Trailer Boats articles from September 2002

Trailer Boats archives from September 2002

Water rights. (On Plane).
September 1, 2002... Today, boaters are steadily losing access to the water. Throughout the U.S., we are being squeezed out by two powerful, yet ostensibly conflicting trends--the environmental movement and the rampant development of waterfront property. On...

Corrosion fighters. (Letters to the Editors).
September 1, 2002... I am writing about the July article entitled "Good Chemistry." As a boater, I enjoyed it very much. Also, as a person who fights corrosion as a profession, I thought I could provide additional information. While your story grouped...

Testing a theory. (Letters to the Editors).
September 1, 2002... My son brought home a copy of your June 2002 issue, and I read "Grudge Match," the comparison between the Honda and Yamaha 225 lip four-stroke V-6 outboards by Bruce W. Smith and Jim Barron. My compliments to the authors. As a former...

Overdrawn. (Letters to the Editors).
September 1, 2002... After reading your story in the June issue on battery chargers ("Power Up"), I'd like to share my experience with on-board chargers relating to steady DC dockside loads. In June of '98, I installed a Guest's Model 2815M three-stage electronic...

Polar correction.
September 1, 2002... In our July story on aluminum fishing boats, we listed the incorrect telephone number and web address for Polar Craft Boats. The correct telephone number is 888/463-3739 and the website is polarcraftboats.com.

Standards set for marine electronics installations. (Dock Talk).
September 1, 2002... The National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA), an industry group composed largely of manufacturers and servicing dealers, has for the first time adopted standards for electronics installations. Designed primarily for aftermarket...

Tougher laws: more than 30 states now require boater education. (Dock Talk).
September 1, 2002... Age requirements and mandatory education for personal watercraft (PWCs) are now the rules rather than the exceptions in the U.S. According to the Personal Watercraft Industry Association, all 50 states now have minimum-age requirements for...

Power boating participation slips. (Dock Talk).
September 1, 2002... Though power boating remains one of the most popular recreational activities in the U.S., participation dropped by nearly 7 percent in 2001, according to a survey by the Mt. Prospect, Illinois-based National Sporting Goods Association. Boating...

Boat sales show signs of recovery in 2002. (Dock Talk).
September 1, 2002... Marine industry figures indicate that recreational boat sales bottomed out in the fourth quarter of 2001, down 21 percent from the same period the previous year -- the result of the cataclysmic events of last September, as well as a slowing...

Skipper's challenge. (Dock Talk).
September 1, 2002... What is the approximate wind speed when whitecaps begin to form? (a) 15 to 18 mph, (a) 20 to 23 mph or (c) 23 to 25 mph. For the answer, turn to page 94. Paraphrased from Skipper's Challenge ($19.95), a book by Dale R. Lydigsen Jr. For...

Totally tubular. (Boat Improvement).
September 1, 2002... When I was a child, it was a rare boy who didn't put an Erector Set at the very top of his Christmas list. A kit of stamped-out metal girders, angles, brackets, spools and shafts, along with a bag of nuts and bolts allowed the young mechanic to...

Fog bound. (Back to Basics).
September 1, 2002... During my college years, I served as a summer life-guard on the beaches of Cape Cod. It was at this time that I first experienced fog while afloat. A vapor thick as a Midwest blizzard formed around me one morning in early September as I...

Electronics Q&A.
September 1, 2002... ERRATIC READOUT When I rapidly change channels on my 25-watt VHF radio, the channel readout becomes erratic. Sometimes it channels down when I am trying to go up. Is this normal? J.T. Feather Las Vegas, Nevada This is a...

Paint it black. (Propulsion).
September 1, 2002... Well, it's that time when we start to speculate about new marine engines in the year ahead. This time, however, we have more than speculation, because we've already had sneak peeks -- and even run some of the new outboards. Here's what we've...

Kiwi coaching. (Ski Locker).
September 1, 2002... If your goal is to slalom gracefully, aiming the ski across the boat's wake and carving beautiful turns, then listen to what a champion has to say about choosing the right tools with which to do it. Steve Cockeram, 13-time New Zealand Open...

Hunt Surfhunter 25. (Launch Ramp).
September 1, 2002... A classic New England deep-V, the Surfhunter 25 has been relaunched by Hunt Yachts, and this new twist on a legendary hull is sure to reignite the cult status of the original C. Raymond Hunt design. While maintaining a wave-piercing 24 degrees...

Yamaha AR210 tower sportjet. (Launch Ramp).
September 1, 2002... So it is spoken. So it is done. As we predicted in "Whoosh Wagons" (May 2002), Yamaha has uncorked a sportjet wake-board boat that includes an integrated aluminum tower in its bodaciously curvy design. Stretching 21 feet, 2 inches (including...

Ranger 521DVX NASCAR edition. (Launch Ramp).
September 1, 2002... When research showed that a large percentage of NASCAR's 75 million fans also like to fish, Ranger Boats hooked up with the racing giant to offer limited-edition NASCAR bass boats. "These two new models are a great way for Ranger owners to show...

Sleep on it: Grab your sleeping bag and climb aboard as we take you through a full lineup of the least expensive overnighters. (TBM Buyer's Guide).
September 1, 2002... A Cuddy is a boat built for overnight stays. That's why cuddies are outfitted with equipment that allows you to sleep, cook and enjoy life on the water. To let you know what's happening in the world of overnighters, at prices that won't have...

