuring a tough,...