Future Fisherman Foundation Could Use Your Help

I got an email yesterday that promised "A Gift That Can Give a Lifetime of E...." that was sent with high priority. My SPAM sensors were working overtime, and I went to delete it. It must have been fate, but I accidentally opened it instead. Rather than the usual offers for better living through chemistry (or whatever) it turned out to be from the Future Fisherman Foundation, looking for help.

If you aren't familiar with them, The Future Fisherman Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable organization that has been promoting, supporting and delivering angler education programs for over 20 years. Whether it is helping schools create an angler education program through grants and guidance, or the "Hooked on Fishing - Not On Drugs" program that has reached over a million kids, this organization is hard at work helping kids develop a healthy interest in fishing, the outdoors and conservation. Visit their web site at http://www.futurefisherman.org/ to see how you can help. (I've included the complete email below.)

Hapy Holidays,
Loren

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Do you remember who taught you to fish?
For over 20 years, the Future Fisherman Foundation, a 501(c) 3 charitable organization, has delivered school and community based aquatic education. Our programs have demonstrated that fishing is a wonderful way to lure young people outside to reconnect with nature.
We believe that fishing is an ideal way to entice children away from indoor screen time to outdoor green time! While learning about the aquatic environment, children develop an appreciation for our fragile aquatic resources. Fishing provides hands on experiences in the sciences that foster a love of the outdoors that can last a lifetime. It is our mission to provide programs that help develop the next generation of conservationists and outdoor enthusiasts.

How do we invest in the future?

• In the last six years, our Physh Ed grant program has provided funds to over 300 K-12 schools across the country for angler education programs. There are over 90,000 Physh Ed Student graduates with over 85% of the programs continuing past their initial grant year. Over half of the schools have reported that their programs have expanded to other schools in their districts increasing the youth involved each year. The Future Fisherman Foundation needs support to ensure that this program can continue to reach school children in the next year.
  
• Since 2006, The Boys & Girls Clubs of America began implementing our afterschool fishing program in 30 clubs across the nation. Youth in these clubs learned angling basics from club professionals and local police officers partnering to provide positive mentoring for these new anglers. We provided the instructor training, resources and support on the national level. Funds for this program were cut entirely for FY2010-we need your support to continue reaching youth in clubs across the country.
  
• Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs-is a nationally recognized angling education and youth mentoring program providing instructor training, best practices curriculum, and national networking. H.O.F.N.O.D. has reached over one million youth across the country over the last twenty years! Additional funding is needed to continue updating this successful educational resource and provide national guidance to the participating instructors.

Join our Mission-ensure the Future of Fishing!
Please help us continue reaching more youth across the country by making your tax deductable donation to the Future Fisherman Foundation. You will be added to our Good News Donor List and updated quarterly to see how your gift is helping us activate young anglers. Your donation will help us educate the youth of today, so that they may become the stewards of tomorrow. Donations can be made online at: http://www.futurefisherman.org/ or mailed to the address below. Thank you for helping to ensure the Future of Fishing!


Teresa Rodriguez
Manager of Education
Future Fisherman Foundation
225 Reinekers Lane Suite 420
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.519.9691 ext. 224
Fax: 703.519.1872
http://www.futurefisherman.org/

Catch some good news...Check out our video!

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De-Icer Sale

If you are not sailing your boat in Namibia, but you are coping with winters in the Midwest, we've got you covered. We are running a winter sale with great prices on both the PowerHouse Ice Eater deicers and The Kasco Marine Deicer line up. Save up to 40% on Ice Eaters and 35% on Kasco deicers this month. We've got the lowest prices around, and we back that up with a Low Price Guarantee.

We've also got some great gift ideas for the boater or fisherman on your holiday shopping list. Check them out and be sure to order soon so we'll have time to get it to you before Christmas.

Fast & Furious

The SailRocket is really phenomenal. They broke a sailing world speed record, clocking over 47 mph over 500 meters.

They then turned around and broke 52 mph...in a sail boat. Of course, they ended with a big bang of stellar proportions. Did I say sail boat? Maybe I was thinking sailplane. Check out the photos and additional info on YachtPals.com. Note that the "pilot" escaped with some bruises. The boat and Paul Larson who was at the helm, are recovering in Namibia. What's next?

