United Yacht Sales Weblog

Author: Frank Rom
There is nothing more enjoyable than a nice, calm voyage on the water. The fact that there are quite a number of different boating experiences, be it soothing or on the contrary exciting makes the boating world a very attractive one. Water sports in general have always been well appreciated, even by those who don’t like to get wet at all.

Boating can be enjoyed alone, in a group with some friends or with your family, it makes a great bonding experience. A group of people or family members coming together to go fishing or to go swimming or just to go quietly cruising along on the lake have a mutual interest and a mutual goal: relaxing and being free of the worlds trouble.

And for those who are not satisfied with the quiet and calm cruising there is always waterskiing or wild water rafting to prove your athletic skills and stamina. And let us not forget boat racing: a hobby that can gets a lot of excitement going. Whatever your fancy in the boating world make sure that your vessel and its power are a match for your expectation of pleasure.

Match Your Boating to Your Hobby

It goes without saying that for waterskiing you will need a rather big boat in order to carry not only the people but also all the necessary equipment. Don’t forget to bring along a lookout, to keep an eye on the skier in case he or she gets in trouble and falls. The power of the boat will have to be sufficient to get to the skier in case of emergency but not so big as to get him or her in trouble because the speed exceeds the safe limits.

If you’d rather cruise the lake, you can do with a smaller boat and less power, giving you the opportunity to savor the surroundings, gently cruising along. The power of the motor has to be big enough though to get the vessel through the water without putting too much strain. For keen fishers out there they will need a bigger boat with perhaps twin engines to get them to the fishing zones and back to the docks in no time.

The best of all worlds of course would be to have a boat for all kinds of boating fun, small enough to do some cruising, yet large and powerful enough for waterskiing or fishing. This type of vessel caters to the needs of many family members and brings fun for everyone. What could be better on a warm, sunny day than a family boating trip?

Author: Samantha Kay
Learning the proper way to trailer a boat is a necessity for any individual who does in fact trailer their boat as opposed to keeping it on a lift or at a storage facility that offers “in and out” service for their customers.

While there is no “official” data available at the current time from the government or insurance companies on the exact number of accidents specifically, that occur while a vehicle is pulling a boat, it is widely speculated that the number is on the rise for several reasons:

* Rise in the number of individuals purchasing boats and boat trailers.

* Increased use of trailer companies using low-cost imports to build trailers that unfortunately have been associated with a decrease in quality, particularly in the area of boat trailers spring suspensions.

* Inadequate maintenance of boat trailers by the owner.

* Inadequate knowledge by boat trailers owners on the proper way to hook up the boat trailer to the vehicle, trailer a boat, launch a boat (backing up a boat trailer) and retrieving a boat.

Also, improperly trailing a boat, particularly when launching and retrieval, is extremely poor boating etiquette and causes much inconsideration and aggravation to knowledgeable and studied boaters. In addition, the environment suffers as more pollutants enter into the water with a constant reversal and forward of the boat while trying to retrieve to the trailer.

With increasing your experience, rest assured your turn will come someday as you patiently wait for the inept driver making their fourth attempt at backing the boat trailer down the ramp or trying to retrieve it back onto the trailer.

All this being said, lets look at tips on the proper way to hook up, trailer, launch, retrieve and travel a distance with a boat trailer.

Hooking up a boat trailer to a towing vehicle:

* If you have a SUV vehicle, most of the hatches can be lifted up. Before you begin to back up to the boat, open and lift the hatch up. This will give you an enormous advantage in backing up to the trailer by enabling you to see tremendously better where you are backing up in regards to the trailer.

* Once the vehicle is properly backed up to the boat trailer hitch, put the emergency brake on in your vehicle and begin to crank down the boat trailer jack onto the coupler ball on the vehicle. Once the trailer hitch is all the way down on the vehicle coupler ball, continue to crank the trailer jack as far as it will go up.

* Tighten down the trailer to the coupler ball either by turning trailer hitch or locking it down, depending on which type of trailer hitch you have. It’s a good practice at this time to put a master lock through the trailer hitch. This is often forgotten and many a boater has come back to the ramp and found their trailer gone. Therefore, do this immediately after your attached and secured to your trailer.

* Attach the safety chains from the trailer to the vehicle making sure to cross them over one another.

* If your trailer has brakes, hook up the S-hook on the brake cable from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.

* Lastly connect the electrical connector from the boat trailer to the vehicle in whatever connection is on your vehicle hitch.

* Make sure the trailer winch is locked down tight on the boat bow eye. Shut your SUV hatch.

* At this time you are hooked up and ready to go, however it is suggested to take a few more minutes to prepare for launching either at home, which is strongly suggested or at the boat ramp.

Pre-launching Tips:

* Preparation, preparation, preparation. This is the key to safely launching your boat. This is not only a safety issue but an enormous courtesy to fellow boaters at the ramp. Again, most of these tips can be and should be addressed before leaving home with your boat; however, some must wait until arriving at the ramp. Read the rest of this entry »

Author: Steve Miers
With boating season about to get into full swing, it is time to think about packing up your gear and your family and heading to the lake. Going out on the boat with your family can be a fun experience that can create many happy childhood memories for your children. Growing up on the water is an experience that not all children get to have. There are some things that you can do to help add to the experience.

The first thing that you need to do is to pick a boating destination. Children enjoy riding on the boat, but they also will not want to ride around endlessly all day. They need something to look forward to. If you are a family that enjoys skiing, then board your boat and take a scenic cruise to the best skiing spot on the lake. If your children like to be pulled on a float, then make your way to calmer waters where they can enjoy being pulled on the float without having to worry about other boats. If sunbathing is a priority, then a calm inlet where you can tie floats to the boat and be lazy in the water is a perfect spot. We have an island close to us where there is a beach volley ball court and a water volley ball court set up in shallow water. This seems to be the spot for the teenagers to congregate and parents to relax together. Younger children might enjoy a nature cruise, looking for turtles, fish and flowers.

Pack plenty of food and drinks for your family. If you have a teenage son who eats and eats and eats, then have snacks available for him. A picnic lunch on the water or on the beach of an island are both good ideas. If you have access to a restaurant on the water, then take advantage of an hour out of the sun and in the air conditioning to fuel up for more water fun.

Take along games such as cards or a favorite board game. If your children need a break from being in the water, they can play a game on deck or down below. The children can play games inside the boat while you ride around leisurely, which works for both of you.

Have fun making memories with your family on the water. Whether you are swimming, skiing or relaxing in the water or on the boat, enjoy the family time that boating together gives you. In this fast paced world, being out on the water, away from it all is a good time out for everyone.
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