MADD CANADA BOATERS SURVEY CLICK THE LINK / YES! ITS THAT IMPORTANT TO BOAT NUT

 

Click to connect to web site

 

BOAT NUT IS PROUD TO ASSIST MADD CANADA AND TRANSPORT CANADA

 

The following is a survey that we ask all boaters to take the time and complete, below is the link to access the survey.

 PLEASE TAKE THE TIME AND COMPLETE THE SURVEY

 

The following is a link to our on-line boating survey.  Note there are $100 Canadian Tire gift certificates to be won at the end of the boating season in a random draw of all those who complete the survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/?sm=2Syma3B3Nd1Si6itYFSYYYKcV815DkGj0g1b0%2fam%2btw%3d

Signs available for Marinas from MADD Canada

Report impaired driving. Call 911

Campaign 911 is a Canada-wide campaign to encourage and empower the Canadian public to report suspected impaired driving by calling 911.
Impaired driving is the #1 cause of criminal death in Canada and, yet, every impaired driving crash is preventable. By calling 911 and reporting suspected impaired drivers to police, all Canadians can play a role in keeping our roads and waterways safe and in reducing impaired driving crashes, deaths and injuries.
Join Campaign 911 today! Contact MADD Canada and review our campaign materials

Information about the boating signs and an order form can also be found on-line at:

http://madd.ca/pages/programs/awareness-campaigns/campaign-911/

Just click on “On the Waterways”.  This is also where you can find a pdf of our “Don’t Boat Impaired” brochure.

 

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME AND COMPLETE THE SURVEY AND DON'T FORGET TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MADD CANADA CHAPTER

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/?sm=2Syma3B3Nd1Si6itYFSYYYKcV815DkGj0g1b0%2fam%2btw%3d

Copyright 2015 © Boat Nut Media, Toronto, Ontario. All rights reserved. No part of this information/publications may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or reproduced in any way, including but not limited to photocopy, magnetic, or other record, without prior agreement and written permission of the publisher, Boat Nuts Media ©™ No liability is assumed with respect to the information provided

BOAT SHOW HYPE

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              BOAT SHOW HYPE / Another year of Cookie Cutter Boats

Every year at this time I start getting requests for Boat Show Passes, and this year is no exception. I have been involved with several major Boat Shows over the years Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle and Miami. In each case I anticipate seeing something new, something exiting! The last few years I have not been thrilled about my Boat Show experiences at all. The only power boat sector that I have seen go through real engineering and physical changes have been the Wake Board Boat builders. Every one else is playing copy cat right down to the hull side windows. Some were along the line ergonomics and cost cutting have trumped usable design, and since when did boaters all become 5 feet tall. A lot of these new boats have claustrophobic spaces where sea sickness must be included in the price. Boat builders are all following the same trend slightly deeper hulls, flat decks, cramped spaces with more crap than ever crammed into theses areas. You can use the head, take a shower and wash your hands all at the same time on a forty foot yacht. All of this great (NOT REALLY) new design, comes complete with the boat builders all using the same color pallet. I think boat builders have a secrete meeting every year and decide that all the boats will be black (or green or whatever they deem the flavor of the year) so we have no choice as consumers, take the black one. Reminds me of the model A car, you can have any color you want as long as it is black.

I hope this year brings something new but I am not holding my breath. My biggest pet peeve is the Boat Show timing. I mean I get the fact that in certain climates Boat Shows generate off season dollars for dealers, but really they are selling boats! Why not an in the water show in the spring where a boat can be in it's element. A boat at a Boat Show and in the water are two different animals. A 27 foot power boat looks big when you are looking at it on land, however put the same boat at the dock and half of it seems to disappear. Hold it maybe I answered my own question, looking bigger must sell boats! As far as I am concerned the only people who do well at the Boat Show are the people who host the venue.

I know that the idea behind any show like this is to introduce new product to the consumer, however what about the non multi millionaires who are in need of a great used boat why not show some used product, hell quite often the two year old boat is a nicer design than the new one. Why not have a used product show or at least include an area for these boats at the show? Maybe Boat Nut should develop a used boat show  that wont cost the vendors a fortune to be in, what do you think?

Just remember that the boat show prices and deals are available after the show so if you feel you need time to consider the purchase you have it, don't be pressured. I had to laugh a couple of years ago I was with a client at the Toronto show to purchase a davit system. We asked for the Boat Show price (as they advertised a discount) it was hilarious to hear that the discount worked out to fifty cents. No joke a 15 thousand dollar purchase was discounted by fifty cents!! So don't buy into all the hype.