One Thing Leads to Another... Another Wooden Boat Center to visit anyway.

I recently wrote about "discovering" the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle Washington. Now, I've stumbled across the Spaulding Wooden Boat Center in the bay area. I'll be headed that way later this Fall, so add another wooden boat center to my itinerary.

I have a soft spot for wooden boats. growing up we had an old plywood rowboat converted to a sandbox in the back yard. Some of my earliest memories are going out on our wooden Dory from Pacific City, Oregon. The first of our commercial boats was a 40' wooden trawler, a shrimper named the "Shadow Dew" out of Newport Oregon. Since then, everything I've owned or crewed on has been steel, aluminum, glass or plastic. But still, seeing a beautiful wooden boat brings a smile to my face.

OK, back to the Spaulding Wooden Boat Center - In addition to their main site, which offers information on the organization and its programs, there is a Wooden Boat Finder site; sort of a blog clearing house for wooden boats ranging from partially finished projects, to large sailing yachts. I then ran across their Boatbuilders' and Sailor's Blog about a program where kids build and sail wooden boats. Tomorrow - November 8th they are having a launching party for their latest creation - the Guppy, a 12' Norwegian Sailing Pram. stop by and check out the project. They had nice documentation and a very cool project. Where were they when I was a kid? Congratulations and best of luck on your launch tomorrow.

Loren

Center for Wooden Boats on My "Places to Visit" List.

In a round about way, I discovered a site for the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle, Washington. I've got several trips to Seattle planned for this fall, so I'm going to see if I can get over to see their museum. It looks like a fascinating place. According to their web site they have a broad collection of vintage and replica wooden boats ranging from canoes and skiffs to steam launches, classic motor boats and sailing vessels of various sizes. In addition to touring the docks and looking at boats, they offer boat rentals on Lake Union, free boat rides in classic wooden boats, and classes in boat building and related skills. Want to learn how to build a wood and skin Umiak? Need to brush up on making cedar rope? How about sailing lessons or seamanship classes? This is the place.

Visit their site for full directions and hours. They offer a pdf version of their walking Map of the Center for Wooden Boats which has some interesting information.

I'll keep yo posted once I've had a chance to visit this remarkable museum.


Loren

Cape Ann Dory - Rent it and sail or
row it on Lake Union in Seattle

Engine Compartment Heaters - Xtreme Heaters

Engine compartment heaters, bilge heaters; call them what you will, these heaters are designed to do one thing - keep your engine compartment above freezing and protect your engine from freeze damage. For as long as we've had engines and circulation systems on boats, people have been trying to figure out how to protect them over the winter. If you live where winters are pretty extreme, then winterization is a given - draining fluids, replacing antifreeze, fogging moving parts, you know the drill. If you live in more forgiving climates, the urge to keep the boat up and running all winter may out weight the prudence of winterizing it. Hard freezes may be few and far between, and the promise of a Steelhead run in January alluring.

Enterprising boaters have been jury rigging winter protection in the form of space heaters, heat lamps and the like. That's why in our area anyway, there is at least one major marina fire every winter.

In the past few years, high quality engine compartment heaters have come on the scene. They are designed specifically to operate safely in an unattended vessel over the winter. Meeting Coast Guard safety standards, they are approved for mounting in your engine compartment.
they are compact, energy efficient and easy to mount, either permanently, or temporarily.

For more information and a great sale price - visit our Engine Compartment Heaters section, see the article "Marine Engine Compartment Heaters Can Extend Your Boating Season While Protecting Your Boat's Engine"

Big Savings on Dock De-icers, Engine Compartment Heaters and More

We've kicked off our Fall Boat Winterization Sale.

Highlights include:

• Save 40% on PowerHouse Ice Eater Dock De-icers.


• Lowest Prices of the season and free shipping on Xtreme Heaters Engine Compartment Heaters.


• Save 25% on Ironwood Pacific Drywave Boat and RV Air Dryers.


• Free shipping on custom and semi-custom Taylor Boat Covers - Use our Boat Cover Finder to find the cover that is right for your boat.
  

Visit our Current Specials page for the full run down on our boat winterization specials.

