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Boats and Yachts
The Critical Parts of a Sailboat
There are many who find it irresistible to cruise the open seas while harnessing the power of the wind. There was a time when the wind was the only source of power for boats and harnessing its power has become necessary. These days, there are many sailboat ships for sale which will allow you to experience how the olden mariners felt. However, a sailboat can be a costly investment which is why you need to know first what you are getting into when buying a sailboat.
Image via Wikipedia
Sailboats have many critical parts that, although still the same, have been improved through the years. This is in terms of style and materials used. Nevertheless, the operation of a sailboat is still the same as it basically was in the old days. Below is a list of the critical parts of a sailboat:
The Hull – this is the outer part of the equipment, personnel, and cargo area. It is intended to slide through the water with as little friction as possible so as to decrease drag. Regardless of size and shape, the hull is still considered the same with the front being called the bow and the rear as the stern.
The Tiller and Rudder – this is basically the steering part of the ship. The tiller is basically a long straight handle with a pivot point at the end which allows the handle to move from side to side. The attached rudder then moves to alter the direction of the water thereby steering the boat.
The Mast, Mainsail, and Boom – the mast is basically a large stationary pole that is situated at the center of the boat. The mainsail which is attached to the mast is the primary catcher of wind to help propel the boat across the water. The boom is what helps the mainsail to pivot from side to side to catch the wind and help in the direction to where the sailboat takes.
The Keel – this is flat piece of wood that is situated on the bottommost part of the sailboat to help keep it balanced and keep it from turning to its side when in turbulent waters or storms.
Seasoned sailors are able to achieve speeds of up to 7 knots using a thirty-footer sailboat. Racing yachts can reach even faster speeds. This makes practicing how to harness the power of the wind important because it will allow you to reach such speeds when cruising the open waters.
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A Peak into the History of Model Boats
There are different types of model boat kits and their boat models range from ancient to modern day boats. The ancient boat models range from Egypt, Greece, to Phoenicia. These are all ancient sea faring nations that built boats with considerably high quality. The adventurous spirit of ancient sea farers allowed them to build ships that are able to sail forth the high seas and discover new lands. However, for those people that did not join sailing in the high seas, but were nevertheless interested in boats began to craft model boats and ships.
- Image via Wikipedia
Ancient model ships were made from different materials. Some were made with wood, bronze, lead, and even clay. These model boats were used as toys, as household items, and as burial artifacts. Their model boats were often scaled down versions of small watercrafts, merchant vessels, fishing vessels, and warships. Wood is often their preferred material when making model boats because it is easier for them to handcraft. Beside, the original ship they are making replica of is made of wood itself.
Some of the oldest European model boat ships are those that come with galleys, galleons, carracks. Even during the late 18th century, most small crafts from Europe were built without formal plans. Their boat models were handcrafted and were built to scale to assume the original size. In those days, boat builder build model boat first before making the full size by following the pattern and dimensions of their model boat.
There are also scaled down versions of warships which were equipped with intricate configuration such as deck, mast, and spars. During the Napoleonic Wars, seamen who were taken prisoners tried handcrafting model boats and model ships to relieve their boredom. These seamen usually crafted models of boats and ships that they were familiar of – their warship.
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Marine Electronics
Going for a cruise on the open waters can be a fun and relaxing activity. However, doing this without the necessary boat navigation tools is just like asking for trouble as there is a high possibility that you will get lost. These days, marine electronics are becoming more and more popular, as well as necessary, because they are able to provide us in real time our current location and assist us to where we are headed. There are also marine electronics that helps us to make the most out of boating activity.
- Image by rossferguson via Flickr
The first priority when navigating through the open waters would be safety. This means that having the necessary marine electronics will prevent you from getting lost at sea as well as have the necessary guide to avoid treacherously shallow waters. This provides safety for you and all those who are on board, making your cruising trip worry and problem free. Below is a list of must have marine electronics:
Navigation – one of the most important marine electronics would be the GPS marine navigation system. This piece of marine electronics allows you to keep track of your bearing, speed, and heading. It can inform you in case you go off course and assist you to get you right back on track.