If you are thinking of buying accessories such as bow thrusters shop the boat show and make contacts but you don't have to buy one unless you are familiar with the way the system is rigged into your vessel, or you have been on a boat similar to yours with the same set up on board. Some of these new non tunneled thrusters may show well on a video but may not work in your application. A good vendor will be able to demonstrate one in the water in the spring for you, before you lay out thousands of dollars for a piece of equipment that will not fit your boat on the inside were the wires and relays are to be located.
It is important to remember that you are dealing with sales people and not installers in most cases, if there is an installer talk to them first. The vendors are there for one reason to get your money!

Boat Shows are a great place to go and get ideas and if you are committed to a purchase sometimes to get a great early season deal. However experienced boaters know the best deals are usually END OF SEASON or previous unsold model years not at the Boat Show.

HAPPY HUNTING 

Copyright 2015 © Boat Nut Media, Toronto, Ontario. All rights reserved. No part of this information/publications may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or reproduced in any way, including but not limited to photocopy, magnetic, or other record, without prior agreement and written permission of the publisher, Boat Nuts Media ©™ No liability is assumed with respect to the information provided

Author  RP

What you need to know about bottom paint

 

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ANTI FOUL IS WEARING ME THIN   What do you need to know about bottom paint



 Anti Foul/ Bottom Paint: One of the products we apply to our power boats that we know will just wear off and we will have to recoat it again and again. So what does bottom paint do, what makes it work and how long should it last? These are all questions I have heard over the years. Bottom paint is used for the reason it was developed (preventing growth by wearing a thin layer off every time you run the boat, it contains a high concentration of copper to inhibit growth) it is also used to hide a world of sins (easy application to hide patch work and repairs). Boats which are to big to trailer are expected to be bottom painted due to the fact that they are in the water at all times, except for a winter season, and out for repair work. 

When do you need to bottom paint a boat?. Well the first thing that must be considered is the amount of time you will be in the water. Next is the water that you intend to keep your boat in. A boat should only be painted if it is going to live in the water full time.

 If you bottom paint a boat or buy a boat that is bottom painted and you are going to keep the boat on a trailer, the paint is a waste of time and money. As a matter of fact you will end up recoating just to keep the boat looking good, not for reduced growth. Which is what bottom paint is designed to do. If you allow the bottom paint to dry out which only takes a couple of months it is no longer effective and will start to come off in pieces. If you are shopping for a boat and it lives on a trailer and already has bottom paint there could be another reason for the bottom paint to be on the hull. Bottom damage is expensive to repair and repair technicians will offer a bottom paint finish to save money and time rather than trying to repair the hull to a factory finish with gel coat. So be care full with bottom painted hulls on trailer boats do your best to get the history don't rely on a survey. You will notice that trailer boats with bottom paint usually have paint all over the bunks, rollers and trailer. This is a sign that the owner has been repainting the boat on the trailer, so there is likely next to no paint under the bunks. Unless you are in heavy growth water such as salt or unusual fresh water conditions you really need to calculate the cost of a bottom paint program over the time you own the boat versus cleaning the bottom of the boat regularly. The amount of growth without paint is directly related to the hours of operation a boat that sees a lot of hours will see a small amount of bottom growth if any at all.

I have bottom painted boats as small as 15 foot due to the fact that the boat was being kept in the salt water all year round. For boats that are in the water all the season and do not see many running hours bottom paint will save you the growth problem that will occur from lack of movement, even in fresh water. Bottom paint will not stop growth, it simply allows the growth to come off under normal boat operation. This only works if you use the boat regularly if it sits all season and you take the boat for a late season run you will find when you haul the boat that you will still have a lot of growth on the bottom of the hull.

