buck
22.06.2021 5:38:41
Boating Safety Tips:
See full version: How to Get Your Boat Up on Plane Quicker
Boating Safety Tips:
Some boat and motor packages are just not happy combinations. They're slow out of the hole, slow on top end and suck up fuel like there's no tomorrow. They porpoise, they chine walk and they're tough to steer. While there's no universal solution for every combination, one device that helps many problem boats is known generally as the "hydro-foil". These foils or horizontal fins, which clamp or bolt to the cavitation plate of outboard or sterndrive, increase the size and improve the attack angle of this plate as the boat moves through the water.
But the big advantage is in the boost at take-off. A well-set-up boat in the runabout or bass boat category should get on top in 4 to 5 seconds, and the foils make that possible in many cases with packages that previously took 8 to 10 seconds to get up, if they ever made it. more
The idea is to give some added boost at the transom, the area where boats with hole-shot problems frequently "squat"as power is applied. These boats--which typically either have too much weight aft, inadequate power or a propeller pitched too high--can struggle along for hundreds of yards before popping up on top to a full plane. Some never do make it--they plow along bow high, throwing a huge wake. This running attitude not only makes them tricky to steer, it also wastes gas as the boat roars along at maximum drag angle. They're ineffective for towing skiers and wakeboarders due to the slow planing. And when power is cut, there's usually a stern wave churning along close behind that may roll right over the transom.
The planing plates, available in either clamp-on models like the Stingray Starfire Hydrofil Stabilizers for boat motors which require no drilling of the cavitation plate or bolt-on models like the SE Sport High Prformance Hydrofoil or the Doel-fin Hydrofoil Stabilizer, both of which require four holes drilled via template, add planing surface aft as well as apparently preventing prop "blow-out". Some users also report reduced exhaust noise when the boat is on plane.
Anglers who fish the saltwater flats, where near instant planing is often called for to jump up in a shallow area, can also benefit from the hydrofoils. They're not necessary on a well set-up boat with the right power and prop, but on rigs where the combination of loading, power and prop are challenged, they can provide an affordable improvement in performance. [links]
NOTE: All this is for times when we were away from a marina. When we were simply living aboard in a marina and had access to plenty of water, we definitely used more for dishes and to wash the boat. We’d usually use the marina bath house for showers (luxury!) and I’d usually still send the laundry out, depending on the facilities at the marina (some had none and some would have 2 washers for 200 boats . . . others had great facilities). [links]
Okay, those are the extremes for water usage on a boat. US dirt-dwellers use about 100 gallons per person per day in contrast. And luxury yachts probably use almost as much. But how about us “real people?” more
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So what did this mean in terms of a lifestyle? [links]
For the three of us — Dave and I and very small dog Paz — we were on the low end of the spectrum at about 7 gallons a day (total for the three, not per person), plus a can of soda and a beer or two (or maybe some wine). But we didn’t have cases of bottled water or juice. [links]
These pumps also generally have a built-in strainer that can be easily removed for cleaning. more
A bilge pump is a water pump that is used to help remove or pump out bilge water. Bilge pumps are set to pump out water when the bilge is full up to a certain level.
Tugboats are boats that serve the main purpose of assisting other vessels in maneuvering when they are unable to do so themselves. [links]
These switches are necessary when the water collected in the bilge gets to be too high.
The area between the railing and the waterline needs to have regular maintenance done because this part of your boat takes on most of the waves, spray, and sun. Without proper care, this area will fade, oxidize, and get hazy. To combat this wear, you need to make sure you keep up the wax on your boat. here
Fiberglass can also experience fatigue.
The last thing to look out for is heat and sun damage. more
If you keep up with the proper maintenance, a used older fiberglass boat could last you many years to come.
Chances are, if you have purchased a recreational boat, it is made of fiberglass, also known as Glass Reinforced Plastic or GRP.