iboats Product Spotlight: Rush-Co Replacement Boat Lift Covers

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Sarah K., iboats.com

Boat lift canopy coversRush-Co Marine has manufactured boat lift canopy covers for almost ten years and offers a high quality product at a great price. Their canopy covers are built to last and feature computer-controlled cutting to ensure a custom fit, high-tenacity thread, and waterproof seams to eliminate leaking. Rush-Co canopy covers are available in two premium marine-grade fabrics: Shelter-Rite, an 18 oz. premium domestic PVC-coated polyester or, new for 2012! WeatherMAX, made from 8 oz. solution-dyed SaturaMax. Both fabrics are regularly tested for tear strength, abrasion resistance, stitch and seam strength, wind whip, etc. and offer industry-leading warranties and a great color selection.

iboats’ has Rush-Co’s full-line of canopy covers for the leading boat lift manufacturers, such as ShoreStation, ShoreMaster, Hewitt, Newmans and FLOE, plus ten other brands. Each canopy cover includes all necessary attachments and instructions for easy installation. Plus, all Rush-Co canopy covers ship for free to the Continental U.S.!

Shop iboats for your new boat lift canopy cover! And, don’t miss our selection of boat lift motors and boat lift accessories.

Posted in iboats Promotions | Leave a comment

Fly Fishing & Wind – Don’t Mix

Posted on May 21, 2012 by iboats

Fly Fishing & Wind - Don't Mix

Posted in Boating Humor | Leave a comment

Scuba Diving [SHBT]

Posted on May 18, 2012 by iboats

Dive FlagMy dad and I were scuba diving in a place we like to go up at my cottage. There are usually bass and pike to watch and lures and anchors to find. It is however, a spot people fish occasionally.

Anyway, one day we show up, and there is nobody around. It’s the middle of the week and so we figured nobody was coming, so we fly our divers-down flag and off we go. Well, about 1/2 hour later, I’m looking around and I see something shiny hooked on a log. I figure, great, a brand new lure (1st mistake). I can see it’s stuck in the log, so naturally I took no notice of the fishing line hanging off of it, so I picked it out of the log. Unfortunately, as soon as I get it out, the line tightens and the lure gets stuck in what I thought was my finger, but fortunately it turned out to be my Kevlar glove instead (thank god for Kevlar). Now I’m being dragged up to this guy’s boat, and I’m sort of going along with it. I figure I can have some fun while I’m hooked on this guys tackle. So I stay deep and come up right under the boat, and just as I get to the surface, my arm gets netted. I swear this guy nearly crapped his pants, and after a quick lesson in flags and what they mean, the fisherman was off to a quieter spot.

Submitted by Petty Officer 3rd Class *Member Number*: 52650

To Visit Our Forums or to Register to Be a Part of Our Forums Click Here

Posted in Boating Humor | Leave a comment

Determining Spline Count

Posted on May 16, 2012 by iboats Customer Service

 

Determining Spline Count on boat propeller

Determining the spline count on your boat propeller shaft is vital in choosing the correct propeller for your boat motor.     What is a spline? These are the little teeth you see on both your propeller shaft and inside the hub of your propeller. To identify your spline count, simply count the teeth on your propeller shaft, or the teeth in your existing propeller hub.

Some boat motors have a “pin drive” propeller shaft, which means there are no splines on either the shaft or the propeller hub. For these applications, the propeller is secured to the smooth shaft using a pin through the shaft.

When choosing a propeller, always verify that you are selecting the correct number of splines for your boat motor.

Posted in Tips for Buying Boat Gear | Leave a comment

Discovered Boating Petroglyphs

Posted on May 14, 2012 by iboats

Boating Petroglyphs

Posted in Boating Humor | Leave a comment

EPIRB Distress Signals

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Stefanie

EPIRB boating distress signal

Picture this. You’re out on a fishing boat miles and miles from the shore. When all of a sudden, out of no where, a storm hits. You haven’t kept up on the maintenance of the boat and with all the thrashing around, your hull springs a leak. Your boat is sinking with you on it. Do you know what you would do?

Luckily for you, one of the things you made sure that you had when you bought the boat was an EPIRB, otherwise known as an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. You know they come in handy but you don’t know what the true purpose of this device is. Continue reading →

Posted in Helpful Boating Tips | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Outboard Motor Care – Lasts a Lifetime

Posted on May 11, 2012 by iboats

In the early 90’s Mercury Marine made a great video with several long-time outboard owners telling folks how well their engines have been running.  One engine owner looked at the camera and told us his 90hp in-line six cylinder (aka “Tower of Power”) had been running strong since he bought is in the 60’s.  He went on to tell us he hadn’t even changed the spark plugs in all that time.  We freaked a little bit but left that in the video.