2008 Duracats Championships Coming Up

The Duracats 2008 Catfish Angling Championships are scheduled for October 25th and 26th in Mount Vernon, Indiana. This 2 day event runs from 7:00 am to 4:00 PM both days. For full details be sure to visit the Duracats Catfish Angling Tournament site.

If you have the chance to stop by and visit, you're assured of seeing some unbelievable catfish brought in by the expert anglers that participate in this circuit. If you think you've got what it takes to compete, talk with the friendly folks there and get involved in next year's Duracats Catfish Angling Tournament.

SavvyBoater.com is a proud sponsor of the Duracats Catfish Tournament and the Championships this weekend. While I haven't had a chance to come back to any of the tournaments, it has been a lot of fun talking with the folks who are so passionate about chasing really big fish. It is also important to us that in doing so, they play a leading role in protecting the catfish fishery and the lakes and rivers of the area.

Good Fishing this weekend, we look forward to seeing the results.

What do you do with a 1/2 ton Pumpkin?

What do you do with a 1/2 ton pumpkin? Apparently, take it to sea...

I was mentioning that it was feeling like Fall around here, and if not from the weather, then from the giant pumpkins being queued up for the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta planned for next Saturday. I've been aware of this the past few years, but have always had a scheduling conflict, but this year it is looking like I may get lucky.

If you're not familiar with the regatta, a dozen or so giant pumpkins, most in the range of 600-800 lbs are carted in, hollowed out into makeshift kayaks and raced around the Tualatin Lake.

I plan to take the camera, so stay tuned for some action photos of the competition. If you can't picture what hitting the water in a giant pumpkin might be like - Here a File Photo from the City of Tualatin.

Important safety tip - be sure to wear a life jacket whenever you're out on the water in a giant vegetable.

EzineArticles.com has recently published two of our articles.

• Marine Coolers - Making Your High Performance Marine Cooler Really Perform covers tips for getting the best performance from your Marine Cooler.
• Dock De-Icers 101 - The Basics of Choosing a Dock De-Icer to Protect Your Dock From Ice Damage touches on the basics of selecting a Dock De-icer.

Check them out and let me know what you think.

Loren

Season's Turning

I took the Kayak out fishing on the Tualatin River a couple days ago. Nothing new about that, but it made me realize that whether I like it or not, Summer is over in our region. Recent rains have created a small but noticeable current in the normally lake-like stretch I frequent. I slowly swirled down the river like the handful of golden leaves that dotted the surface. As I cast a woolly bugger or panfish popper back under the willows and around the sunken snags, I noticed that the whole tree line had taken on an autumn glow in the long evening light. Instead of feeling comforting, my damp pant cuffs were a little chilly... Summer is over.

There are a lot of things I love about Fall, but it is always a little wistful when it comes time to put away the boat for another season. While I'm not totally ready to wrap it up yet, it is time to start getting ready.

How about you?

• Is the boat cover in shape for winter?


• If you're in a temperate area like Oregon's Willamette Valley or the coastal regions of the Northwest an air dryer like the DryWave can help keep your boat mold free until next Spring.


• If you plan to keep the boat running past the first frost, you might want to consider an engine compartment heater.


• Friends in colder climes may also want to make sure that their Ice Eater is in good working order so they can be certain the dock will still be there next Spring.

I figure I'll still be able to pick up a few nice days in the coming weeks, but winter is in the back of my mind.

Loren

Salmon on The Run

Salmon fishing in the Northwest has been markedly missing this year. To a large part this was due to closures to protect threatened species up and down the coast. While the Salmon closure is frustrating for sports fishermen, it is devastating to the commercial fishermen and communities that rely on the salmon for a livelihood. Having grown up in the fishing community in Newport, Oregon, I have some first hand knowledge of the challenges to the industry, but I can only imagine the impact this closure has on families up and down the Pacific coast.

The Smithsonian Magazine this month has an interesting article On California’s Coast, Farewell to the King Salmon that explores the complex issues that threaten our fish and fishermen. It is depressing and hopeful at the same time. I have to believe that if enough attention is paid to the issue, we'll find a away to save and co-exist with these amazing natives. Quite frankly, I have to have hope as I can't imagine the Northwest without salmon.