New entry: Bayliner's affordably priced 175 signals a return to the company's roots. (Boat Test).
September 1, 2002... The answer may depend on which member of the family you ask, and could rane from a bathroom remodel or home theatre system to a year of college tuition or a used car. Let's say you've got an extra $10,000 lying around and you want to buy...

Grand style. (TBM Destination).
September 1, 2002... The drive is tilted up as we drift in the 233 Formula through the remaining 30 feet of the channel between Patricia Island and mainland Oklahoma. Here on this warm, sunny September morning, a bass fisherman casts a net for shad in the shallows...

Pressure play: Yamaha's new Z250 HPDI takes outboard technology and performance to the next level. (Engine Test).
September 1, 2002... When Yamaha Marine invited me to Biloxi, Mississippi, to try its new 250 hp High Pressure Direct Injected (HPDI) engine, I thought it would be a warmed over 200 HPDI. I was wrong. The new engine, called the Z250 HPDI, came rigged on a Cobia...

Trail mix: Part 2; boat trailers are evolving faster than ever. Here are the latest advances in lighting, winches, rollers and bearing protectors.
September 1, 2002... Choosing a boat trailer isn't as easy as it used to be. On the other hand, boat trailers today are better than ever, thanks to advances in construction, components and key systems. To help you sort them all out and make informed buying...

Preventing a midlife crisis: new technologies have reduced boat-maintenance hassles, but not eliminated them. (TBM How-to).
September 1, 2002... The gentleman teaching the marine engines portion of our new boaters course was explaining the need to carry a small file to refinish distributor points when they became pitted and caused problems. When someone in the class mentioned that fewer...

Fresh image: crownline's new 270 BR dispels any notion that bowriders must be cramped and bouncy. (Trial Run).
September 1, 2002... In my mind, the term "bowrider" used to conjure up an image of a 15-foot, snub-nosed runabout with a cramped playpen forward and a 50 hp outboard on the transom. Bowriders were all the rage in the '70s, and I spent considerable time on such...

Overland express: the newest iteration of the Jeep Grand Cherokee is the 2002 Overland edition, and it has more power than ever before. (TBM tow test).
September 1, 2002... It's been a few years since we last looked at the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The buzz then about this popular SUV was its new engine -- a peppy 235 hp 4.7L V-8. It also had a new tranny with a split-ratio second gear: one (1.67:1) for normal...

Trailer in a box: here's a step-by-step guide to building your own boat trailer. (TBM How-To).
September 1, 2002... Because he likes to save a few bucks and enjoys doing the work, Doug Dingey takes a "hands-on" approach to his boating, performing most of the routine -- and sometimes the not so routine -- maintenance and upgrades himself. When he decided his...

Electrified! an electric trolling motor will make any flats boat, bay boat or small center console better for prowling. Here are the best new models for saltwater use. (Saltwater Trolling Motors).
September 1, 2002... Skimming noiselessly across a satin-surfaced backcountry bay, Capt. Steven Lamp's poling propels our flats boat with a rhythm like that of a rowing scull. With each push, the boat shoots forward, followed by a gentle glide. Standing on the...

Tech Letters.
September 1, 2002... NEED MO' POWER I have spent the last seven years restoring a 1972 Glastron V-164 ski boat powered by a Volvo Penta 130C four-cylinder engine with a 270 outdrive. My father-in-law originally owned the boat and he swears that it used to top...

Tow car. (Sept. 2002).
September 1, 2002... MIXED MESSAGES The tandem-axle trailer for my Sea Ray 190 BR has hydraulic-surge drum brakes on the front axle, and I am interested in adding brakes to the rear axle. Can I mix electric and hydraulic systems? I also have a noticeable...

Most readers do not carry boat pictures. (Back at the Ramp).
September 1, 2002... Do you carry a photo of your boat in your wallet? That was our off-the-wall question for the month for July. It posted on our website -- trailerboats.com -- from June 20 to July 15. Only 11 percent of those who responded to the survey...

Do you have a diesel powered tow vehicle? (Question of the Month).
September 1, 2002... To register your answer, go to our website -- trailerboats.com -- and look for the "Question of the Month/September." We will report the results in an upcoming issue.

Check out the website for Bass & Walleye Boats. (Back at the Ramp).
September 1, 2002... Our sister publication, Bass & Walleye Boats magazine, has new website with just about everything the bass or walleye boat owner would ever want. Patterned after Trailer Boats' site, it features recent stories and tests, links to easily...

Editors have 180 years of boating experience. (Back at the Ramp).
September 1, 2002... Editors have 180 years of boating experience. (Back at the Ramp) We recently polled the six full-time Trailer Boats editors to find out how many years of boating experience each has accumulated. We also asked how many boats each has...

Safeguard your important switches with Blue Sea's Toggle Guard. (TBM Tested).
September 1, 2002... It is often the small things on a boat that can make or break a trip. Once, for example, someone on my boat accidentally turned off the livewell pump switch. Before I noticed it, all the sardines had died, leaving us 20 miles out to sea without...

Create and order your boat name online. (Gotta Have It).
September 1, 2002... How would you like to design your own boat name online? Namethatboat.com allows you to do not only that, but gives you myriad choices in colors and fonts -- as well as drop-shadows and graphics -- so that you can custom make your boat's name,...

Boat Log and Record keeps you on track. (Gotta Have It).
September 1, 2002... Even the best things can be improved upon. The Boat Log and Record, which was originally published in a smaller version called The Boat Book was designed to help boaters keep records and provide suitable navigational information for cruising....