With the ever rising gas prices which will probably get outrageous over the summer months, who doesn’t want to know where they can save a buck when they can?  These tips have been tested and proven to work!

1 Watch Your Wake

If your stern is digging a hole in the water, you’re wasting fuel. Your boat may be unbalanced because of weight distribution, it may be overloaded, and/or it may be running at inefficient rpms for the load, engine, boat, and other circumstances. It’s true that you can usually save fuel by running slower, but if you’re digging a hole at the slower speed you’ve chosen, you’re probably doing more harm than good.

2 Give Seat Assignments

To keep on an economical trim, don’t let everyone sit in the bow or stern, and don’t run on a heel (unless maybe if you have a sailboat). Keep safety and stability as an utmost goal as you do this. You may have to experiment to get the right trim, if it’s safe to do so. Only move people around while the boat is traveling slowly, or stopped, considering the circumstances. Read More »

Boating is a great way to cool off on a hot weekend. Before you head out and buy a boat there are a few things you should know. Operating a boat is very different from a car. Sure, both usually have a steering wheel with forward and reverse, some even have boat speed control like a car’s cruise control, but the car will not usually be affected by things like wind and current. On the water, as well as the road, there are also rules to follow. However, water is fluid and those rules are more of a guideline, taking second seat to current conditions.

Now that you are aware of the fact that you are not driving your car on the water let me walk you through the basic steps of how to drive a boat. First off, before you leave the dock, make sure you have enough fuel, that there is enough oil, and that all your safety equipment is in proper working order (i.e. horn, life jackets, etc). Now is time to start the engine. If you have an outboard, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to start. Read More »

In many parts of the country, people are asking when did winter end and spring begin? Anglers and boaters are taking advantage of the unusually warm weather, but some may be forgetting that cold waters still lurk beneath the keel. Here’s three easy safety tips from www.BoatUS.com/foundation that will help you get safely through the spring fishing and boating season.

1. Don’t allow the warm weather to let your guard down: The air temperatures may be downright balmy, but deceptively cold waters increase the risk of hypothermia even on a “T-shirt” day. Also remember there are fewer boats out on the water that could come to your aid. Bring extra layers or change of clothes and rain gear this time of year. Read More »

Spring has sprung—and for millions of boaters in the U.S. that means it’s time to take their boats out of winter storage and put them in the water. For boaters, annual preparation and cleaning projects are necessary rites of spring that help to ensure not only their protection and safety, but also to prevent problems that could keep them off the water once the season is underway.

FUEL SYSTEM

BELTS, CABLES & HOSES

Inspect the fuel system for leaks or damage; pay special attention to fuel hoses, connections and tank surfaces. Evidence of damaged fuel hoses includes softness, brittleness or cracking. Read More »

Everything has a history, everything has a place of origin. Have thought of why there is a starboard and port? Where did they derive from?

Starboard, as all weekend sailors know, is the right side of the boat (or ship), and “port” is the left. We’ll start with starboard, which appeared in English around 893 A.D. It comes from the Old English word “steorbord,” based on the elements “steor” (steering paddle) and “bord” (meaning, in this case, the side of a boat). On ancient Teutonic ships, the paddle used to steer was mounted on the right side of the ship (as opposed to the stern, where most modern rudders are located). The “steorbord,” or “steering side,” was, therefore, the right side of the boat or ship. Read More »

Have you thought of getting a new propeller for your water craft? At JMSOnline we have the best of props. The new Propeller Wizard is top notch.  With options of aluminum  or stainless steel you will be sure to find the exact fit for your boat. In the rest of  this blog I have put together a few reason you may not have thought of when it comes to getting a new propeller.

Why Replace Your Propeller?

Changes in hull designs and the introduction of four stroke engines and high horsepower outboards have all required new approaches to propeller design and manufacturing. These changes have demanded radical and aggressive propeller designs that did not exist even 5 years ago.

Over the past decade, computer modeling has resulted in better understanding of the fluid dynamics of high speed planing hulls and high velocity water flow. Read More »

Every angler is interested in catching larger fish, faster. Every angler also knows that the best fishing times are when the fish are feeding, which is typically at dusk and dawn. But there are other factors to consider, too. Here’s more …

A History of Solunar Tables

The quest to determine the best times to hunt and fish is not a recent project. For hundreds of years people that made their living hunting and fishing recognized that there were certain times when wildlife was more abundant. The lives of most Native Americans were completely dependent on knowing the best times to hunt and fish. People who base their existence on the ocean or lakes have long understood that solar and lunar influences help determine the best times to fish. What is generally known and almost universally accepted is that fish and game are more active at certain times of the day, most noticeably at dawn and dusk. It is also generally agreed that many game species are more active during certain phases of the moon as well as when the moon is in certain positions in the sky each day. All of these influences have an individual effect that can be observed and in some instances measured. Read More »

Yes, we have talked about sea sickness before, but I have still been on the look out for other remedies.  Though it may seems we have hashed out this topic before. Those of you who have experienced the ‘sickness’ are probably very grateful for the information.

Many people have their own remedy for how to have a less nauseated voyage as does Admiral Nelson. Whenever he encountered a seasick sailor, (Admiral Nelson,) the British hero at Trafalgar, suggested his own fool-proof remedy: “You’ll feel better if you sit under a tree.” Nelson, who made a few trips to the rail himself, was obviously a funny guy but not everybody shares his sense of humor about seasickness. Read More »