Polyform F-Series Commercial Grade Mooring Fenders Join the SavvyBoater Boat and Mooring Fender Line-Up.

If you've visited the Boat and Mooring Fender category at SavvyBoater.com, you know we offer great prices on an extensive line of Polyform, Taylor Made, Hull Hugr and Boater Sports brand mooring fenders. We thought we pretty much had all the bases covered, but increasing requests from our commercial customers for the Polyform F-Series Mooring Fenders has led to a new addition.

The Polyform F-series Fenders are a commercial grade mooring fender ranging from the 6" X 25" Polyform F-1 to the massive 32" X 77" F13. We are offering the entire line in case lots ranging from 10 pieces per case for smaller fenders to 2 fenders per case for larger fenders.

The F-series fenders are made from heavy duty flexible vinyl and feature a twin eye design. The eyes on the Polyform F-series fenders are the same rugged rope holds that are used on the popular Polyform A-Series Buoys.

The F-series fenders are used by the United States Navy and the US Coast Guard as well as yachts, shipping and transportation companies, commercial fishermen and anyone else that needs a serious pneumatic vinyl mooring fender.

The Polyform F-Series mooring fender line, from the F-1 to the massive F-13

A Tour Around the Harbor on a Gentle Breeze...NOT

I'm not a sailor, but this caught my eye. Scenes form the iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week in the UK. these folks are hardcore; over 40% of the teams were out by race 4 due to capsizes and collisions.

I first spotted this in a digest from Yachtpals then stopped by the site. they have video and more images as well as detailed race coverage. http://www.yachtpals.com/cowes-ishares-3007 It is worth a look.

New Product Review - AnchorLift Pro by Ironwood Pacific

We've carried the popular AnchorLift by Ironwood Pacific for some time and it has proven to be very popular with our cutomers who fish or boat on larger rivers and lakes. It is one of those products that is so simple, and works so well you wonder what you did before you found it. Just when we thought they couldn't improve on it, Ironwood Pacific came out with the new Anchorlift Pro.

The AnchorLift works like a check valve for your anchor rode, allowing the lift to slide towards the anchor, but not slip back out. To set the anchor ,you hold the anchor lift and pull back the bolt and allow the line to run out. Once the desired scope has been played out, you drop the anchor lift into the water where the float will mark the line.

To pull your anchor simply pull out around the bouy at an angle to keep the line clear of your prop. The resistance of the buoy will pull it down the line while floating your anchor to the surface. Once the anchor is up, you simply pull in the line and your anchor will be floating just below the AnchorLift and buoy. Some fishermen will use it as a line marker if they have to run to follow a big fish. If you try this, just be sure you have a stop at the bitter end of your rode to keep the line from running all the way through.

Because a picture is worth 1000 words, here is a video that shows how this works.

The new AnchorLift Pro is Ironwood Pacific's newest addition to their anchor retrieval line-up. While it works on the same principal as the original AnchorLift, the construction is entirely of heavy marine grade anodized aluminum and stainless steel. The Anchor Lift and Anchor Lift pro are designed for anchor rodes with little or no chain. They also work well as crab pot and shrimp pot pullers .

If your anchor rode is rigged with chain as is common in marine environments, try Ironwood Pacific's Anchor Ring and Heavy Duty Anchor Ring Anchor Retrievers.

Taylor Made Boat Fender Sale Extended

The response to our sale on Taylor Made Boat Fenders has been very positive, so we've decided to extend it through July. buy 4 or more Taylor Made Boat Fenders and Save an additional 10% off our already low prices.

This sale includes the Taylor Made Super Gard utility boat fender, the oval profile Hull Gard boat fender and the heavy-duty, "hole through the center" style Big B boat boat fender by Taylor.

Note: offer excludes Close-out Fenders.

Specials on Popular Taylor Made Boat Fenders

If you've shopped SavvyBoater.com in the past, you know we have extremely good prices on all of our Boat Fenders, whether you're looking for Taylor Made Boat Fenders, Polyform Fenders or Boater Sports Brand value priced fenders.