Communication – this is another important marine electronics because it allows you to keep in contact with the shore. Further advancement in electronics as well as satellite technology even allows you to communicate even when you are in the middle of the ocean. Communication-related marine electronics provides a whole new level in boating safety.
Fish Finder – this is a marine electronic that is highly suited for people who loves fishing on a boat. The fish finder works under the principle of Sound Navigation and Ranging (SONAR) where it sends sound waves through the water. Once the sound emitted encounters an object, it bounces back towards the source where a transducer analyzes the received sound and renders the image through a monitor.
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Affordable Fishing Boats
Fishing is one those activities that can help you relax. In order to make the most out of a fishing activity, there are times that you may need a fishing boat. You will find a lot of anglers that would love to have their very own fishing boat. Sadly, most of them are not willing to spend thousands of dollars just to have one. Their main reason is that they are just being practical as they would not even get to use the fishing boat as often as they want to. However, if they really want to have a fishing boat at an affordable price, the best thing they could go for is to purchase a used fishing boat. Although a used fishing boat may be quite affordable, the risk you will be taking though would be its reliability.
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Finding and purchasing an affordable fishing boat can be quite a task. You won’t find a lot of used fishing boats that are quite affordable, and even if you do find one, chances are they are not in the same state you are in. If you cannot find an affordable fishing boat, then the best chances you have in having a fishing boat is to go with an alternative – an inflatable fishing boat. There are manufacturers that offer free trial of their inflatable fishing boats. In fact, some inflatable fishing boat comes in excellent quality materials that they are able to withstand rapids.
Inflatable fishing boats come in a variety of styles and sizes. They range from kayaks, canoes, to pontoon boats. Their inflatable design means they are easy to transport. Some inflatable boats even have mounts for outboard motors. All you need is to inflate it with an air pump when you reach your fishing destination and deflate when you are ready to leave for home.
Overall, if you are looking for an affordable fishing boat, the best solution would be to settle with inflatable ones. They not only cost less, but you will amazed just how convenient and portable they are.
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Most Common Boat Accessories
Getting a boat can be very expensive, so you always need to keep your boat in very good operating condition to make the most out of it. You can protect your boat with some simple and useful boat accessories. The first thing to consider is getting a good boat cover. There are standard covers that are available for the common sizes and styles of boats – from inflatables to huge pontoon boats. Covers are affordable and give the needed protection to keep your boat free from dirt and the damaging sunlight which can dry out and even crack the interior of your boat. Covers are usually made from durable materials which are resistant to heat, water and dirt. Choose a well-fitted cover so you can be sure that your boat is also thoroughly protected from mice, insects and birds.
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It is also a good idea to consider getting an engine cover too. This protects the most vulnerable part of your boat. Dust and dirt can be considered as actually harmful to an engine so keeping your boat engine clean is really important, not only for better performance but also to make your engine last longer through the years. Like boat covers, engine covers come in different sizes and shapes which can give the needed protection at a relatively affordable price.
There are many other boat accessories that can further enhance your boating enjoyment such as ladders, ski pylons and many more. Ladders are very useful to skiers or those who are learning how to water ski. Beyond the ladder is what you call the swim platform. This platform has a step-like ladder that gives enough space to stand outside the hull for stability and safety.
The ski pylon, on the other hand, is another great option to enhance the skiing experience. The ski pylon keeps the tow rope away from the motor and it also adds to the boat’s performance. It also provides a central pivot point which makes it easier for the skier to ski from one side of the boat to the next with confidence and without any worries.
There are many boat accessories to choose from, but do not forget to get the most common ones first. These boat accessories will make your boating experience safer, more fun and enjoyable.
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Repairing the Cracks on Fiberglass Yachts
If you see any cracks or blisters on your fiberglass yachts, it can result to annoying problems. You always need to remember that over time, fiberglass can develop cracks even if it is considered as a very durable and strong material. Cracks usually develop if your boat or yacht is always parked on the marine driveway. You would probably spend hundreds of dollars just doing proper maintenance. If you have a fiberglass boat or yacht, then it is very crucial to learn the proper way of maintaining it so you can save yourself hundreds of dollars.
