Old Town Canoe

Choose the Boat That is Right For You

2008-04-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

What type of boat is best for my lifestyle?

Maybe you are an avid fisherman who spends endless summer days searching for that fish that will give you ultimate bragging rights, or want to spend summer afternoons slowly cruising with a group of friends on your pontoon, or possibly have a fascination for speed and water sports. Whatever your passion, there is a boat out there that is made specifically for your needs and desires. However it isnt always easy to know exactly which boat you should choose. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the enormous variety of boat types and models. There are several different boat choices based on what they would be used for.

What will I use the boat for?

You should first decide what you anticipate using the boat for. There are boats for fishing, water sports, cruising, sailing, entertaining, or taking long trips. Some are designed for multiple purposes.

Once you know what you want to do with it, decide who you are Kayak Kits to be taking with you? You may not want a pontoon boat the fits 12 people if you are only going to be fishing with a buddy. You also dont want to overload your boat because of safety. Think about whether you will be taking family and friends, and how many at a time.

Consider where you will be enjoying your Kayaking Arizona up and down the calm river, on a sheltered lake, or an open ocean with high waves and rough seas. If you will be taking trips you will want your boat to have a cabin.

Choosing the right engine for my boat:

Now consider the propulsion needed when deciding on an engine type. The horsepower and weight are very important factors in the performance of your boat. If the engine is not powerful enough for your boat, it will work harder than it should and lead to a great deal of maintenance and excess use of fuel. You need to consider the size and weight of your boat, including gear and passengers. There are six different propulsion types with varying factors to consider when choosing a system for your boat.

Outboard Motors (2 types)

Outboard motors are detachable and mounted on the stern of the boat, with horsepower ranging from 1HP to over 300HP. These engines can be used in all types of water. The 2 types of outboard motors are 2 stroke and 4 stroke.

2 Stroke: better acceleration, no need to change oil, better fuel efficiency, lower priced, weighs less, quieter

4 Stroke: lower emissions, excellent fuel economy, electronic ignition systems, good acceleration, oil added to engine not fuel

Diesel Inboard Engines

These engines range in size and horsepower, and rely on compression for power. They are designed for boats over 35ft because they produce torque and weigh more than gas engines.

No carbon monoxide in cabins or back, non-explosive fuel, low running cost, excellent torque, long life expectancy

Gas Inboard Engines

These engines are used for a variety of different sizes and types of boats, and range in horsepower from 90HP to 1000HP. It is located in the middle of the boat with the drive running through the bottom of the boat to the propeller. The rudder is separate for steering.

Simple drive system, quite, hidden, lower maintenance, low running costs

Jet Propulsion

These systems do not include a propeller, which make it safer for water sports. They are inboard engines that take in water which flows through a pump that is powered by an impeller. The high pressure caused by this, propels the boat forward. However, steering is only possible when power is being applied. Things can also be sucked into the water intake, and shouldnt be used in shallow water.

Stern Drive

This is often called an Inboard/Outboard and consists of an engine and drive connected through the transom of the boat. The engine is inside and the propulsion is outside of the boat. This drive can be trimmed up or down. There are many different types of functions depending on what they will be used for. They can be used with one or two propellers, as well as two drives on one boat with one or two propellers.

Low maintenance, ease of control and steering, used on gas or diesel engines, quiet

Choose the right boat for your favorite activity:

There are different types of boats for a variety of activities and intended use. Below are examples of what boats are used for with lists of boat types best suited for that activity. You will find that there are several boats that are intended for more that one activity. For example, if you like fishing, water skiing, and plan to sleep on board; you can choose between a Stern Drive Cruiser and Cuddy Cabin.

Different types of boats

Fishing

Inboard Cruisers, Houseboats, Sedan Bridge, Sportsfishing Boats, Center Console, Fish and Ski, Flat Boats, Bass Boats, Fishing Boats, Jon Boat, Deck Boat, Multi-Hull Cruiser, Multi-Hull Power Boat, Closed Bow Runabouts, Walkaround, Bowriders, Cuddy Cabins,

Water Sports

Fishing Boats, Fish and Ski Boats, Bass Boats, Stern Drive Cruisers, Bowriders, Closed Bow Runabouts, Cuddy Cabins, Deck boats, Inboard Ski Boats, Inboard Wakeboard Boats, Jet Boats

Entertainment

Pontoon, Deck Boats, Motor Yachts, Inboard Cruiser

Cruising/Trips

Cuddy Cabins, Motor Yachts, Sedan Bridge, Inboard Cruiser, Sportfishing Boats, Stern Drive Cruisers, Trawlers, Cruising Sailboats, Multi-Hull Cruising Sailboats

Kristy Bateman is the writer for Earl's Blog on SellUrBoat . These articles are unique and helpful to anyone interested in learning about boating and or fishing. Please visit Touring Kayaks SellUrBoat > SellUrBoat to view various unique articles from Kristy Bateman. SellUrBoat is sellurboat >The Simplest Solution to Buying and Selling 'Ur' Boat

Stressed To The Max

2008-04-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

During Old Towne Otter Kayaks recent survey on a large steel yacht, the client elected to do the sea trial himself East Coast Kayak Fishing my presence was not required. I joined the ship at the ship lift ready for the lift and subsequent underwater inspection. Whilst waiting, I enquired how the sea trial had gone. Great said my client, except we had a bit of a fright when one of the rigging bottlescrews snapped To say my hair stood on end was somewhat of an understatement. What happened? What did you do? says I, Oh well, we had a spare on board and fitted another one onno sweat!

