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Archive for September, 2008

Where To Buy An Alumacraft Boat Cover For The Best Price

September 22nd, 2008 by Jack Starkey | No Comments | Filed in Boating Equipment

There is no better way to enjoy the rivers, lakes and waterways than with an Alumacraft boat. And to enjoy it to its fullest it is essential that you purchase an Alumacraft boat cover to protect your vessel against all kinds of weather.

You can expect to spend around $240 for such a cover (this price has been discounted by 36% - its true value is higher) and for this you can get a 6.5 square yard Sundura cover that is the Alumacraft best seller due to its high quality.

Guarantees on Alumacraft Boat Covers

This is something that everyone wants to know about because even though most covers, no matter what material they are made out of, don’t tend to go wrong, there can sometimes be the slight possibility this could happen.

When you purchase an Alumacraft boat cover, you are automatically paying for quality and upon the sale, the cover has a 5 year warranty along with the 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are unhappy with the product then you can get a full refund with no questions asked.

Materials Used In The Manufacture Of Alumacraft Boat Covers

The product is made from Sundura, a one hundred percent polyester fabric, and is the most popular cover available. The only available colour choices are blue or grey.

All Alumacraft boat covers are extremely durable and are resistant to water and stains but they are not automatically protected against UV rays and mildew. An additional treatment is available through the company that provides additional protection against any kind of weather.

Any Special Orders

Should you have any special request for your Alumacraft boat cover then the company will be able assist you with any requirements that you need for your boat. The company will be very happy to help in any way possible but it is important that you understand that if a special order is placed then the product cannot be returned if you change your mind.

You are unlikely to require a special order as Alumacraft covers have everything you should require but if you need something slightly different then contact the company first to see if what you want is possible and not too expensive.

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Marine Diesel Engine Basics

September 22nd, 2008 by Jack Starkey | No Comments | Filed in Boating Equipment

In a conventional marine diesel engine the power is produced by hot compressed air igniting fuel sprayed under very high pressure into the cylinder head. A marine diesel engine does not use a carburetor to mix fuel and air or spark plugs to ignite the mixture. Instead it uses the pistons to compress the air to 3000 kPa which causes it to become very hot and the fuel is ignited as soon as it is injected into the cylinder.

Some marine diesel engines are fitted with a heater plug in the inlet manifold or a glow plug in the pre-combustion chamber of each cylinder to provide additional heat to the combustion air during starting.

Diesel engines are heavier and slower revving than petrol engines but they are also more reliable because they do not rely on external carburetion or an electrical spark for ignition.

Many newer engines employ an electronic fuel injection system where fuel and air are mixed more thoroughly in the pre-combustion chamber before entering the cylinder. This system maximizes power and fuel economy and is also less polluting.

All boaters should have an understanding about how their engine works so let’s start by looking at the mechanical cycles.

Most reciprocating piston internal combustion engines work on one of two mechanical cyclesóeither the four-stroke cycle or the two-stroke cycle. These cycles list, in the correct order, the mechanical actions by which the fuel and air gain access to the engine cylinder, the gas pressure – due to combustion – is converted into power and, lastly, the burnt gas is expelled from the engine cylinder.

A Basic Four-Stroke Diesel Engine

As the name suggests it is obvious there are four strokes in one complete engine cycle. A stroke is the movement of the piston through the full length of the cylinder and, since one such movement causes the crankshaft to rotate half a turn, it follows that there are two crankshaft revolutions in one complete engine cycle.

The four strokes in the order they occur are:

1. Inlet stroke. With the inlet valve open and the exhaust valve closed, the piston moves from top dead center (TDC) to bottom dead center (BDC), creating a low-pressure area in the cylinder. Clean, filtered air rushes through the open inlet valve to relieve this low-pressure area, and the cylinder fills with air.

2. Compression stroke. With both valves closed, the piston moves from BDC to TDC, compressing the air. During this stroke the air becomes heated to a temperature sufficiently high to ignite the fuel.

3. Power stroke. At around TDC, the fuel is injected, or sprayed, into the hot, compressed air, where it ignites, burns and expands. Both valves remain closed, and the pressure acts on the piston crown, forcing it down the cylinder from TDC to BDC.

4. Exhaust stroke. At approximately BDC the exhaust valve opens and the piston starts to move from BDC to TDC, driving the burnt gas out of the cylinder through the open exhaust valve.

Two-Stroke Diesel Engines

The two-stroke engine uses two piston strokes to complete one power stroke and, therefore, fire twice as often as a four-stroke engine. A two-stroke engine is smaller and simpler with fewer moving parts. A two-stroke engine has the potential to produce twice as much power as a four-stroke engine of the same size, however, because of the extra fitting required in a two-stroke diesel engine, for example blowers and governors, they become more expensive to produce. There has been a move towards four stroke diesel engines of late as they have become smaller and more efficient.