BOTTOM PAINT TIPS

• Do not try to sand and remove old bottom paint it may contain arsenic this would be pre 1990
• Do not roll coats of anti foul just because of discoloration you will build up massive thickness that is horrible to try to make right
• Bottom paint does not have to be applied in super thick coats to work
• Bottom paint will rob the boat of speed
• Select the right product for the job, there are anti fouls for hulls, running gear and transducers do not paint every thing with one paint.
• Do not paint running gear unless you purchase the correct primer and paint
• They make bottom paint with tin instead of copper content for aluminum boats and drives.
• Do not paint the copper based anti foul up to the drives or tabs leave a gap the copper bottom paint and the metals in the drive and other components will cause electrolysis (corrosion) on the transom plates and drives.
• Do not paint over anodes this makes them useless.
• If you are repainting a hull or are starting new it is a good idea to have the first coat a different color than the top coat, first coat blue the rest black this way as the bottom paint wears you can see when and where you need to recoat.
• Do not feel that you need to repaint the whole hull you can touch up for many seasons before recoating the whole hull.
• It is a rare occasion in fresh water to need to paint the running gear.
• Be sure your bottom paint line allows for two inches (higher) at the water line this will prevent those nasty water line stains
• If you have to raise the bottom paint line and you have not added any accessories to the boat , there is a reason. Boats will pick up weight over the years this is natural, however a sudden change is a sign that you are probably holding trapped water some were. If you use a travel lift to haul out get the weight of the boat every year at haul out and launch, keep track of these numbers and you will know if the boat is gaining weight.
•  If you add accessories such as swim platforms, generators, radar arches you will have to adjust the bottom paint line.
• Do not paint to a list to the port or starboard correct the load in the boat first, get ride of the list.
• Try not to paint to far above the water line it looks okay for a week or so then you will see the paint above the line start to get green as the copper in the paint ages.

Several attempts have been made to create a anti foul that will last the life of the boat without recoating, as well as a coating that can be applied in the mold at the time of construction. The life time anti foul was very close to working but it is super expensive and messy to apply. I did a proto type of this product once and wasn't a fan of the overall cost versus end product. You would have to own the boat over 15 years and need to re anti foul every year to make the system worth while. (The life time system does eliminate the need for a barrier coat).

If you use a lift or keep your boat in a high and dry facility you can remove bottom paint. It is a back breaking job, dealers have done this to 320 and 340 boats that have been sold new and will not live in the water full time. I have seen many products sold over the years that promise to make the hull so slippery that growth will not stick, I have never seen one that works that well. Generally due to the fact that the boats that receive these coating still do not see the amount of running time to make these coatings really effective.

Bottom Paint is the only real sensible option to prevent growth that is available to boaters. Bottom paint comes in many different brands and speeds. The speed terminology refers to the hull speed. Soft paints that sloff off at low speed will not work well on power boats and visa versa. Be sure you explain to your supplier the boat that the bottom coat will be applied to and the hull speed you run most of your time at. This way you get the best paint and value for your money. Bottom paint is available in blue, green, red and black (and other crazy colors). I recommend you pick any color you want as long as its black. It works the best, most colors are soft and only look good twice a year when you put it on new and after the boat is pressure washed at the end of the year. If you own a power boat and when the hull is pressure washed you see the bottom paint running all over the ground the paint is probably to soft and wearing of the hull to fast.

 Hull Preparation:

•  Never had bottom paint- The standard hull preparation for bottom paint is to sand the gel coat surface remove all the shine, remove the dust and apply at least two coats of your favorite brand of paint
• Never had bottom paint- The option I choose is the sand less primer system, you must buy the same brand paint as the sand less primer, I like this option better because you are not cutting through the resin rich gel surface.
• Recoating- If you are sticking with the same paint, Start by giving the hull from the water line down a really complete pressure wash try to remove what ever will come off (time spent here will save time later), then you sand down the edges of chips and flaked areas, mask off your line and items not to be painted. Start your re coating by covering the bare areas first and then coat the whole hull. This will keep the material build up fairly even over the hull.
• Annual clean up- This usually entails a few touch ups and at the very most a belly band, this is strip re coated around the water line a foot or so wide that's it. all you need here is a clean dry surface that's it.
• To find your water line you may need to float the boat if you are not full of water and fuel don't worry just add an inch. I did this on all new bottom paint jobs until I had a book with the various models to refer to, and even then one or two would throw a curve ball and be different.

A SPRING START UP TIP FOR YOU:
 
DO NOT RE COAT WITH NEW BOTTOM PAINT BEFORE YOU POLISH  THE HULL

Like any other service or maintenance job we do to our boats buying the right materials and working in the right conditions will pay off . The finished job will last longer and provide better value for the money spent. Be sure to inform your supplier of your needs and ask them the expected life of the bottom paint you are purchasing, some bottom paints come with a limited warranty.

To guarantee access to all of  Boat Nut Magazine articles, pictures and featured services visit the official Boat Nut Magazine ©™ website. Be sure to reply to the Boat Nut Association registration on our site for the latest Boat Nut weekly and monthly news letters and opportunities.

http://boatnutmagazine.com/

Copyright 2015 © Boat Nut Media, Toronto, Ontario. All rights reserved. No part of this information/publications may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or reproduced in any way, including but not limited to photocopy, magnetic, or other record, without prior agreement and written permission of the publisher, Boat Nuts Media ©™ No liability is assumed with respect to the information provided. 