As you can imagine my attention was well and truly fixed upon the rest of these fittings during the subsequent inspection, especially when the client produced the broken bottlescrew for me to look at. The event was a common one, not at all unusual. It was a stainless steel bottlescrew with a Norseman screw down fitting to hold the stainless wire shroud. The exterior finish was rough and no load or stress numbers had been stamped or forged into the body of the screw. It was, in fact, a hybrid make of no known origin and the story became clearer as it unfolded.

The owner, a diligent young guy said, Weve been cruising for three to four years and as always money was a bit tight. We came across this great little place in Indonesia where these bottlescrews were so cheap we bought enough spares to replace the lot! Say no more. A year later, under a blue sky and a windless day just outside the Southport entrance on a sea trial, in almost idyllic conditions they changed tack and.bang. How differently this could have turned out.

The happy ending to this tale brings forth a subject that is generally unspoken of in daylight hours. STRESS CORROSION. We are all very aware of the normal day to day corrosion that occurs on board when seawater mixes with differing materials but stress corrosion is a different animal altogether and the results tend to be a little more catastrophic as the parts under stress tend to be quite important and are more often than not something to do with the safety and security of the boat.

HOW DOES STRESS CORROSION HAPPEN?
Well, the sad fact of it is that how stress corrosion actually happens is not fully understood. What we do know is that the metal goes without warning and often without any outward signs. It is also confined to high strength metals and the softer stuff such as gunmetal, silicon bronze and mild steel is unaffected as a general rule. It is worth a mention that aluminium rivets (N6 grade) are subject to stress corrosion and can lose their heads under certain conditions.

WHAT ARE THESE CONDITIONS?
The clue here is the word stress. The metal in question must be under tension and the temperature is usually high (about 150F, 65.5cever touched a bottlescrew left soaking up the sun on a hot day?). Finally, the metal must be regularly dosed in seawater whilst under load and ..bingo! The perfect conditions apply.

Locked in stresses during manufacture also count and injection pipes where temps are high (i.e. exhausts and elbows) are at risk.

However, back to the rigging.imagine the scenario. A badly designed bottlescrew (lots about) that has high inbuilt stresses, not 316 stainless but an unknown grade, rough surfaces and tensioned to the max for the stays and off you go, sailing in hot and salty conditions. Actually, even if you just leave the boat at its mooring those sinister forces will be at work. The wind in the rig produces a resonance that causes vibrations that can actually be heard and felt. The boat rolling produces alternating stresses. A yacht can roll in three seconds, one way, then the other. The rig keel bolts and rudder is loaded up then the load is applied the opposite way. Over thirty thousand times a day, one million cycles in thirty three days. How long has your yacht been rolling on its mooring?

Engines cause vibration and stress. Pipes, lines and anywhere that doesnt have rubber hoses that interconnect with rigid pipes are prone to stress and the subsequent cracking.

WHAT CAN WE DO?
Sensible precautions are the simple answer. Check all rigging screws have a traceable origin. Specifications when buying are important. Make sure load maximums are stamped onto components that are subject to stresses. Clean salt away on a regular basis from exhausts, engines and rig with fresh water and regularly check all rigging and change the lot after ten years use. Remember, mooring time counts, inducing fatigue cycles that will weaken rigging. Never fit high tensile bolts to keels or anywhere where the heat and chlorine (salt water) will abound. DO NOT over tighten these bolts at all!

Remember, stress corrosion starts with the tiniest cracks and often the component shears without warning because the cracks are too small. I have had people laugh at me when I produce my jewellers magnifying glass to look at rigging.but they soon stop when I show them the tiny hairline cracks I have found.

It is no laughing matter when thirty grands worth of rig crashes down onto someones head during a weekend away. Play it safe, do the job properly and then you can laughall the way to the bank.

If you liked this article and would like to have Terry Buddell write something similar for your magazine or would like to read more of the same contact dolphinboatplans or go to ezinearticles

Terry Buddell is a freelance journalist and a Marine surveyor, boat designer and Abel Tasman Kayak He lives on board his yacht The Nicky J Miller' that he built himself in The Gold Coast Australia and has sailed his yacht up the East Coast to the beautiful Whitsunday Islands. He is currently resident in Gladstone Queensland where he is building another boat for his collection! Terry can be contacted on :arcus1 bigpond arcus1 bigpond or dolphinboatplans dolphinboatplans

Boat Building Requires Forethought

2008-04-22T01:28:00.000-07:00

You've seen them a hundred times -- partially finished hulls resting on supports in the back yard of an ambitious sailor building his own boat. Sometimes, Yamaha Boats takes years and you wonder if they ever actually do any work on the vessel. The answer is yes and no. Boat building requires a lot of preplanning before actually beginning this task. Those yards that seem to have an unfinished craft up on stilts for years generally have an owner who either didn't really know what type of sailing he planned on doing Surf Kayak he was very short on money and could only get involved in boat building as funds became available. Questions you should ask before you begin would be what type of sailing do you want to do? Day sailing? Overnight cruising? How many of you will be using the boat at the same time? What can you afford?