Now through June 15, 2008, we are offering special deals on Taylor Made Big B, heavy-duty, center hole boat fenders, Taylor Made Super Gard utility fenders and Taylor Made Hull Gard fenders with an oval body to resist rolling. by 4 or more of any of these boat fender styles and save an additional 10% off our already low prices.

Just visit the site, add 4 or more of any one of these style to your cart and you'll automatically get the discount price. Not only is your purchase backed by Taylor Made's Lifetime Warranty, but you have the SavvyBoater 100% Satisfaction Guarantee to assure that your shopping experience is ship shape!

The Yeti Tundra Marine Coolers

Yeti Coolers has been busy. In addition to rolling out a number of great accessories for the Yeti Sherpa and Yeti Fiberglass cooler lines, they have also developed a new line of tough, roto-molded marine coolers, dubbed the Yeti Tundra Cooler. While I haven't had a chance to get my hands on one yet, but I've gone over the literature and had a chance to talk with the folks at Yeti.

It looks like they took some of the well loved features of the older Yeti Roughneck Cooler line, and married them with the high performance innovations of the Yeti Sherpa Cooler line. The new Tundra Cooler features a squared off look similar to the Roughneck and Fiberglass Marine Coolers as well as the rope handles and T-latch system employed by the Roughneck Coolers. However, it has beefed up seals and insulation that has put the Yeti Sherpa among the elite of high-performance coolers.

The Yeti Tundra Cooler is currently available in 35 quart, 45 quart, 65 quart, 85 quart 120 quart and 155 quart sizes. I understand that a 250 quart model is in production and should be available soon, and a massive 420 quart Tundra Cooler is in the works.

Yeti Tundra Coolers are available from SavvyBoater.com, an Authorized Yeti Dealer. Watch the new SavvyBoater.com Blog for more information and specials on Yeti Coolers and other high performance marine coolers.

I know, Yeti Roughnecks never wear out, but if you decide it's time to upgrade, take a look at the new Tundra, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Engel Portable Fridge Freezers

I mentioned last week that we had added the line of UltraCool Marine Coolers including the brand new UltraCool Rugged Plastic Marine Coolers that are sized to fit US standard marine cooler spaces and accessories, as well as the popular UltraCool Fiberglass Boat Cooler.

We now have the Engel Portable Refrigerator - Freezer units available on the site as well. These Portable Fridge Freezers range in size from 14 quart 12 Volt DC to a commercial sized 84 quart model that runs on 12/24 Volt DC or 110 AC power.

Why buy an Engel Portable Fridge Freezer?

Patented Swing Compressor designed for use specifically in portable refrigeration units.

Powerful energy efficient cooling.

Features based on 40 years of experience and durable construction

Cooling temperature range from 45 degrees F. to 0 degrees F.

Heavily insulated box

Flexible 110 and 12/24 Volt AC/DC power options (most units)

We've broken this product line down into the following 3 groups based on the product features.

The 14 quart Engel Cooler Warmer features the patented Engel Swing compressor for improved performance and energy efficiency over competitors using thermoelectric cooling systems. Available as either a cooler, or a cooler warmer unit, they are perfect for any time you really need to keep something cool (or warm). They are popular with Boaters, truckers, salespeople with perishable samples, medical personnel who need to transport perishable items at constant temperatures and many other uses. They operate on 12 Volt DC power, or with an optional converter they can use 110 volt AC power.

The heart of the Engel Portable Fridge Freezer line-up are the 16 quart to 43 quart AC/DC models. These units are know for their durability and offer unsurpassed performance in some very practical sizes. They are also very flexible, running on 12 or 24 Volt DC power, or 110 Volt AC Power. Perfect to extend your refrigeration while cruising, camping or on extended fishing trips.

The Commercial Grade Engel Portable Refrigerator Freezers in 64 and 84 quart sizes are trusted the world over by guides, outfitters, charters and other outdoor professionals. These units are larger and heavier, so they ship truck freight on a pallet. Give us a call toll free at 866-560-1330 for pricing and a freight quote.

We have also added a broad selection of official Engel Portable Fridge Accessories, including insulated covers, slide lock systems, converters and more. We also have the TwoZone Module by the Australian company, TwoZone. It lets you add roughly 22 quarts and a second temperature zone to your Engel portable fridge models MT35 and MT45.