12 Volt Battery Addition

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12 VOLT BATTERY ADDITION,  BUYING BATTERIES AGAIN/ Add on accessories pt 2

 12 volt battery capabilities are always a concern on any power boat no matter what the size. I have broken the requirements and  battery set up into five different groupings. Each one of these battery set ups and tips will describe different types of power boats and there battery set ups.

1-    The first battery set up is a small power boat which is designed and sold to be a trailer boat. This boat will be living its life when not out on the water on a trailer. This type of boat will come rigged with a single start battery system, no charger (the simplest set up). This battery set up works fine, provided the boat comes out of the water at the end of each time you use the boat. A boat that does not have to live in the water all the time escapes several issues that effect battery life. When the boat spends its stored life on the trailer the drain plug is out and the boat drains free of any rain water or boat wash water. The boat does not rely on the battery to power the bilge pump to get rid of excess water when you are not around. As long as the battery in this set up is keep charged it will likely out last a battery in a cruiser as it is not being constantly charged up.
If you put this same boat in the water full time at the dock, the boat now can become filled with rain and any water that finds its way to the bilge area is pumped out by the bilge pump. The water will get in even with the canvas on. The reason for this is the requirements to seal all the hardware on a smaller boat are different than a larger boat (a bow rider for example requires no sealant on deck hardware). If it were to rain all week  for example the bilge pump would have to come on several times to keep the boat from filling up. Trailer note (if you leave the drain plug in the boat while you store it on the trailer you can run into the same issue). After a week of rain you show up to go boating and the battery is low on charge. So after a month at the dock the battery will probably be dead. Out comes the jump box to start the boat, you do this several times and you have done damage to the battery, and you find you are buying batteries every year.

The immediate fix to this is install a second battery. Does this fix the problem?  No its does not by installing a second battery all you are doing is extending the battery life which means that the bilge pump will run longer and your boat will start more often. If you install a new battery with an old damaged battery the new one will continually drain to the old battery. You must remember that newer motors require a full battery charge to start, if you are starting your motor on low voltage you are harming the starter, electric fuel pumps  and or any other systems on the motor that require 12 volts and full battery amperage to start. If you continue this low voltage starting you will be doing long term damage shortening the life of the equipment on the engine. To prevent this from happening install a battery switch with your two batteries at the very least, this will allow you to isolate a start battery. If you tie two batteries together with out a switch you are going to wear down the batteries equally . You will have to be sure that when you install the battery switch that it is the correct one a two position battery switch 1/2/ALL/OFF, and you must also make sure that the battery you isolate is the start battery be sure that it does not have any other boat system wiring attached to it. This is a is engine start only battery ( the only other wires attached here are for the trim pump). Keep in mind that the only system on the boat that must be hooked directly to the house battery (this is the accessory battery) is the bilge pump(s). Be sure that every circuit that leaves the battery is fuse or breaker protected, if you have any wires hooked to the battery that do not have circuit protection remove them , pick up and install a circuit protection devise protection device.

SINGLE MOTOR ONE BATTERY

                                  

                    

SINGLE MOTOR WITH TWO BATTERIES



2-    The next battery set up is the one you will find in the small cruiser classes of boats. These are boats which are designed and sold to be kept in the water all season. Some of these boats are considered over night types, these do not have a 120 volt shore power system installed from the factory, but are wired for dual batteries complete with a battery switch. This design will have a location for a start battery and a deep cycle house battery. It is important that the correct batteries are in the correct location. You can start a boat with a deep cycle battery, however the cranking amps needed at start are not instantly there for the motor. a start battery does not have the recovery of a deep cycle (deep cycle batteries take longer to completely charge and if they are low you can quite often turn everything off and the battery will have a natural recovery of some power this is why they are accessory battery). Be sure you match the start battery with your engine(s) needs not enough cranking amps will harm the motor. Your battery switch allows you to keep the start battery isolated from the systems such as radios, accessory plugs lights etc. This will give you the peace of mind knowing that even if the house battery goes down from using the systems for extended times your boat will start and with the reselection of the battery switch after start up the alternator will charge the low house battery.

How do you use the battery switch as a tool to keep the start battery fresh and ready to go?

