Looking for the perfect gift for the boater in your life? We've got some ideas and specials to make your shopping easier.
If you'd like something to remind them of boating year around, we are offering some great deals on fantastic clocks, weather instruments and other nautical gifts by Weems & Plath. We've upgraded our standard shipping to 3 day express on all our Weems & Plath items, and to make it even better, we've are offering FREE Express Shipping on Weems & Plath items over $100!
In addition to their most popular collections of 
clocks and instruments, we have a selection of decorative and functional brass chart weights and ships bells as well as brass yacht lamps. I'm planning on picking up a Storm Glass for our "sailor that has everything". This antique weather instrument was developed in the British Royal Navy and grows different crystal patterns in response to atmospheric conditions. exactly how it works remains a bit of a mystery, but it is a novel and handsome addition to any mariner's collection.
Buying boating gear for a boater can be a challenge unless you are quite familiar with their boat. Here are a few things that any boater will find useful:
Engel Marine Coolers - Whether your boating, fishing, camping or hunting, nothing performs quite like an Engel Cooler. The High Performance Ice Chests feature 2+ inches of top quality insulation, freezer grade gaskets and a super tough roto-molded plastic body with molded in hinges make this a cooler that will last a lifetime. When used properly, these coolers can keep ice for up to 14 days which makes them popular with boaters of all walks. Engel Electric Coolers run on 12V or 110V. With a reliable power source they function like a refrigerator, or turn down the thermostat and freeze your catch while you're still at sea.
Top Snapper Snap and Deck Tools - The Top Snapper by Ironwood Pacific makes working with canvas boat snaps a well... snap. The main blade on this tool can effortlessly pop open even the stickiest snap, and it can be used to snap snaps on the outside of the windshield from inside the cockpit. The short blade at the bottom of the handle makes it easy to snap difficult snaps, even on shrunken canvas. Pick up the matching DeckMate to add 7 of the most common deck tools in one clever package.
Backyard Bass - If you'd like to introduce youngsters on your list to fishing, the Backyard Bass game is a great way to teach casting. they are fun and simple, and best of all, can be played with in a garage, hall or gym, even when the weather keeps you indoors. Each set includes 3 colorful plastic fish and a casting plug. Just set the fish out cast to them and with a little skill catch and reel them in. I can tell you from experience that the kids had to fight the adults for a chance to use the set I got for my nephew.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Boating Gifts - Find the perfect gift for the boater or sailor on your list
Friday, November 13, 2009
Ice Eater Functionality Extended with Shallow Water Stand
Over the years we've helped a lot of customers find the right de-icer configuration to meet their specific deicing circumstances. One of the toughest to solve has been shallow water situations, whether it is a pond or lake with a shallow slope or a wetland/water interface. The Shallow Water Ice Eater Stand by MallardView now makes it easy to mount your Ice Eater in 18" to 48" of water.
This metal stand features 4 legs that can be sunk securely into the bottom and adjusted for the depth of the water . The Ice Eater mounts to a bracket in the middle of the frame that allows for the angle to be adjusted from nearly horizontal to nearly vertical.
How can you use a shallow water Ice Eater stand? It was originally designed to open water holes in the ice in flooded fields for waterfowl, but that isn't the sole use. It could be applied to open water in shallow ponds for livestock or wildlife. In one recent application, our customer had a viewing platform at the edge of a marsh. The platform was exposed to the open water of the lake and had sustained ice damage during the past couple winters. Unfortunately the water was only 2' -3' deep which blocked the normal installation of an Ice Eater. With the new shallow water stand, the customer was able to mount the Ice Eater in the shallow water in front of the platform, circulating warmer water from the depths of the lake, back around the dock.
Check our Current Specials and save up to 35% Ice Eater De-icers. We've got the best prices of the season on the full array of the Powerhouse Ice Eaters as well as the Kasco Marine deicer line.We've recently expanded our PowerHouse and Kasco Marine offerings to include Pond Aerators, Aerating Fountains and water circulators for year round management of your water quality.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Outfitting Our New Rig with Kayak Racks and Gear Storage
We recently bought a new Nissan Xterra and needed to outfit it for hauling our kayaks and gear on trips. I turned to the folks at FastTrackRacks.com for some help and they were great. Here's how it rolled out. 
Phase One - Add a Trailer Hitch. We added a CURT trailer hitch, which cost, including installation, at about 1/2 the price we were quoted for the Nissan factory option.