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It is not very difficult to take care of fiberglass since it is already a very durable and light-weight material. Most people usually have no idea how to basically take care of their boat so they end up buying specialized items, for example, those that fill in smaller cracks that develop on the yacht. For those who know how to primarily take care of their boat, they say that you can easily find most materials available in your garage and storeroom that can help you fix cracks on your boat or yacht. Before you fix a certain crack on your boat, you have to know how to identify which type of crack it is. In many cases, the cracks are usually superficial, just like eggshell cracks. If you see eggshell cracks, you have to remedy it immediately or else it will get worse over time.
If you are going to repair superficial cracks on your yacht, it is crucial that you understand how to use the buffer and sander. These are important especially if you want to make the surface smooth before trying to repair it. By the time the top layer is smoothened out, the addition of a new sheet fiberglass comes next. Use best-quality sealants and don’t compromise on the price. These are some basic skills one must know on how to repair cracks and blisters on fiberglass yachts.
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Using LED Lighting on Your Boat
LED stands for Light Emitting Diode and they are semiconductors that produce light. LEDs were introduced in 1962 and have been mostly used as indicator lights for many electrical and electronic devices. However, these days LED technology has matured to make lamps that are bright enough as well as energy efficient with a decent life span. In fact, the light intensity per watt of LEDs is far greater that the ones of incandescent and halogen light bulbs.
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Energy consumption is often measured in milliamps and a 12 volt 1.3 watt LED cluster consumes approximately 110 milliamps, while a Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) will consume nearly 10 times of that. The most interesting thing about LEDs is their life expectancy. A decent LED will have an approximate lifespan of 50,000 hours which is more than 5 years of continuous working operation. This simply means that you will rarely need to replace the light bulbs on your boat.
Replacing the existing lights bulbs on your boat with LED equivalents may be a bit pricey but you will quickly be able to notice their advantage as they do not require that much power to operate. The only limit with LED lighting is the spaces for the bulb as other lighting fixture have very tight spaces. However, if you are able to replace your light bulbs with LED light bulb equivalents, it sure beats having to add additional solar panels or wind generator on your boat, assuming that your boat is not equipped with a gasoline/diesel generator.
The quality of LEDs varies. However, even poorly made LEDs coming from mass production still have a fairly decent quality as compared to generic light bulbs. Despite that, there are still very few LED light bulbs that have been actually approved by the USCG for navigation light use. It is best to use USCG approved navigation lights because if you were in a collision and your insurance company finds out that you are using a navigation light that has not been approved by the USCG, then there is a high probability that your insurance claim will not be approved.
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Types of Boat Motor
A boat motor is the part of a motorboat that is used to propel it across the water. A motorboat is a seafaring vessel that is propelled through water with the use of a combustion engine. This engine can work as either propeller motion or jet propulsion. Propeller motion works by cutting through the water while spinning and a jet propulsion works by sucking water in the front and expelling it in the rear end to achieve thrust. There are many companies that have years of experience in making boat motors and each of these companies specializes in different types.
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A boat motor would be typically installed at the rear end of the boat. The motor would then be enclosed in a sealed unit along with a propeller or jet propulsion, as well as with other essential systems and equipments. Some engine units are designed to move on a mounting (outboard engines) that allows you to steer the boat. In most cases, there will be a rudder that sits at the rear if the boat which is used for steering.
Boat motors are offered with different levels of power. However, there are basically two types of engines available for motor boats: the two-stroke and the four-stroke engine. The main advantage in using a two-stroke engine is that they are light, easy to repair, and are more economically prices. Their main disadvantage is that they are noisy and can create lots of smoke. A four-stroke engine on the other hand is smooth and quiet, has good fuel economy, smooth during idle, less polluting, and very reliable. However, its main disadvantage is that it is heavy and often expensive to repair.
Overall, if you are looking for a boat motor, it is suggested that you choose one that has a four-stroke engine because not only they use less fuel, but you can also use it to carry or pull heavier loads.
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