Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
While radar shows you the physical relationships between you and the things around you in a fog, your fish finder shows you what lies beneath the water. A fish finder uses sonar -- sound navigation and ranging -- to provide a visual or auditory display of what's between the seabed and bottom of the boat. It does this by bouncing sound waves off the submerged object and measuring the time for the echo's return. The Garmin in-hull transducer -- also called a "shoot-through-the-hull" transducer -- supplies the raw data your boat's fish finder uses. Installation is straightforward.
The Boston Whaler is used for a variety of boating purposes, from recreation to fishing. Its lightweight and sleek design make it fast and maneuverable on the water, and it's affordable and easy to store. Like any marine vessel, Boston Whalers require repainting now and then to ensure the integrity of their finish and keep them looking their best. Special considerations must be met in order to properly pre-treat and paint a Boston Whaler for effective results.
Aluminum is a strong and durable metal that can withstand the rigors of rough water without taking damage. It also happens to be lightweight enough to be portable across land, making it a favorite for many canoe enthusiasts. While painting your canoe is not necessary for protection of the metal, it is required if you wish to mount anything to the hull, and can add a bit of individuality to your boat.
Not all hull repairs require the "full treatment," where new fiberglass cloth and epoxy are used to fill in a major gash. Small repairs, like those resulting from a harsh encounter with a concrete piling at a fuel dock, can be repaired with marine epoxy putty and no fiberglass at all. The advantage of this type of repair is that it means less down-time because of time saved in making the repair and in curing time.
All boats are required to clearly show their registration number on the forward half of the hull in letters that are at least 3 inches high. While some states only require that the boat numbers be shown on the port side, it is a good idea to take the time to apply them to both in case you travel. Vinyl lettering is the easiest way to apply boat numbers. You will need to have two sets made, each reading from left to right, or you can buy individual letters and apply the boat numbers one by one.
Coal tar epoxies are epoxies that contain coal tar pitch, as an added defense against rust on steel surfaces. Used as a hull interior paint on steel and aluminum hull vessels during construction, coal tar epoxy is also used as a bottom paint, either by itself, or as the precursor to applying an anti-fouling bottom paint. Like all epoxies, coal tar epoxy is a two-part paint, consisting of a resin and a hardener. The two parts must be mixed thoroughly before the paint can be applied.
Cleaning the hull of your fiberglass boat regularly can prevent the appearance of ugly stains and alleviate salt or mineral residue. Numerous products claim superiority in the hull-washing process, and each one has its own adherents. Wash your hull every time soon after using it in saltwater, and any time after the boat has sat in either fresh or salt water for a while or has been operating at slow speeds (as in trolling).
