Steve's Marine Service Blog

As the boating season begins to wind down, it’s time to start thinking about protecting your valuable recreational asset. The effort you spend now will have a definite effect on your boat's performance, or lack of it, and certainly save you time, effort and money come spring. You should remember that your insurance policy may not cover damage done by lack of maintenance or neglect.

The best place for your boat to be during the winter is out of the water, under cover, in a climate-controlled boat storage area. This, however, can be expensive. If you can’t afford this option,   you should consider shrink-wrapping your boat. This, provides a very protective cover. Short of these two items, make sure that your boat is well covered with a tarp or some other sturdy cover.

Your first step in winterizing should be to make a checklist of all items that need to be accomplished. Check the owner's manual of both your boat and motor for manufacturer's recommendations on winterization. If you are a boat owner,  you should consider hiring  a winterizing professional to do the job.

Only a Certified Dealer, (like Steve's Marine Service), can perform the recommended manufacturer's services to keep your yacht in the condition to perform to its peak potential. Non certified service centers do not receive the latest notifications, training and documentation to make sure the vessels are performing at top capacity.

Out of Water Storage

Pressure wash hull, clean barnacles off props and shafts, rudders, struts and trim tabs.
Clean all thru-hulls and strainers.
Open seacocks to allow any water to drain.
Check the hull for blisters and if you find any that should be attended make a note to tell your service manager.
Now is a great time to give the hull a good wax job.
Be sure the batteries are fully charged and switches are turned off.
 

Ask us about our full winterization and storage programs.

Volvo Penta announces the new D8-450!!!

D8-450

Volvo Penta’ s diesel engines have long offered world-class power and torque, combined with reduced noise and superior handling. The new D8 is a perfect match for applications that require low weight with high power in order to achieve peak performance, often in demanding circumstances. It meets a growing demand for an engine with 450-550 horsepower, and by extending the range Volvo Penta offers greater flexibility and choice.

Better on-board experience
The latest common rail technology means minimal vibrations and low noise levels. And with a wide rpm range you get smooth handling during both acceleration and cruising.

High performance, low fuel consumption
High torque throughout the range improves acceleration and maneuvering with efficient cruising. Delivering high fuel efficiency and low emissions.
   

Some distinguishing benefits of installing the Volvo Penta D8

• High power and torque rise – for speed and load-carrying capabilities.
• High low-end torque and wide rpm range – for excellent maneuverability and acceleration.
• Reliable – good up time to keep the boat moving.
• Low fuel consumption – gives good total cost of ownership of the boat.
• Low noise levels – for good on-board comfort                                      

                                                                                                               .

The Art of Handling Bait

I love watching people fish. There are all sorts of styles and experience levels, and sometimes I think the fish really don’t care. I ‘ve observed some fairly strange practices up and down the coast. But one thing I’ve noticed is the strange myriad of ways people use their bait. You've heard and read a thousand times what to do with your baits. Cut them at an nth-degree angle, hook them this way, fish them that way.  But really, some of you need to know what not to do!

Here’s some tips gleamed from what I have seen:

[1] Don't soak ballyhoo (or any other bait fish for that matter) in formaldehyde. Sure it toughens them, but I've seen too many rejected

[2] Don't put leftover live eels in a fish tank or open container. They can slither out, which can be frightening at 2 a.m.

[3] Don't gulp down live bullhead minnow as a joke. They carry parasites that can survive in humans.

[4] Don't leave a cooler of menhaden in your car or truck overnight. If the cooler plug leaks your truck or car will still stink for months.

[5] Don't leave pre- cut baits sitting on top of a cooler. Someone is sure to sit on them or the birds will dive bomb you.

[6] Don't cut up or bait with bloodworms when you're wearing a shirt that you don't want to ruin.

[7] Don't mix fresh-caught live squid with any other bait. They're sure to release their ink, which stains just about everything.

[8] Don't eat raw menhaden, trust me you won’t hold it down.

So you see the vessel you have been looking for, and low and behold, its a new baby!  But the dealer is offering you a service contract?

Should you take it?

HERE ARE SOME facts to help you decide if buying a service contract makes sense for you.

Fact 1.

"Extended “warranties” you have to buy aren’t really warranties; they’re service contracts.

A true warranty offers broad coverage and has the weight of state and federal warranty laws behind it. Service contracts, on the other hand, are really insurance policies generally underwritten by third parties, not manufacturers, and are regulated as such in most states.

Fact 2.

Service contracts have limitations that true warranties don’t. A service contract may cover a broken  alternator ($650). But it probably won’t cover consequential damage (when one part causes another to be damaged), so it won’t pay if the alternator damages the engine control unit ($1,300), leaving an owner to pay the difference.

Fact 3.

Having a service contract won’t protect you from out-of-pocket expenses. Service contracts, like health-insurance policies, usually come with deductibles, often between $25 and $50 per incident. Many contracts don’t pay to remove the engine from the boat or have the boat hauled if it’s required for repairs, so there may be additional expenses for that.

Fact 4.

Most service contracts aren’t backed up by manufacturers. Third-party insurance companies usually

write the contracts, and manufacturers and dealers typically won’t step in to help if there’s a problem. On

the other hand, factory-backed programs have agreements with their dealers; the factory is ultimately

responsible, so you should expect better service when there’s a problem.

Fact 5.

You may be paying for coverage you don’t need. If you buy a third-party service contract when

you buy a new boat, it won’t apply during the manufacturer’s warranty. That means that if you buy a

three-year contract on a boat with a one-year warranty, the contract may cover only the last two years.