Day sailing requires mostly getting the idea to build a boat, and then finding the right plans. You don't have to worry about long hours at the helm, or inclement weather. You can pick and choose when to be on the water and when to follow the ducks, and get out of the water. Any form of long-term cruising, however, means buckling down to the specifics and trying to think of every possible need before you get the plans to boat building. Overnight cruising for more than a few days with 2, 3, and 4 people on board would need a boat of at least 30 feet in length for comfort and safety.

Your next, very important, consideration is just how much money you have to spend on boat building. Staying between 30 and 40 feet keeps you roughly in the same ball park as far as buying supplies and outfitting your choice. If your eyes are bigger than your pocketbook and you decide you want something above 40 feet, this could easily turn into a twenty-year project, unless you are heir to a windfall.

Once you've determined the size of the boat you wish to build, think of the use. If you want speed, you'll want a long and skinny hull design. Taking the family for long cruises, you'll want comfort, stability, and maneuverability, which means a shorter, fatter, slower hull design. Both boat building designs should move through the water with the least resistance and best stability at all points of sail. After that decision, you can focus on the choices of keel, rigging and interior floor plan. You can play with the interior throughout the building process but not with the keel.

A full-length keel will give you the best ride in a 30' to 40' ocean-going vessel. For those boats 40 feet and above, try a modified keel for a little more boat speed without much loss in stability. In boat building, accept that most all other types of keels have a place on day sailors or racing hulls with a few exceptions. While not yet as popular in the United States, a double keel bottom is very stable and with the shorter draft, you can visit more interesting nooks and crannies within around your anchorage. Rigging is a matter of choice and you can find out what you like best by renting any number of sailboats throughout your boat building period. If you are still unsure, visit your local boating supply store and locate some designers who will be more than happy to help you. Knowing what you want to do, where you want to sail, and how much just another foot or two can cost you when you are building your boat, will be a clue to how long your own boat's berthing process will take.

For more information on boats, boating and other related topics, visit Travel With Vision at travelwithvision.org/travel-articles-general-2 Kayak Expedition

Lewis Hamilton Revives F1

2008-04-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

As Kayak Fishing Equipment new F1 Grand Prix season gathers pace there is a growing excitement among racing fans, the departure Kayak Fishing Accessory Michael Schumacher from Ferrari has left a void in the motor racing world both for Ferrari and for motor racing fans in general.

The good news of course is that Lewis Hamilton has already stepped into the void and has become the new focus for much media attention, Ferrari Fishing From A Kayak lament the fact that they never got the chance to sign this new exciting talent but what are the odds on Lewis driving for Ferrari in the near future?

One of the great spectacles of F1 racing is the colour and razzmatazz can be seen at the circuits on race day, each circuit location has its loyal followers and of course these numbers are swelled by the travelling fans who follow motor racing. The colours are vibrant for each team which is reflected through the fans, there is a growing trend to wear F1 clothing from the top teams and you will now see everything form race suits to jackets and caps at each circuit.

The wearing of F1 team clothing was driven by the success of glamorous teams such as Ferrari, McLaren and Jordan, this has now been so popular that you will see all the popular team colours worn in everyday life and of course supermodels such as Jordan herself has regularly been pictured in the yellow of her F1 team namesake.

Of course the glamorous lifestyle of the top racing drivers and their accompanying entourage is a great advert for these new styles and people want to be like their role models. The coverage on television is now spread over two days with the interviews and pre-race coverage profiling the F1 bandwagon in all its glory.

At Silverstone the crowd was alive with excitement and the stands were a sea of flags, colour and regalia for Lewis Hamilton. The sheer excitement of the qualifying session could be felt almost through the television screen and one could sense that when Lewis hit the hot lap in the final seonds that every lounge in the UK was full of fans leaping around waving flags.

Of course it is not just flags, fans are wearing t-shirts and drinking their tea in mugs whilst sporting all amnner of merchandise. The increase in demand for this type of sports clothing has now led to teams really starting to work on their merchandise.

Perhaps the most striking evidence of this increase is the emergence of the top F1 teams into the retail market through the Internet, all have now heavily invested into this arena and of course they are feeding a growing market.

The sales through Internet channels are boosted by Ebay and Kelkoo and of course Froogle (the Google shopping portal), it is predicted that this market will double over the next 12 months and the renewed interest in F1 thanks to Lewis Hamilton and competitive racing will influence this further.

Such is the importance of image and design now in this growing market that fashion designers and fashion moguls have been seconded in to create the latest stunning range of fashionable merchandise, a look at the latest range of apparel will reveal a stunning line of clothing, a second look will reveal this clothing not just at the trackside but also in the playground, the park, the High St and all aspects of everyday life.

In fact it is not just the adult males who are wearing it, the trend has migrated to teenagers wearing caps and t-shirts and youngsters who want to be wearing the latest Ferrari or McLaren race suit when they are playing in the garden and it has also taken F1 fashion to the female population. The fact that it is quite normal now to see a lady walking down the street in the latest clothing and this shows just how far this trend has gone because the ultimate purveyors of fashion are women.

Yes the new season is reaching new heights and even though Lewis didnt win at Silverstone he still made the podium and still leads the championship. The battle for the drivers and constructors championship is warming up and the competition in 'retail land' looks set to be heating up too.

