Monthly Archives: April 2016

What's worse than waiting to launch your boat? Waiting even longer behind unprepared or inconsiderate boaters who dilly-dally. Getting mad doesn't make the line move faster, so don't let delays ruin a nice day. Patience, preparedness, and politeness go a long way towards making your time at the boat launch safe and pleasant. Be prepared. Load your cooler and other belongings onto the boat before it's your turn at the ramp so you don't hold up traffic. Run your safety checks, set up electronics, and disconnect your tie-down straps in a parking space. Your boat should be ready to go when you back it up to the ramp. Follow the rules. Cutting in line is a sure way to make enemies of your fellow boaters. If your launch uses a ticket or number system, stick to it and wait your turn. Watch for other boats when you're launching yours, and motor slowly off the trailer rather than gunning it as soon as you're floating. Watch for people in the water, too; swimming is usually not allowed

Hasn't it been a long winter? We think it's high time to break the boat from its shrink-wrap cocoon and get it ready to run. The Skipper has compiled a few important points for spring maintenance to ensure smooth sailing this season. How's the battery? Did you pull your battery out and store it separately from the boat, or did you leave it installed? Either way, give it a good going-over in the spring. Check its charge with a voltmeter and if it's low, charge it up to its recommended level. The insides of a battery are caustic and poisonous, so put on gloves and goggles if you open your battery to check its electrolytes. Clean the battery carefully if it's dirty, and scrub any corrosion off the terminals. Once the terminals are clean, grease the threads with petroleum jelly or an automotive lubricant. This video by Boating Local shows how to do spring prep for lead-acid boat batteries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9ckqH8cFuw&feature=youtu.be If your boat's battery is more than four