 The first thing you must do is have a clear understanding of which one of the batteries is the start battery and which one is the house or accessory battery. Once you determine the start battery mark the switch with an S beside the number that it corresponds to (the battery switch is marked 1  2  ALL and OFF)
If your start battery is attached to the number 1 terminal than number 1 is the start battery and number 2 is the house battery.
So here is how we use the switch: When you get to the boat and you are prepared to start the motor select number 1 or the start battery once the motor is running switch the switch to all. This allows the alternator to distribute the charge it is producing to both the batteries at the same time. When the engine is running leave the switch on all. Now when you stop and are using the boat to entertain or for leisure time switch the battery switch to number 2, now your boat is only using the house battery for all the 12volt power on board. You can continue in this position until you run out of power or are ready to go with the motor again. When you are ready to start the motor flip the switch back to number 1 position and start the motor and again set the switch to all and the engine will charge both batteries again. When you are finished boating and heading home turn the battery switch to the off position this will mean that only the bilge pump will be powered up. This is the safest way to leave your boat as the bilge pump needs to be able to get power for as long as possible, this is also good security as the boat will not start with the switch in the off position. If you do leave anything on by accident the battery switch will take care of that.

 However there are exceptions to this rule and this is were most boaters get caught!!

  The exception is if you have a 120/12 fridge, or other accessories have been added like amps and electronics. A lot of boaters or installers will wire direct to battery which can be a no, no! I have seen amps wired to the start battery. Nothing but the battery switch, trim pump and charger should be hooked to the start battery period. If you look at your start battery there should only be three red wires maximum and four black wires maximum. I will explain on a small runabout they can and do use the battery as a terminal block in other words they bring the boat trim pump, bilge pump, boat main, and the motor lead to the positive terminal. The motor trim pump and boat grounds to the negative terminal this is due to the lack of accessories that this type of boat has. If you start to load up your small boat with chargers and accessories you will have to install terminal blocks as you wont be able to get a nut on the posts any more. Never use the battery as a terminal block for a pile of wires, this is particularly true after you install a charger. your battery will not last long at all. On a small cruiser boat you should have three red wires to the positive terminal of the start battery , and they are charger wire, the wire to battery switch and the trim pump wire that's it no more. The negative terminal should have the charger wire, engine ground wire, trim pump ground and a jumper or bond wire to join all the negative battery terminals together. If your boat has any more wires than this on the start battery you will need to trace them and move them to another location to either pick up power or locate a ground. As boats get older and have been passed through many owners and technicians hands the batteries start to look like one of those plug adaptors at home with a dozen extension cords run to it, a wiring night mare which is a fire hazard. In many cases what happens is one or more of these wires have a draw on them. Which means that even if you turn off the battery switch there is a power drain on the battery, someone by passed the switch or terminal bar and ran a circuit directly to the battery. The worse culprit for this is a fridge, it will kill a battery in mere hours. So if you loose 120 volt power (shore power) to the boat the fridge automatically cycles over to 12 volt. If the fridge by passes the battery switch that you have turned off, the battery or batteries will only last a day or so and be stone dead. Now you have no bilge pumps or any protection on the boat.

The problem with this is once the batteries are stone dead the charger can be turned back on but it will not recognize that there is a battery to charge and the system stays dead. Most new chargers require a return of power from a battery to go ahead and charge. So a dead battery will not start to receive a charge at all. If a battery goes completely dead you will need to use another charger to start the recharge program on the battery and then reattach the battery to your on board charger.

TWIN MOTORS GENERATOR  WITH FOUR BATTERIES





3- The third set up is the cruiser system set up , this is where the boat has a full 120 volt shore power system and multiple batteries with possible generator system. This battery set up can appear to be more complex and will usually have multiple battery switches and a minimum of three batteries and if rigged with generator four batteries. The reason for the multiple battery switches is to prevent the two alternators charging a single circuit. This set up is not really complex you just have to break it down into its components, to understand. The port motor side which usually has the house battery (s) attached to it, and the starboard motor side represented by a single battery start system. The generator is a simple single battery start system. In 99% of the cases these battery switches never get touched the boater relies on the charger to maintain the 12 volt systems and simply replaces batteries as they give up over the time of boat ownership.