Phase two - Add Kayak Racks. The factory racks on an Xterra are stout, but pretty narrow and we wanted to load two kayaks. We decided on adding a set of wider 65" cross bars and went with the Inno Racks - a brand which is big in Japan, but relatively new to the US. Quality and option wise Inno gives Yakima and Thule some strong competition, but they are a much better value. In addition, they have square cross bars which make it easier to get racks to stay in place and not "roll". We added two Yakima kayak racks, each composed of a Yakima "Hully Roller" in the back and the Yakima Mako Saddle in the front. I haven't fully decided whether I would go with the Hully Rollers in the future, or go with a second saddle. The rollers help a little bit, but are less stable and guiding than the saddle seems to be.
Phase Three - Gear Storage. Since our Lab, Makai normally goes everywhere with us, we needed some extra room for gear. I wasn't too excited about throwing paddles, wet boots and life jackets into the back seat, so we invested in a Stowaway Cargo Box. This gives us a 16 cubic foot trunk, which is a lot of space. It was the perfect solution for us as our roof rack is already occupied, and frankly, it is a lot easier loading stuff in at waist height than having to climb up to the roof to access the box. It's easy to install and takes me about 5 minutes to hook up or remove. It fits into the trailer hitch and pins into place. Since it has a swingaway style frame, we are able to gain full access to the back.
The Results - We are totally stoked about the new system and loving the Xterra. It makes it really easy to load and transport our kayaks and gear and it's fun to drive. Since it is the end of the season, we haven't put too many miles on all the racks, but enough to know they were a good decision. We've found the Stowaway extremely useful for all kinds of things ranging from bringing 40 pounds of tomatoes home, to hauling products and display items to trade shows.
Disclosure - We are right nextdoor to the FastTrackRacks office and I know the people there well. They gave us a good deal and lots of helps selecting our new gear. If you are in the market, be sure to check them out, I think you too will find a great deal and helpful service at FastTrackRacks.com.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Take in a Boat Show
List of Upcoming Boat Shows - Fall 2009
There are several great boat shows coming up. Here is a list of a few of them.
Lake Union Boat Afloat - Seattle, WA - September 16-20, 2009
Features 200+ new and used boats from basic run abouts to the 143' M/Y Devotion. go sailing on beautiful Lake union, or tour the Sea Star featured on the Deadliest Catch series.
North American In-Water Boat Show - Sandusky, OH - September 16-20, 2009
Billed as the largest in-water boat show on the Great Lakes. Browse Boat displays or take a test drive at the demo dock. Check out the LCM-8 landing craft
Jersey Shore Boat Sale and Expo, Lakewood, NJ - September 18-20, 2009
30+ boat lines on display, Maine Delares and fishing and boating seminars.
United States Sailboat Show, Annapolis, MD - October 8-12, 2009
United States Powerboat Show, Annapolis, MD - October 15-18, 2009
Great In-water shows back to back in Annapolis. Be sure to stop by Providence Marine System Tent A40A to learn more about Kasco Deicers.
Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show - Fort Lauderdale , FL - October 29-Nov 2, 2009
50th anniversary show will take place at 6 venues in Fort Lauderdale.
St. Petersburg Power and Sail Show - St. Petersburg, FL - December 3-6, 2009
Billed as the Largest Boat show on the Gulf coast
Let us know about your favorite Boat Show.
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Are you looking for Boat Show Savings right now? Check out the Sales and Specials on Boating Gear at SavvyBoater.com.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
New Sailing Speed Record
The l’Hydroptère sustained 51.36 knots over 500 meters and peaked at 55.7 knots making it the fastest wind powered boat on the water. See Yachtpals for the complete story and video.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Future Fisherman Foundation Announces Program Grants and Resources for 2009-2010 School Year
As I mentioned in a post back in July, "The Future Fisherman Foundation is an organization dedicated to exposing America's Youth to angling and the outdoors." They provide and facilitate a lot of resources to develop and maintain programs that meet these ends.
They just came out with a release listing a variety of grants and resources that are available for the upcoming school year.
If you have questions or would like to get more information on the organization or opportunities, contact:
Teresa Rodriguez
Director of Education
Future Fisherman Foundation
703.402.0004
trodriguez@futurefisherman.org
The Program Resource List for Educators - September 2009 is listed below:
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Program Resources for Educators
The following grants and resources will help you start, expand or enrich your angling, boating and aquatic conservation educational program.