Here’s a good story about a happy Yamaha outboard customer. Continue reading →

Posted in iboats | Leave a comment

Red Sky at Night with JB Cornwell | Fishing Boats I Have Known

Posted on May 9, 2012 by iboats

I did fish from boats before the 1960s, but they JB Red Sky At Nightwere always somebody else’s boats. Mostly they were “Jon” type boats constructed from a few pine planks with square bows, a couple of plank seats and sometimes a livewell. They usually also leaked profusely. I could sit in the bow and skull around small ponds while wielding a flyrod.

Major Magid’s boat was different. I didn’t (and don’t) know exactly what it was, but my recollection is that it was like a 20” aluminum canoe with 8” cut off and replaced with a small transom. He carried it about on top of his car and powered it with paddles or a little 1.5 or 2HP outboard. The outboard only appeared when we were on a river float and needed to power back up river at the end of the “float”. Continue reading →

Posted in Red Sky at Night with JB Cornwell | Leave a comment

Shakespeare Fishing Rods & Reels – A Great Way To Get Started

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Clint J. Marketing Category Manager

Shakespeare Fishing Rod and ReelFishing is one of America’s great outdoor sports. It provides the fisher to connect with nature on a level that isn’t offered any way else. With 33% of all fishing participants owning a boat (from takemefishing.org), we at iboats.com felt it was a natural fit for us to dive into the Fishing Tackle world.

In the month of May, one of our most popular brands, Shakespeare, is on sale. Shakespeare is the perfect brand for anyone that is interested in fishing. They offer gear for everyone, from the beginner to the experienced, Shakespeare has the gear for you.

One of Shakespeare’s most popular lines is the Kid Combos line. These fun combos lets kids fish with Batman, Barbie, Mickey, Spiderman, and many other characters. These combos are great as a gift and will help get your kid “hooked” on fishing for many years to come.

Posted in iboats | Leave a comment

Hard At Work

Posted on May 7, 2012 by iboats

Build a Boat

Posted in Boating Humor | Leave a comment

Identifying Your Ideal Bilge Pump System

Posted on May 4, 2012 by dallinking

Bilge Pump

When choosing a primary or secondary bilge pump for your boat, there are many factors to address, such as gallon-per-hour rating, mounting location, cartridge versus non-cartridge, quantity, and brand.  With an ocean of articles covering these subjects, I’m skipping ahead to an aspect of bilge pump selection less commonly addressed:  choosing a bilge pump system and component type that’s most ideal for your boating routines and needs, primarily dealing with automatic versus manual bilge pumps, and the switch options and variations to control the pumps. Continue reading →

Posted in iboats | Leave a comment

Boat Seat Quick Disconnect

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Toby L., iboats.com

Boat Seat Mount

We all have those times with our boats when we wish it was easier to add and remove the seats. Like when there aren’t quite enough seats for the the kids who came on the fishing trip, or when the boat seats deteriorate in the winter weather and it would have been nice just to take them off and store them in the garage. Well, the Tempress Quick Disconnect mount is the solution to these sorts of issues.

The Tempress Quick Disconnect mount is perfect for all the fishermen out there. It is a low profile, quick-disconnect boat seat mount lets you add extra seats on your boat as needed or remove them for extra space with the push of a button. The mount can be installed on any standard fishing boat seat pedestal to any flat surface with 4 screws.  The Quick Disconnect works with the highly rated Tempress All-Weather folding seats and Profile boat seat shells. Also, it comes in a few colors to match your boat.

Posted in Boat Gear Tips | Leave a comment

Wakeboarding Championship

Posted on April 30, 2012 by iboats

Wakeboarding Championship Prize

Posted in Boating Humor | Leave a comment

Ignition Switches (How can I ensure I order the right type and size?)

Posted on April 27, 2012 by iboats Customer Service

IGN Ignition Switch for Boat             Wire IGN Ignition Switch for Boat

What do I need to know when selecting a new ignition switch for my boat?  Most people think that all they need to know is the make and model of their boat or engine.  Unfortunately, in aftermarket parts, more details about the switch are important and required.  Here are some of the terms and definitions for selecting the right ignition switch for you:

Push-to-Choke- refers to the choke at the carburetor top.  It works in providing a richer fuel mixture by closing off the air supply in the carburetor, also helping to pull more fuel into the carburetor.