Shaun Parker has been at the forefront of the official-merchandiseF1 merchandise industry bringing the latest in F1 fashion to the public. The current face of Formula 1 fashion is changing dramatically.

Crewman Available For Duty!

2008-04-12T01:40:00.000-07:00

How to Teach A New Crewman in Five Minutes

When I was quite young and began doing overnight races, my view of Old Towne Otter Kayaks universe was only as big as Pacific Outdoors Kayak And Canoe Carrier area where I was working. I was only concerned with the task at hand. I was certainly unable to think in the sort of scope or range that the skipper of the boat would have been thinking.

Im sure that limitation still applies to most crew in their early days of extended racing. But, as experience grows, so the universe expands until it takes in, first of all, the watch one is keeping, and later the whole boat.

Later still, it encompasses other boats in the fleet, and eventually weather patterns, current predictions, tidal, where the boat stands in relation to others in the race, tactics and eventually strategy.

Although such experience cant be taught, acquiring it can be accelerated.

Later as a skipper, I developed a learning routine for new sailors that helped accelerate the process of their usefulness from the very first day onboard.

Although finding a crew, actually participating in a race, trials at sea, building a team and basic testing are important, the most important first lesson is how to use your hands on a boat. It sounds simply and almost automatic, but let me explain.

As skipper, when you begin training your own crew, teach them something which every old sailor takes for granted, but which still needs to be passed on. It is the rule of one hand for yourself and one for the boat.

Its explicit and precise and invaluable. Once the crew has learned that they must first ensure of their own safety, and then do whatever work is necessary, they have made the first step from landlubber to sailor.

Everybody has seen the willing crew who has hardly been to sea before, and really wants to help, but fouls everything up. He or she cant seem to keep their balance, or gets thrown from one side of the boat to the other when there is the slightest lurch. The experienced sailor has a handhold or has short-clipped his harness so that the work can be safely done.

Keep that rule in mind until it becomes second nature. Major injuries that occur during heavy weather are usually caused by somebody having forgotten that maxim.

By climbing out of a berth without a good grip they are thrown across the cabin. By coming out of a companionway without having their safety line clipped on they are thrown into the cockpit, or even into the sea.

It is hard to make the inexperienced sailor understand that the most dangerous place in the boat is at the foot of the companionway stairs, inside the boat. Invariably conditions seem much calmer down below than they are on the deck and a person about to climb the steps is going from a safe environment to a dangerous one.

Crew members are not always fully alert to that so it should be standard practice that people coming up from below pass up their safety hook to someone on deck to be clipped on to the lifeline before they actually begin their accent.

Keep this simple, yet invaluable principle of one hand for yourself and one for the boat in mind and the next tests are easy. The first test by which a crew is judged is their capacity to be available. The second most important test is their capacity and qualifications in terms of individual skills and individual personality trait.

Joel is an avid boating enthusiast. If you're interested in boats then you are missing out if you aren't constantly trading up. It is one of the best ways for you to get into the boat of your dreams. Check out his website at ahoyboaterahoyboater for information, resourceful articles, boating tips and methods you can use to skipper the boat of your choice for less money than you thought it would cost. Get your free report "Tips, Tricks and Resources for Financing the Boat of Your Dreams!", when you visit."

People Travel Delta Airlines For Quality

2008-04-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

Delta airline offers nothing but the best Fishing Boat its valued customers to ensure good flying times around the year. Most flights connect via Atlanta GA but this Discount Kayaks detour Delta's valued passengers.

Reservations

Making reservations on the official website of Delta, is very easy. You can narrow Fishing Gear search for suitable flights on the basis of schedule or price Formula Boats accordingly plan G3 Boats itinerary. Most Delta customers are opting for the Delta eTicket, which is a fast and reliable alternative to the conventional paper tickets that can be Fishing Rods misplaced or stolen.

In addition, you don't have to worry about getting a paper ticket on time and the best part of having an eTicket is that the entire reservation process can be managed in one easy transaction. Once you book your ticket online, you will receive the receipt of your ticket at your billing address. You can also purchase your eTickets at the ticket offices of Delta airlines or at the airport.

Fares

When you book your tickets, you can avail of the lowest fare of the day. Every time you visit the website to plan your itinerary, you will be provided the lowest fare for that itinerary. The biggest advantage of booking your Grady White Boats is that you are eligible for a total refund for certain electronic tickets purchased Fishing Delta airline in case you find a better deal with any other carrier. This risk free, flexible cancellation policy sets them apart from several other competitors. Every time you make reservations for a round trip, you earn 500 bonus miles after you fly.

You can also avail of special fare offers for an exotic vacation at lowest prices. Don't forget to check out the web fares and weekly e-mail fare specials to enjoy a great vacation at many exciting travel destinations. Ideally, you must book your trip well in advance to get the best travel deals. Depending on your itinerary and the time of the year, certain discount offers may require you to book your tickets 21, 14, 7, or 3 days in advance. If you can be a bit flexible on the dates, you can choose to travel on low-demand days (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday) and times to enjoy low airfares. Fares are usually the highest on highest demand days that are generally Friday and Sunday. You may be able to get considerably low Fountain Boats if you fly on late-evening flights.