So why do batteries in my car last for years and in my boat I am replacing batteries every couple of years? Well there is a simple answer to this question when we leave our boats unattended with all the systems still running the batteries are taking a constant charge, when this happens the batteries never get a chance to cool down. What is happening?, the batteries are slowly being boiled dry. This is why technicians are checking the level in the maintainable batteries on your boat and having to add distilled water to them, once you start having to do this the batteries are already dieing a slow death. You can boil your batteries dry, the batteries will get so hot they will explode. If you board your boat and smell a sulphur smell immediately shut the charger down. Not only are the batteries affected by this constant charge problem, but over charged batteries will eat up battery chargers. Do you ever wonder why alternators and starters are a constantly being swapped out on boats. These part failures are quite often due to bad batteries. The effects of overcharging and bad batteries are felt all over the boat. If boat owners would shut the chargers down once in a while and give the system a break instead of leaving on the charger until they start the motor thus immediately the alternator begins to charge, providing no charging break for the batteries. If the batteries were given a charging break they would have a longer life. A lot of the time the charger is on, it is not charging the batteries. The batteries are probably fully charged, but instead the charger is trying to maitain a load. (something is on drawing a small amount of power from the battery).

All the same rules that we have previously discussed apply to a multiple battery system. Problems associated with battery life include, jumping accessories directly to the batteries, bad terminal connection and not using the switches to shut the boat down when you are gone for days at a time. On a multiple motor multiple battery system you have shore power to keep the necessities running you don't need to leave the 12 volt system on all the time. If you use the 12 volt systems in the correct way you can extend battery life and have a safer boat.

Most boaters don't understand or know the correct way to use the battery switches in the boat to maintain and extend the life of thier batteries.

4- Chargers and Batteries. I cannot stress enough the importance of having the correct batteries in the right places. Start batteries in the start location, deep cycle batteries in the house location and clean correct terminal attachments. Do not have a pile of cables on your batteries. When it comes to the order with which the wires go on the batteries, there is a rule here to do not just put them on in any order. The first wire on the terminal is always the charger wire. The reason for this is many chargers have a heat sensor function that shuts the charger down in the case of a hot battery. This function only works if the battery charger wire is the first wire on the battery. If the charger wire is second or third the heat will travel up the other wires first (use the larger wires as a heat sink) and the battery will burn up before the charger can recognize a problem. I am sure if you have owned boats for long, you have seen burnt cable ends or damaged terminals on batteries, this is why.(incorrect order of wires on the battery post)

SOME TIPS

1-If you are going to swap the batteries to gel cell batteries you must be sure the charger is compatible

2-Run the charger wires directly to the battery not to the battery switch.

3-Be sure all the negative terminals on all batteries are tied together.

4-Do not use cheap automotive battery cables, they will rust away every time.

5-It is necessary to use actual stainless steel nuts and not wing nuts to attach cables to the batteries

6-Be sure each positive charger wire has s fuse in line

7-Always use correct size wires at the battery

8-Batteries will freeze if not at a full charge

9-Battery boxes will collect water make sure that they are dry and clean

10-Be sure your batteries are all tied down with battery tie downs

11-Inspect your batteries regularly (once a month) don't just look, check the terminals. Loose terminals will melt away under load.

12-Keep a container of distilled water on board if you have serviceable batteries and check the levels every month or so.

13-Do not always believe a battery load tester if you think the battery is a problem change it, it is always a good idea to keep a spare fully charged battery on board if you have the room to do so.

14-If you have a generator on board and the batteries go down remember the generator battery is isolated from the rest of the boat you can start the generator and switch the battery charger on and after twenty minutes the engines will start

15-Keep all battery wires the correct length and do not run them close to heat sources



16-Clean terminal connections remove any corrosion from wire ends and terminals

     If you have a fishing boat or a boat were there is a bow thruster trolling motor or loads of electronics and there are extra batteries installed, have a technician or some one other than your resident boater expert explain how these batteries are wired were they get a charge and how the system works. This is true in the case of an emergency were you need to disable a system due to heat or fire. Be informed and you will have a safer boating experience.

If you have any questions about your boat contact Boat Nut at boatnutmedia@gmail.com

To guarantee access to all of  Boat Nut Magazine articles, pictures and featured services visit the official Boat Nut Magazine ©™ website. Be sure to reply to the Boat Nut Association registration on our site for the latest Boat Nut weekly and monthly news letters and opportunities.

http://boatnutmagazine.com/

Copyright 2015 © Boat Nut Media, Toronto, Ontario. All rights reserved. No part of this information/publications may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or reproduced in any way, including but not limited to photocopy, magnetic, or other record, without prior agreement and written permission of the publisher, Boat Nuts Media ©™ No liability is assumed with respect to the information provided. 





CAPTAIN O' CAPTAIN

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                    CAPTAIN O CAPTAIN , HOW DO I KNOW ITS TRUE?