Magneto- refers to a magnetic process to help the spark plug create the spark. Magneto will generate its own power without a battery.  Motors with distributors or electronic ignitions would use a non-magneto type switch.

Number of positions – refers to the number of options the key start has.  The most common on our site are 3 and 4-position.  A 3-position switch might have Off- Ignition-Start, or Off-Run-Start or Off-Start-Choke.  A 4-position switch might be Accessory-Off-Ignition-Start-Choke (Push to Choke).

Screw terminal – refers to number of connections on the back of the switch that will be screwed into the dashboard system on your boat.

Wire leads –refers to the number of wires coming out of the back of the switch to connect into the dashboard system on your boat. Continue reading →

Posted in iboats | Tagged , | Leave a comment

iboats Product Spotlight: Bennett Marine Auto Tab Control

Posted on April 25, 2012 by iboats

Get a Perfectly Trimmed Boat – Every Time!

The first and still the most affordable way to automatically trim your boat. Bennett Marine pioneered the Auto Tab Control (ATC) to be easy to install and use. It does exactly what it says it does – interacting directly with your trim tab system to automatically monitor your boat’s position and maintain the perfect cruising attitude. Note that the Auto Tab Control does not replace a manual control required for your trim tab system. Continue reading →

Posted in iboats Promotions | Leave a comment

Early Retirement

Posted on April 23, 2012 by iboats

Shipwrecked Boat

Posted in Boating Humor | 2 Comments

iboats Product Spotlight: Teleflex GPS Speedometers

Posted on April 19, 2012 by iboats

The boating season is just around the corner! Be sure to have your boat ready to go so you can be out on the water as much as possible. If you are looking to replace the gauges in your dashboard, Teleflex’s gauges are the way to go! Learn more specifics about their GPS speedometers in today’s product spotlight:

The GPS Range of Instruments

These GPS speedometers provide accurate speed over ground readings and heading information all in one attractive package. Available in various speed ranges to meet your application, the GPS speedometer is offered in a number of popular styles to match the colors in your boat like Premier Pro, White Premier Pro, Amega, Arctic and Eclipse instrument lines. Continue reading →

Posted in iboats Promotions | Leave a comment

Custom Fit Covers, Semi-Custom Fit Covers, Universal Covers: What’s the difference between the three?

Posted on April 18, 2012 by iboats Customer Service

Custom Boat covers

As a boat owner you know how important it is to keep your boat covered, whether it be kept in a lift, at the marina, on the side of your house, or in your garage.  There is a boat  cover for each of these scenarios, and even then, there are several different types of covers to choose from.

Generally, cover manufacturers will break covers down into these three categories:  Custom, Semi-Custom, and Universal.  Universal covers are just that:  They will fit just about any boat, depending on size, and could be compared to a basic tarp.

A custom fit cover is a cover that is designed for an exact make, model, and year of a boat.  These will fit your boat like a “glove”, provided you do not have any additional customizations or aftermarket parts that will change its shape or size. Continue reading →

Posted in iboats | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Boating Tales

Posted on April 16, 2012 by iboats

Boating work excuse

Posted in Boating Humor | Leave a comment

Spring Cleaning Tip: How to Clean a Boat Cover

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Sarah K., iboats.com

How to clean a boat cover

Spring is the perfect time to get your boat cover ready for the summer boating season. After a long winter, boat covers often are soiled from debris, snow and rain.  Here are the steps to follow to get your cover looking brand new!

  1. Brush off any loose dirt or debris.
  2. Hose down the boat cover.  The water temperature should be cool to lukewarm.
  3. Prepare a cleaning solution of lukewarm water and a mild soap like Dreft, Woolite, Ivory Snow or hand soap.  Never use detergents.
  4. With a soft bristle brush or sponge, clean the boat cover with the prepared solution using a circular motion to remove any spots or stains.
  5. Let the cleaning solution set for about 10 minutes.
  6. Rinse the boat cover thoroughly to remove all soap residue.
  7. Air dry the boat cover.  (If you are storing your boat cover until the Fall, make sure the cover is completely dry before folding and storing.)
  8. Re-treat the boat cover with a fabric treatment like 303 High Tech Fabric Guard to restore water repellency and protect the cover against stains and mildew.

Remember, proper care and cleaning will help extend the life of your boat cover!

Posted in Boat Gear Tips | Leave a comment