Schedules

Don't forget to check out the airline schedule on the website to plan your trip effectively.

Flights

travelchecklist.info/travel/airlines/delta-airline.htm">Delta promises you good global connectivity to more than nine hundred cities around the world. For the business savvy, there are 'businessElite' destinations that include flights between the United States and other international destinations such as Amsterdam, Brussels, Dubai, Dublin, Mumbai, Moscow, Paris, Santiago, Seoul, Barcelona, and London.

You can also choose an exciting vacation to some of the best golf and ski vacation spots.

For Delta Airline Ticket information visit travelchecklist.info">TravelCheckList.info and use our Fins banner.

Stressed To The Max

2008-04-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

During a recent survey on a large steel yacht, the client elected to do the sea trial himself and my presence was not required. I joined the ship at the ship lift ready for the lift and subsequent underwater inspection. Whilst waiting, I enquired how the sea trial had gone. Great said my client, except we had a bit of a fright when one of the rigging bottlescrews snapped To say my hair stood on end was somewhat of an understatement. What happened? What did you do? says I, Oh well, we had a spare on board and fitted another one onno sweat!

As you can imagine my attention was well and truly fixed upon the rest of these fittings during the subsequent inspection, especially when the client produced the broken bottlescrew for me to look at. The event was a common one, not at all unusual. It was a stainless steel bottlescrew with a Norseman screw down fitting to hold the stainless wire shroud. The exterior finish was rough and Adventure Kayaking load or stress numbers had been stamped or forged into the body of the screw. It was, in fact, a hybrid make of no known origin and the story became clearer as it unfolded.

Locked in stresses during manufacture also count and injection pipes where temps are high (i.e. exhausts and elbows) are at risk.

Engines cause vibration and stress. Pipes, lines and anywhere that doesnt have rubber hoses that interconnect with rigid pipes are prone to stress and the subsequent cracking.

It is no laughing matter when thirty grands worth of rig crashes down onto someones head during a weekend away. Play it safe, do the job properly and then you can laughall the way to the bank.

If you liked this article and would like to have Terry Buddell write something similar for your magazine or would like to read more of the same contact Paddling Canoe Tips or go to ezinearticles

Terry Buddell is a freelance journalist and a Marine surveyor, boat designer and shipwright, He lives on board his yacht "The Nicky J Miller' that he built himself in The Gold Coast Australia and has sailed his yacht up the East Coast to the beautiful Whitsunday Islands. He is currently resident in Gladstone Queensland where he is building another boat for his collection! Terry can be contacted on

How To Paint A Wooden Boat

2008-04-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

One of the great increasing mysteries of todays modern boatbuilding is the amount of hi-tech gobble-de-gook that the average home boat builder is expected to wade through when the time comes to paint the boat after the horrendous amount of sanding, fairing and hard work is (mostly) over and the fruits of your labour now require Kayak Rack shiny deep lustre that the painting now promises to bring. This part, to my mind at least, is one of the best parts of boatbuilding, the finish! (Well, at least the start of the finish!)

Painting a boat used to be a reasonably simple task. All one needed was a fine dry day, one of Dads paintbrushes, some turps, a roll of masking tape, a bit of pink primer left over from the decorating and a half gallon of shiny blue enamel paint from the local hardware storethey were the days!

Not so today, my friends! The unsuspecting boat builder who toddles off to the local chandlery or superstore best be prepared for the very worst- not only will he (or she) face a huge financial onslaught on their wallet but a mind boggling array of hi-tech whiz wow balderdash that the (generally) uninformed shop assistant will proceed to throw in their general direction in the faint hope that you will give in under the stress and buy several litres of the latest polurethanicalslitheryaminomolecular goop thats just come in. For example, youll be faced with trade names like Interlux Interthane coating. I mean, come on, it sounds like a new space invaders game! This is bloody paint! There are many others but Im sure you get the gist of what Im saying.

Another example of the kind of thing that drives me nuts is that you can expect to buy several litres of a iso-cyanate two pack marine polyurethane paint only to be cheerfully told its illegal to spray it unless you have a proper licenced premises to do so, drone drone!! I suppose they have to make up new names to go with the new paint company policies of charging up to $150 a litre for some of these new fangled paints! What the hell have they discovered thats so expensive to put in this stuff? I was under the impression that paint was a few litres of linseed oil, turps, some drying agents and a few ounces of pigments for colourcan I really be so out of touch?

BACK TO BASICS

So, why do we paint wooden boats? Or any other boat for that matter? The first part of that question is easy. Boats look much smarter and better if they shine and gleam a bit its only human nature after all. The second part to that question is: We want to protect it. Ok, from what? Well, wood rots if you dont paint it, right? - wrong! Wood left to its own devices does not rot. Wood only rots as a result of its environment. There are multiple cases of how, plain untreated wood can last for centuries as long as it is in the correct environment. There are basically only a few elements that start wood rotting. Biological attack from spores, fungi, temperature, high humidity or total absorption, physical attack from marine borers and crustaceans that allow ingress to all the other elements aforementioned.

Dont lets forget that polluted waters can degrade timber to the point where it will rot.well add chemical attack to that list too. So, in view of all these very compelling reasons we protect our boat by painting it to coat it fully against these assaults.