First let me ask why are all the boat experts referred to as captain? Is calling yourself a captain a self appointed arrogant way of saying I know boats, or is it to give you a warm and fuzzy feeling that they are telling you the facts. After all they must know something he/she is a captain. I personally hate being referred to as a captain, I spent over 40 years around boats, and always thought of a captain as someone who was responsible for the safe operation of a vessel. Someone who is an expert at charts and navigation. A captain would be the go to person for maritime laws and rules not necessarily the person to keep the vessel in tip top order, there is a crew for that. So I consider myself crew and not a captain.

SO WHAT MAKES ME SO SMART?

My phone rings everyday with questions about all matter of topics to do with maintenance, repair and opinions of all years makes and models of power boats. This is what I have discover opinions are like ass holes everyone has one! Most of the opinions are founded on self gain and sales, you call a company or expert and they are trying to figure out how to cash in. You are a potential cash cow, do they want to advise you or raid your wallet.............

I started this blog to provide the best information I could with the thought that over 30 years of international power boat repairs, operation and maintenance would be of value to you the boat owner. As there is little quality information and entertainment to do with power boating maybe I could grow this idea into something fun and truth full, not a every boat and boat product is the greatest thing you have ever seen. There are enough of those sites out there
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So what makes me any different than any other so called expert? I feel I should explain my back ground and how I earned a degree from the Boat Nut University. I received my PHD in power boat repair from putting in Plenty of Hard Days. Making mistakes, learning and listening to the best  people the industry had and has to offer, these are not the advise givers they are the people who build and service boats around the world. Person's that boat builders rely on to fly to some little country where there are no supply stores and fix every issue big or small on any boat at a moments notice. We needed to be experts at every system of any size boat any model year. No fancy titles just able to do anything trouble shooters, providing a written account of why the part or system failed in the field, design a repair procedure for others to follow, and supply engineering with solutions to stop the failure on future models of the same or similar boats.  There where not many of us.

You had to be able to disassemble an entire boat in the field, as well as be a mechanic, upholstery, wood worker, electrician, plumber, fiberglass expert you name it. Back in the 80s and 90s we received certificates for each trade we mastered even receiving US Coast Guard certificates for fuel systems. But that's all gone now, new technicians are parts swappers, the best you can get is a service school diploma.

My client base included plenty of names you will recognize:

• Sea Ray
• Bayliner
• Robalo
• Wahoo
• Boston Whaler
• Trophy
• Meridian
• Maxum
• Baja
• Tiara
• Ranger
• Wellcraft
• Prowler
• Rinker
• Hydra Sport
• Astro/ Procraft
• Campion
• Thundercraft
• Chris Craft
• Trojan
• Glasstron
• Four Winns
• Larson
• Mastercraft
• Lund
• World Cat
• Polar
• Fountain
• Cigerette
• Doral
• and many more custom and private boats

This variety of manufacturers and model years have provided a unique insight into power boats and how they have evolved over the last 35 plus years. I have repaired and operated all of the above boats, in all types of environments. These experiences coupled with the amazingly skilled people that I have had the pleasure of having as colleges and friends have prepared me to sit down and write honest, informative and entertaining information for you the boat owners.

Any feed back or opinions are welcome at boatnutmedia@gmail.com!!!!

To guarantee access to all of  Boat Nut Magazine articles, pictures and featured services visit the official Boat Nut Magazine ©™ website. Be sure to reply to the Boat Nut Association registration on our site for the latest Boat Nut weekly and monthly news letters and opportunities.

http://boatnutmagazine.com/

Copyright 2015 © Boat Nut Media, Toronto, Ontario. All rights reserved. No part of this information/publications may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or reproduced in any way, including but not limited to photocopy, magnetic, or other record, without prior agreement and written permission of the publisher, Boat Nuts Media ©™ No liability is assumed with respect to the information provided.           

Hull Identification Number all you Need to Know

                                               

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HULL ID NUMBERS AND MANUFACTURERS ID CODES

Hull Identification Number

The Hull Identification Number (HIN) consists of 12 consecutive characters (capital letters of the alphabet and/or Arabic numerals) with no spaces, slashes, oblique stroke or hyphens between them. These characters are:
* A three digit Manufacturers Identification Code (MIC) followed by
* A five character manufacturers hull serial number and
* Four figures giving the date of manufacturer

Manufacturers Identification Code

The Manufacturers Identification Code (MIC) consists of three characters (block capitals or numbers) forming the first three characters of the HIN, as issued by Coast guard. It identifies the plant of manufacturer and is unique to whom it is issued.

Hull Serial Number

Characters four through eight of the HIN are the individual hull serial number which is defined by the manufacturer. No two boats are assigned the same hull serial number. The hull serial number consists of capital letters of the alphabet or Arabic numerals or both, exceptions being the letters I, O and Q, they are not used.