Applications Invited for Target Field Trip Grants Program
Grants of up to $800 will be awarded to K-12 education professionals conducting art, science, and cultural field trips, community service or civics projects, career enrichment opportunities, and other events or activities away from the school. Deadline: November 3, 2009
Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation Invites Nominations for Inclusion Champion Award
Individuals who have made significant efforts to promote the full inclusion of youth with disabilities in society will be acknowledged with a $1,000 donation to the charity of their choice.
CVS Caremark Community Grants Program Accepting Grant Applications for Programs Serving Children With Disabilities and the Uninsured
Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to nonprofits and schools working to provide disabled children and youth under age 21 with health and rehabilitation programs and active play opportunities alongside their non-disabled peers. Deadline: October 31, 2009
Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council Offers Funding for Youth Outdoor Programs
Grants of up to $250,000 will be awarded to improve the lives of young Californians through connections with the outdoors, including those which protect and enhance watershed lands and uses. Deadline: Various
Every Body Can! AAPAR’s Physical Activity Video Contest
Promoting Adapted Physical Activity & Education
Every Body Can! is a nationwide video contest that will promote, celebrate, or teach adapted or inclusive physical activity and raise awareness about the opportunities for and accomplishments of people with disabilities. Have your students make a video of how fishing is an ideal activity for people of all ability levels. For more information and contest guidelines visit AAPAR’s website.
Applications Invited for State Farm's Youth Advisory Board Service-Learning Grants Program
Grants of up to $100,000 will be awarded to nonprofits, educational institutions, and government agencies in the U.S. and Canada sponsoring student-led service learning projects on environmental, societal, or financial issues in higher education. Deadline: October 2, 2009
North Carolina Teachers Invited to Apply for Bright Ideas Grants
Grants of up to $2,000 will be awarded to certified North Carolina K-12 teachers conducting innovative energy-related classroom projects. Deadline: September 18, 2009.
Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge Invites Students and Teachers to Address Environmental Issues
Students and teachers in grades K-8 will be awarded grants and publicity for their solutions to classroom environmental issues. Deadline: Various.
The Pay It Forward Foundation administers a mini-grant program for Pay It Forward activities designed by and involving youth in service to their school, neighborhood or the greater community. Mini-grants up to $500 are available to schools, churches and community-based groups of youth for service activities of all types.
A Pay It Forward project is defined as one or more service activities that benefit a school, neighborhood, or the greater community and include learning goals for its youth participants.
Contact Information: http://www.payitforwardfoundation.org/educators/mini-grant.html...
Toyota TAPESTRY Program Now Accepting Entries for the 20th Annual Science Grant Competition $550,000 Available to Teachers for Innovative Projects in Science Education
The Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Science Teachers program, one of the largest science teacher grant programs in the nation, is now accepting entries for the 2009-2010 competition. Sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., and Inc. and administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the program offers grants of up to $10,000 to K-12 teachers for innovative science projects that enhance science education in their school and/or district over a one-year period. The 2009 - 2010 competition marks the 20th anniversary of the Toyota TAPESTRY program.
Fifty large grants and a minimum of 20 mini-grants totaling $550,000 will be awarded this year. Individual science teachers or a team of up to five teachers can submit proposals in one of three categories: physical science application; environmental science education; and integrating literacy and science. A judging panel convened by the NSTA will select the award-winning projects based on several criteria, including their innovative approach in teaching science and ability to create a stimulating and hands-on learning environment.
Applicants must either be an elementary teacher who teaches science in the classroom or a middle or high school science teacher. Applicants must be residents of one of the 50 states or a resident of Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; or the U.S. territories including American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
For more information visit http://www.nsta.org/pd/tapestry/.
Application deadline: Jan.18, 2010 .
State Farm Youth Advisory Board Service Grants
The State Farm Youth Advisory Board is calling on educators and school-based service-learning coordinators to submit applications for their service grants. Grants are awarded to groups who develop service-learning projects that address one of the following areas: natural and societal disaster preparedness; driver safety; accessing higher education/closing the achievement gap; financial education; and environmental responsibility.The number of grants to be awarded will depend on the number and quality of requests received. Grant amounts will vary according to the nature of the proposal and availability of funds. However, at least one service-learning project will be funded in each of the thirteen State Farm zones which include the three provinces in Canada. Contact Website: http://www.statefarmyab.com/apply.
New Green Boating Options - Organic Boat Fenders
We are always on the lookout for new products that make boating a little less taxing on the environment. We are pleased to introduce the new ZC1 line of fully organic boat fenders. Available in a variety of sizes in either festive yellow or soothing green, while season lasts. ;?)