PREPARATION OF TIMBER

The actual preparation of timber can cover a range of differing requirements. If your boat is a new build you wont have to go through many of the preparatory stages that an older boat may have to go through. With some forms of boatbuilding where a boat has been built by a different method such as strip planking or cold moulding, we paint the boat as if it were a fibreglass boat, due to the fact that either layers of fibreglass cover the timber or that the timber has been coated with epoxy that does not allow conventional paints to adhere to it properly. However, if we wish to protect bare timber then we use a different tack. Timber in its bare natural state has millions of thin hollow tubes running through it, constructed of cellulose in its natural form. We have to seal these tubes to prevent the ingress of water into them. Therefore we seal and coat the timber first of all.

The first thing we do is to clean and remove any loose and flaking or damaged paint plus any dirt that remains on the hull sounds easy if you say it quick but it must be done! If necessary (and most times it is) degrease the hull using a proprietary paint degreaser after removing all dust preferably with a vacuum cleaner. Dont forget it wont be absolutely necessary to get all the hull back to bare wood just dry, clean, grease and dust free.

FILLING AND IMPERFECTIONS

Obviously, not many timber craft are perfect on the outside. There are many blemishes, cracks, imperfections and splits both large and small to deal with by filling them and sanding them flush before priming the boat. Its a bit of a chore but time spent here will reward you with a boat that will certainly look better plus have a longer life. Some folks fill these holes and imperfections in timber with epoxy filler but it is not a good idea. Sometime later, for example, when the boat has to undergo a repair, it will be the very devil of a job to remove the epoxy from a fastening hole. Its best to use some kind of proper timber filler that dries hard and fast but is never that hard that it cant be removed later on. For example, painters glazing compound is a fairly hard setting soft paste that can be quickly applied then sanded and painted satisfactorily. Carvel boats usually have their seams filled fair with a special seam compound AFTER the boat has been primed. Once the boat has been filled and faired smooth and all dust removed we are ready to put some actual paint on. Remember, the difference between a professional paint job and an amateur is the PREPARATION!

WOOD PRESERVATIVE

There are two schools of thought about treating bare timber with wood preservatives. Ive heard stories that primers and paints dont adhere to many of them. In my case, I have never personally had that happen to me, so I am generally in favour of using them. Nevertheless, I am convinced that in many cases where the paint refuses to stick to timber is because the wood has not properly dried out after application. There is a definite percentage of humidity level that every timber has (and most of them differ slightly) where paint of any description simply wont stick. It can be up to fifteen per cent in some timbers. Above all, ensure that your timber is dry enough to allow any paint or filler to adhere to it. Remember too that salt deposits on timber will readily contain water and keep it damp. if your boat was in salty water wash it off in fresh before commencing painting. When and only when, your timber preservative is dry the next stage is:

PRIMER

The first coat of primer to go onto your hull is metallic grey primer. It is a good primer to use because it is made up of millions of microscopic flat metal (aluminium) plates that lie on top of each other giving water a very hard time to pass though itPink primer for example, has circular molecules of substances therefore allowing water to ingress a lot quickerfact! Grey primers also contain certain oils and most have anti-mould agents contained within (biocides to you and I) We put two coats of grey primer above the waterline and three, no less, below it.

SOME OTHER OBSERVATIONS ABOUT PRIMERS

There are a whole world of paint primers out there and confusion about their qualities are very common. For basic dry timbers, the grey metallic primers are good as previously explained. Also many oilbased primers from well-known companies are also very good and will do the job perfectly well. Hibuild primers however must be approached with caution and I must say that I have never personally got on too well with them. Most of them contain Titanium Dioxide (thats talcum powder to us lot) and even when it is fully cured can absorb copious amounts of moisture that can prevent really good paint adhesion. To avoid this only paint hibuild primers on good clear dry days and avoid excessive atmospheric humidity levels. Malibu Boats as soon as is possible apply the topcoats to seal them in. Note too, that hi-build primers are a soft type of paint and can suffer badly from scuffing over stony or shingly beaches and even when launching from boat trailers. When sanding these primers remember that huge clouds of white dust are released so be aware of where you sand and wear appropriate safety masks.

TOPCOATS

Once again, there are many types to choose from. Lets get the two- packs out of the way first. TWO-PACK POLYURETHANES have to be applied over a two-pack epoxy undercoat first of all. They have a fantastic finish and thats fine but you must be absolutely sure that the timber underneath is not going to move because the paint cures so hard that it can and will crack (strip plankers and cold moulded boats are your best bet hereapart of course from glass boats). The primary reason is that timber constructed boats move or work as it is known. You may well get away with it if your timber boat has been glassed from new.not glassed over later as a preventative method to stop leaks. Rarely boats treated thus dry out properly and are still susceptible to movement as the timber inside the glass either rots because it was wet or it dries out too much and shrinks. Also boats that have been chined properly, that is, strips of timber glued in between the planks instead of being caulked, stand a reasonable chance of not moving.

Ok, what else? One pack or single pack polyurethane paints can be a good choice for a topcoatthey are almost as glossy and as durable as the twopacks but not quite! They are however, less expensive and far easier to apply than the twopacks there are a multitude of them out there, so a bit of research is required plus your own personal choiceIm not going to get involved in a slanging match about which ones are the best! However, remember most major well-known paint manufacturers products are usually ok! Its your call!