Characters nine through twelve of the HIN are a letter and numbers indicating the month and year of manufacture and the model year for which the boat is built. The date code of the HIN has been handled three different ways over the years (to be explained further on)

Country Code

The country Code is an optional addition to the HIN. Manufacturers of boats have the option of adding the prefix, e.g. "US-" (block capitol letters and hyphen) in front of the HIN. This is a mandatory requirement for manufacturers exporting to some countries (for example: the European Community). This is not part of the accepted mutual recognition of Hull Identification Numbers between Canada and the US.

Marking of the Hull

The HIN is permanently affixed into the hull, hull member, or on a plate so that removal of the HIN or plate would normally cause some scarring or damage to the surrounding hull area. No character of the HIN is to be less than 6 mm (1/4 inch) in height and width.

 Where  is the HIN located?
* The transom above the load water line (preferably on the upper starboard quadrant).
* The starboard side at the aft end of the hull that bears the rudder or steering mechanism, if the boat has no transom.
* The outer most starboard side of the after end of the hull, if the boat has more than one hull, and no transom.

Some manufacturers have added additional characters after the HIN separated from the HIN by a hyphen.
Three different HIN numbering systems have been used by the Coast Guard and boat manufacturers.

Numbering System 1

Most builders started using this format in Jan 1985 and is still in use.

ZZZ                                           45678                                 A                     5                  85
Manufacturers ID Code      Hull Serial Number      Month built    Year Built    Model Year

Character Nine - is a letter of the alphabet indicating the month during which construction or assembly began
Character Ten - is the last numeral of the year during which construction or assembly began
Character Eleven - are the last two numerals which represent the model year for which the boat was built.

The example above shows that Hull Number 45678 built by manufacturer identified as ZZZ was built in  JAN 1985

Jan -A        Feb -B     March -C    April - D     May -E     June -F    July -G    Aug -H    Sept -I
Oct -J        Nov -K       Dec -L

Numbering System 2

Most builders used this format from the mid 1970's until Dec 1984. However, some builders still used the previous system.

ZAA                                                      45678                                          M76E
Manufacturers ID Code                Hull Serial Number                    Month and Year

Character Nine - of the HIN is the letter "M" a spacer letter before the year
Character Ten and Eleven - are the last two numerals of the model year, which commences in Aug of the preceding calendar year.
Character Twelve - is a letter of the alphabet which indicates the month during which construction or assembly began

Using the "Model Year" option, the date of manufacture code for Dec 1975 would be displayed as M76E

Aug -A    Sept - B    Oct -C    Nov -D    Dec -E    Jan -F    Feb -G    March -H    April -I    May -J
June -K    July -L

Numbering System Number 3

Most builders use this format from the 1960's though until the mid 1970's. Some builders converted to the newer system earlier.

ZAA                                                   45678                                          1275
Manufacturers ID Code         Hull Serial Number                 Month and Year of Manufacture

Characters Nine and Ten - indicate the month of the calendar year (Jan to Dec numbered 01 to 12)
Characters Eleven and Twelve - are the last two numerals of the calendar year.
The date of manufacture is the month and year during which the construction or assembly began. Using the "Model Year" option, the date of manufacture code for Dec 1975 would be displayed as 1275.

If a HIN area is damaged a replacement code can be imprinted in the hull, the manufacturer will send a replacement HIN mold, but it must be returned (I have received them by armored car). The HIN should be inspected on any boat you have or may purchase, it must be accessible for law enforcement to inspect if you cover the HIN you must provide access to the original area. The HIN is placed in several locations on the hull and deck if you see that the number does not look factory finish you can contact the builder for more information on were to locate another HIN area so you can confirm that the boat is not stolen or being fraudulently represented. The HIN is a number you should have on hand at all times as it can be used to gather the original build information for the boat. All information that the manufacturer has on file for the boat is kept using the HIN.
No HIN, No Sale!

To guarantee access to all of  Boat Nut Magazine articles, pictures and featured services visit the official Boat Nut Magazine ©™ website. Be sure to reply to the Boat Nut Association registration on our site for the latest Boat Nut weekly and monthly news letters and opportunities.

http://boatnutmagazine.com/

Copyright 2015 © Boat Nut Media, Toronto, Ontario. All rights reserved. No part of this information/publications may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or reproduced in any way, including but not limited to photocopy, magnetic, or other record, without prior agreement and written permission of the publisher, Boat Nuts Media ©™ No liability is assumed with respect to the information provided.