Protect Your Marine Diesel Engine

Protect your engine by avoiding long periods (more than 10 minutes) of idling in a ìno-loadî situation. This is often done to charge batteries or cool refrigeration but if done repeatedly it will glaze the bores of the engine and cause premature engine failure. When the vessel is in a berth the engine can be put in gear to create load at idle.

All boat owners should have an understanding of basic marine diesel engine maintenance to keep themselves and their families safe on the water.

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Banana Boats

September 19th, 2008 by Jack Starkey | No Comments | Filed in Boating

What Are They?

A banana boat is a small banana shaped boat that is pulled by a much larger boat. It is considered to be much safer than water skiing or many other recreational boats, because the bottom of the boat is supported by two air filled tubes that provide balance.  Most banana boats seat approximately two to four people, they are fast moving and sit close to the water, making for a safe boat ride for people of all ages.

Banana boat is a favorite kids’ boat, and can be bought in boat stores and online. But, the banana boat is not just simply a boat, it has been mentioned in movies like “jaws,” and many other things such as a sunscreen lotion, a tasty campfire snack and it is even the name of a popular Polish quintet founded in 1994.

Safety on the Water

Banana boats are considered to be safe, but you should always practice proper safety when on any kind of boat, expectably when involving children. Life jackets should always be worn. The banana boat (sometimes called a water sled) is only a inflatable boat, and should not be used recklessly. While it is low to the water, it is sometimes prone to flipping over. In fact, most boaters enjoy getting a little wet. But because of its light weight, banana boat is easy to get back on, and enjoy!

Buying a Banana Boat?

A banana boat can be bought anywhere! It can be as simple as typing in a search engine online to find the right boat for you, or even browsing your local boat store for that perfect water sled. Banana boats come in all shapes and sizes - from the traditional banana shape to sharks, whales, hot dogs, and even rocket ships! They make for a fun ride for adults and children alike.

Buying online is a good choice when considering a banana boat for you and your family. Many websites even give you the option of buying online right from your home computer! The possibilities are endless and the fun never ends when you own your very own banana boat.  Most boats range from two hundred dollars to fifteen hundred dollars depending on the size and brand. Typically, the more seats the boat has the higher the price range. And some banana boats come with double inflated tubes to fit two rows of people on each side of the boat. Some of the larger boats can hold up to 14 people at one time.

On Vacation With a Banana Boat

Many vacation spots provide banana boat rides for kids and adults for a reasonable price. But in some cases, it is just as easy to bring your own boat along with you on vacation. These boats are inflatable and easy to transport usually coming with a foot pump, for easy inflation. They are easy to attach to the back of a speed boat, yacht, or any other type of motorized boat. You should always watch the speed when children are involved, because the boat is so light weight and easy to flip over. As long as you keep the speed low and avoid sharp rocks that could damage the boat, and keep boating safety in mind, you are on your way to a fun-filled vacation.

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You Know What They Say About Boating

September 18th, 2008 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Boating

Boating is one of the most widely loved sports the worldl over, and there is a good reason for that. If you want to go boating yourself, then you will want to purchase a boat, and there are a few steps that you are going to need to follow if you want to be sure that you choose just the right boat.

Old Boat or New Boat

One of the initial things that you want to think about if you are going to purchase a boat is whether you want to buy an old boat or a new boat. It doesn’t really matter which one you choose, but regardless you will initially have to determine the type of boat that is going to {suit best fit} your needs. Once you have completed this , next up is whether to buy new or something older.

You’ll also want to remember that this will come down to what type of budget you have to work with for your boating desires. After all, obviously a new one will cost a lot more than a used one, so you will need to look at your budget so you know how much money you have to work with, and from here decide which is going to be a better decision for you.

If you have your heart set on getting a new one then, one of the best places you can go is a boat convention. These are wonderful shopping grounds where you can find not only a large selection of boats, but great deals too. Just make sure that you consider the dealer that you are buying from. You should consider for instance, if they are offering a special price but you have to travel far to take delivery on the boat, it may not end up being a savings at all by the time you pay for the gas to get there to pick it up.

If you are going to buy a boat used to satisfy your boating desires then, you really need to be even more methodical. Your searching can be done anywhere from newspapers and magazines to online websites, and a lot of dealerships also offer used boats that have been traded in.

Just be absolutely sure that you ask as many questions as you can before agreeing to buy, and if possible, check it out in person. You want to make sure that it is in good enough condition to really have the value that you are willing to spend, and also be sure that there is an excellent return and refund policy.