So next on my list are marine enamels. Once again, it pays to remember that anything with MARINE in front of it is usually expensivea good place to avoid in this quest is the large hardware chain stores that sport one or two paints in this category and Ive fallen for it myself before now. Its the Name we are looking for!

Even with decent quality marine enamels some of the whites have been known to yellow with age and the way round this is to buy the off-white colours such as cream or buff. My last choice in Marine enamels proper, is a relative newcomera water-based enamel. I personally have never used any but I have heard some good reports and there has to be a few advantages with them, quick cleanup for one and you can even drink the thinners!

ASSORTED CHOICES There are a few types of paint systems that are different to the abovementioned and as usual they probably will draw a lot of flack from those types that love writing to the editor for some reason or the other. Mainly I suspect, because something isnt quite conventional. Each of the following paints has their different uses and attributes.

HOUSE PAINT ENAMELS

Over the years the quality of house paint enamels has been increasing dramatically to the point where many yachties I know paint their boats with it. Its a bit softer (and definitely cheaper) than most single pack polyurethanes and some colours, mostly the darker hues, tend to fade earlier than others. However, the fact remains that they can be an excellent choice especially if you own a small boat and dont mind repainting it every couple of years.cheap to buy, easy to apply!

WATER BASED ACRYLICS

A few years ago you wouldnt have dreamed of painting your boat with acrylic paint.it would have peeled off in great strips. That does not apply today however. My own boat, The NICKY J has been painted using Wattyls Acrylic semigloss CANE and it is really amazing. I used gloss for the hull and semigloss for the decks over white epoxy primer single pack and it has been really good. Never once has it even looked like delaminating. I paint the boat once a year with a roller and it takes less than a dayand shes forty two feet long! It is yet another choice!

Well theres your main paint choices but I urge you to remember one thingpreparation is King it will save you plenty of money in the long run, for sure.

HOW TO APPLY YOUR PAINT

There are of course, three main methods of applying your paints; Spraying, brushing and rollering. Theres another that many people use, a combination of the last two, rolling and tipping, well deal with that one later.

Lets take a look at spraying. There are several prerequisites for a decent spray job. These usually are a decent workshop complete with suction fans and half decent ventilation using good spray gear (cheapo underpowered stuff just doesnt cut the mustard) and most importantly, adequate and proper safety gear. There are always exceptions to the rule and theres one chap who works in Edges boatyard outside in the weather and he does a fantastic jobimagine how much better he might be if he worked indoors!! You will also have to watch the weather, high humidity is not good and also where the overspray goesnot over anyones car as is so often the case! A good excess of paint is lost and wasted in the process. If you have a driving need for you boat to look like your car then sprayings for you! Oh yeah, it quick(ish) too!

Brushing by hand can yield incredible results if you are patient and also know what you are doing. Ive seen boats that at first glance look like they have been sprayed only to find out that they were hand painted by brush.Dust free atmosphere and bloody good brushes (I mean expensive) are an absolute must here.

Last of all, rollering especially the roll and tip method. This requires two people working together as a team. One rolls the paint on thinly and the other follows closely with a decent brush and tips out the bubbles left behind by the roller unbelievably good finishes can be obtained by this method.

A word of warning, no matter which method you use. Dont be tempted to retouch runs or sags in the paint or you will ruin the finish.wait until the paint has fully dried then deal with it! Its tempting but paint always seems to gel quicker than you would think!

A SUMMARY

There are many facets to the successful painting of a boat. We cant be good at all of them and you have to choose the method most suited to you own particular capabilities. A lot depends on the facilities that you have available at your disposal. Some people have the garden to work in others may have huge sheds and even access to a warehouse! I will say that a few basic rules apply to painting even the smallest boat. Often, too much, too clever or too sophisticated is often detrimental to what you are trying to achieve.

I have seen boats that cost twenty grand to paint and they were just really averagewhy? Wrong choice of painter, thats why. If you are going to choose a painter its not a crime to ask him to show you some examples of his work. If hes any good there should be plentythere are plenty of chancers and cowboys about, rest assured. All boats, every single one of them will need retouching or even a repaint within years. Just how long you get for your money is the trick. Unless you put your freshly painted boat in a museum or garage and lock it away you can bet that from day one, it will collect nicks, dings, scratches and scars, its inevitable. Beware the painter who tells you, yes it will be ten grand, but itll outlast you and me. The need for repainting is directly proportional to how badly the boat is treated over the years. The only way of keeping your boat pristine and perfect is never to actually put it in that dirty old water once its done! Be realistic about your own abilities and your expectations. Simple can be better in many cases.

A SIMPLE FORMULA FOR CALCULATING HOW MUCH PAINT YOU NEED (FOR ONE COAT)

This is interesting if not exactly exact! But it gets very close indeed. This is applicable to brushing and rolling only NOT spraying. Theres a different formula for that and I dont know it! THE FORMULA ONE COAT = The boats length overall x the beam x 0.85 Divided by square feet covered per litre listed on the paint can instructions.

If you cant work it out the paint manufacturer will tell you if you ring the company hotline.