Many service contracts offer a nine-month to one-year window for signing on.

 Fact 6.

Service contracts are usually moneymakers for dealers. Some contract plans administered by independent companies allow retailers to mark up contracts

more than 100 percent over the actual cost they pay to the service-contract company. Don’t forget, though, that service-contract prices are a negotiable

part of the sale.

Fact 7.

Independent service contracts require preauthorization before starting repairs. While that’s fair, some companies may require you to use their network

of shops, just like healthcare PPOs, and there may not be a facility in your area. Manufacturer-backed service contracts usually perform more like warranties — simply bring in your engine for service, and the dealer takes care of all the paperwork and billing.

 Fact 8.

Most service contracts are transferable, for a fee. A new owner may need to pay a prorated amount of the contract. In that case, the seller may get a

refund of the same amount, which can be used as part of the negotiations.

 Fact 9.

You may be able to cancel the contract within 30 days of buying a boat. Typically, you’ll pay a prorated amount plus a fee. Review the company’s contract

to see how it works.

Conclusion

Most defects in new boats and engines show up within the warranty period, so spending money up front on a service contract may not make sense.

 Based on the Boat US Toolbox for boat buyers

 Photo Credit: Dr. Charlie Flagg

National Park Service: Avoid Fire Island wilderness breach

On September 23, 2016

Thanks to Newsday for the story

 Stay safe and use common sense.

The National Park Service is urging swimmers and boaters to stay out of the wilderness breach at Fire Island after a rescue last Sunday involving a capsized boat in the channel.

Supervisory Park Ranger Jon Swindle, who responded to the rescue scene, said the breach is closed to swimming and boating, calling it a dangerous area that is difficult to navigate.

Since the breach opened in 2012 there have been 17 calls for assistance and two rescues,” Swindle said in a Friday news release.

The breach, a channel connecting ocean to bay, formed in the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness during superstorm Sandy in October 2012, the agency said.

The dynamic features of the breach present a significant safety risk, officials said.

Access to the breach’s eastern shoreline is by foot or with a recreational driving permit from the Wilderness Visitor Center; from the western shoreline it may be reached from Davis Park and points west.

However, wading, swimming, paddling, and boating in the breach have been prohibited since it opened because of safety concerns and to preserve the primitive character of the federally designated wilderness, the agency said.

Also, no signs are in place because of the “dynamic nature of the shoreline,” according to the release.

A parks spokeswoman said Friday the agency is studying how best to manage the breach, including whether to allow natural processes to close access or to proceed to manually close it.

She said the agency will release a draft breach management plan this fall for public review and comment.

In Sunday’s rescue, a boat with three adults and five children capsized after hitting a sandbar about 4 p.m., according to a Bellport Village spokesman.

Isabella Rossellini, the actress and model and also a Bellport resident, noticed the boat while walking with a friend on Ho-Hum Beach and called 911, the spokesman said. Rossellini also is the daughter of Ingrid Bergman, the acclaimed Hollywood actress of the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s.

Three of the children were trapped under the capsized vessel, the spokesman said. They were eventually pulled out by the other passengers as the group “struggled in the inlet’s currents” and ultimately made it to shore at Fire Island’s Otis Pike Wilderness Area, the spokesman told Newsday.

There, Rossellini provided towels to keep them warm.

Bellport lifeguards stationed at Ho-Hum Beach ran a mile and a half to attend to the group, who were “in a state of shock, with lacerations and bruises,” the spokesman said.

They later were taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue.

Join us September 22-25 at the #NorwalkBoatShow!! 

See what's new for 2017—including new model boats, and the latest in marine accessories, electronics and fishing gear

As a authorized Volva Penta dealer, we are proud to participate once again!

See you there!!

I see all too often, skiers and wake boarders taking unnecessary chances, with the wrong type of tow vessel.

Wakeboard and Ski Boats Are Different

From the outside, it may not seem like boats you can ski behind,  and purpose-built ski and wakeboard boats are that much different. But there's one crucial difference — propeller location. Because wakeboarders play much closer to the stern, wakeboarding behind a sterndrive or outboard-powered boat is far more dangerous than one built for the purpose, which are inboard-powered. As you can see from the illustration, a skier in the water is much safer with an inboard-powered boat because of how far under the boat the prop is.

Regardless of where the prop is, any boat that's picking up a skier should have the engine powered off, just in case.

Two Must-Have Forms For Every Boat Buyer or Seller

 ALEXANDRIA, VA, September 1, 2016 – Behind most successful used-boat transactions, there’s a Purchase Agreement and Bill of Sale that clearly spell out how the boat was bought or sold. While not perfect, this goes a long way to alleviate any misunderstandings.

“A Purchase Agreement is necessary if you intend to buy a boat, but require that certain things must be done before you will accept the boat, such as a satisfactory marine survey, specific repairs, and the ability to finance or insure the boat,” said BoatUS Consumer Protection Director Charles Fort. “It also describes both parties’ obligations. Once a buyer accepts the boat, the bill of sale is used as proof of purchase. You can download and print both forms 24-hours a day.”

Fort also added that while the two forms were designed to meet the needs of most buyers and sellers, they may want to seek legal advice if there are any questions about whether the forms are appropriate for their situation.

The BoatUS Consumer Protection Bureau offers a dispute mediation service, the only national boating complaint database, and provides consumer-oriented information to help boaters make smart buying decisions.

The BoatUS Consumer Protection Department now offers both of these documents at no cost online.