Over the years, wooden boats have survived the elements in spite of very crude and primitive forms of paint. Many early vessels were simply daubed in pitch, bitumen, turps and beeswax. An early Thames barge had survived for over a hundred years in perfect condition as she was originally used as a bitumen tanker!! The dark brown shiny finish was the most perfect example of preserved wood that I have ever seen. One of the most interesting boats I ever saw was painted with fence paintthe owner reckoned hed only ever painted it once in thirty years! Another old boat builder I knew once told me the secret of painting a wooden boat was to paint it with as many coats of paint that you could afford!

Terry Buddell is a freelance writer, boat builder and marine surveyor who lives on board his own yacht the "Nicky J Miller" with his partner Nicky in Gladstone, Queensland Australia. Terry has designed a series of boats that he sells from his website on the net and also built his own 42' yacht which he refers endearingly to as "his filthy old lugger'. Terry writes for several boating magazines and specializes in the " How to do it " kind of article using practical ideas and basic common sense! Terry is only too happy to help people who wish to build their own boat from a dinghy to a yacht and his contact details can be found on his website dolphinboatplansdolphinboatplans

If you liked this article there are more in a similar vein to be seen on dolphinboatplansdolphinboatplans

How Sports Equipment Has Become a Huge Dollar Industry

2008-04-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

The sports equipment business has grown from very humble beginnings to a multi-billion dollar industry in the last 100 years. What is the main thing that spurred this growth?

In some ways, you might say there has Searay Boats a sports gear industry for thousands of years. Man has always engaged in sport and recreational activities whenever his quest for survival allowed him any leisure time at all. In ancient Rome, games like chariot races and gladiatorial contests entertained the people. It might be said that the suppliers of the chariots and the makers of swords were involved in industry, but in each case, the product was used for other things and was adapted to the sporting or leisure event.

Some early activities in the middle ages were the beginning of sports that were unique from other activities. Early sports such as golf, forms of tennis, and even fishing, began to demand specialized products. In was in the 19th century, perhaps, that the true beginning of the industry could be found. Some companies were formed that concentrated solely on the production of leisure activity products. Some of these early, small companies have grown into the industry giants of today.

In 1906, a number of these companies banded together to form the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SMGA). This organization was formed to promote the common interest of those involved in the manufacturing of items used for sports and recreation. The true growth spurt came in the years after World War I, when team sports such as baseball and football began to grow in popularity. Just about every major sporting activity traces its roots and early history to this period.

In 1957, the SMGA began operating a Sporting Goods Fair. This became the Super Show in 1986 and was the single largest Sporting Goods product show in the World. The SMGA has also been a political force. In 1997, it was instrumental in eliminating the use of child labor to produce soccer balls in Pakistan. It was not the SMGA that was causing the rapid growth of the industry, however. It was the technological revolution. Labor saving devices and machines in the work place and the home had given people more free time. This free time was being used for leisure activities.

At one time, sport and leisure was the reward of wealth and nobility. Today, this has changed. People have a lot of free time and every single sporting and recreational activity has experienced incredible growth in the last 50 years. The Sporting Goods Industry has profited from this growth Parker Boats supplying the goods, but it has also helped spur the growth by making high quality, safe, and ever better products available to the public.

Aazdak Alisimo writes about sportingequipmentstoressporting equipment for SportingEquipmentStores .

Boat Bill Of Sale - 3 Reasons Why You Should Use A Boat Bill of Sale Form

2008-03-31T23:40:00.000-07:00

It is important to utilize a boat bill of sale form when buying or selling a used boat. A bill of sale form provides Grady White Boats seller with proof that the new owner is now legally responsible for the boat. For the buyer, a bill of sale form is proof of purchase that the boat is theirs.

When utilizing a boat bill of sale form, it is suggested that it contains the following;

1. the name Canoe Paddle residential address of the purchaser.
2. the name and residential address of the seller.
3. a thorough description of the vessel, including make, model and hull identification number.
4. the sale price.
5. the time and date of sale.
6. the signatures of both the buyer and the seller.

Many states in the US will need you to provide a boat bill of sale form before you can register the boat in your name. It is probable that each state may have a slightly different process by which the registration occurs, but the basic information listed above is common to all states and required everywhere.

A boat bill of sale form when correctly filled out provides protection and security for both the buyer and the seller. The seller is protected as they now have proof as to when the boat was legally transferred. All monies owed or fines accrued on the vessel after this time are now the responsibility of the new owner. Similarly the purchaser is protected as they have a record of the date at which they bought the boat and anything that happened before that date can be shown to be the result of the previous owners actions.

All buyers and sellers of second-hand boats are advised to make use of a boat bill of sale form for their own protection and peace of mind.

Darren D King is an avid boatsman and businessman. He runs a website providing professional boatbillofsale.org">boat bill of sale forms that provide boat buyers with security and peace of mind. For more information on boatbillofsale.org">boat bill of sale forms , please see boatbillofsale.org">BoatBillOfSale.org

@ EconHealth: Deals In Health Content; Valuations Disciplined; Competing With The Portals (CBS News)

2008-03-21T08:02:00.000-07:00

After an afternoon discussing the challenges of establishing a health content startup, the final panel at EconHealth got to deals: who's buying and who's investing in what. ContentNext publisher Rafat Ali moderated a discussion among a group of dealmakers, from the perspective of investors, bankers and would-be buyers.

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