Engel has been a world leader in portable refrigeration for 4o years and has sold over 3 million units around the world. Whether you are treking in the Australian Outback, on safari in Africa, fishing the King run in Alaska or cruising the Carribean, Engel Portable Fridge Freezers are there.

SavvyBoater.com is an Authorized Engel Portable Fridge Freezer Dealer. No other authorized dealer will offer a lower price than we do, and our manufacturer direct relationship allows us to provide you with the best service possible.

New Engel UltraCool Marine Coolers Added to SavvyBoater.com Line-up

We're pleased to announce that we've partnered with Engel to offer you great deals on the full line of UltraCool Marine Coolers. UltraCool has been a name in high end marine coolers for years both with their Rugged Plastic Marine Coolers and their Fiberglass Marine Coolers.

Engel is just releasing the re-designed UltraCool Rugged Plastic Marine Cooler in April. The new coolers offer all the features that have made UltraCool so popular with boaters, yachtsmen and fishermen over the years with a few refinements. One of the biggest changes is that they have been re-sized to match USA industry standards. If you've got an Igloo or similar cooler, or your raft frame or leaning post is sized to fit one of these popular entry level coolers, your in luck, now you can upgrade to a high performance UltraCool marine cooler that will fit the same space.

We also offer the popular UltraCool Fibergalass Marine Coolers which come in 5 sizes ranging from 47 quarts to a massive 253 quart boat cooler. As an UltraCool Authorized Dealer, we have a manufacturer direct relationship which allows us to serve you better, and we're offering these coolers at the lowest prices you'll find from any authorized dealer. Stop by and browse our Marine Cooler section or give is a call toll free at 866-560-1330 (8-5 Pacific Time, Monday -Friday) and one of our customers service reps will be happy to answer your questions or assist you with an order.

Taylor Made Semi-Custom Boat Covers Added to SavvyBoater.com Boat Cover Offerings

We teamed up with Taylor Made, to offer their quality boat covers in2008. I mentioned earlier that we added the Taylor Made Boat Guard Universal boat Cover lines to our Universal Boat Cover section. We've also added their 2008 catalog of Semi-custom boat covers to our line up. For you that means SavvyBoater.com is the place to turn if you need a boat cover. Taylor Made offers a broad selection of quality boat covers in either a polyester cotton canvas cover, or their Taylor Made HotShot acrylic coated polyester material.

The easiest way to find the boat cover you are looking for is to use our Boat Cover Finder. Just select the style of boat you have, then choose from the available length and beam options for the cover closest in size for your boat. Finally click Show covers for a selection of covers that are sized for your boat. In addition to the new Taylor Made Boat Covers, you'll also have access to the Carver Covers Boat Covers and BoaterSorts Boat covers we offer.

You'll find we have a broad selection of boat cover styles and materials and that our prices are very competitive. We are adding additional styles to our new Boat Cover Shop By Style section every day. This section is designed to help you browse through and find the correct cover style for your boat. For example, You have a newer Nitro Bass Boat - what do the cover manufacturers call your style? By selecting Bass Boat Covers, the looking at the short text description, profile and floor plan, you might select Tournament Style Bass Boat Covers where you cna review a write up that explains the style and its features, then browse all the covers that are available for that style.

Stay tuned as we are in the process of adding 1000 Taylor Made custom boat covers to the SavvyBoater.com site. In addition, we will be offering the Taylor Made Cover Finder that will allow you to find just the right custom or semi-custom boat cover for your make model and year of boat.

The Children's Cancer Association - Helping out Children who are fighting the tough fight

I'm a little off topic today, but I wanted to share some information on a great organization that has become a model for helping children with cancer and their families during their fight with the disease.

The Children's Cancer Association is a great organization that has successfully inspired regional businesses and wonderful volunteers to really make a difference for children in Oregon & Washington who are dealing with cancer or similar diseases.

In addition to providing resources and visibility, they have developed strong programs like the Chemo Pals, that provides a carefully screened and trained adult friend for children, to be a friend during chemo and to provide some support and relief time for parents. Their innovative Music Rx Program brings music to kids in the hospital, providing distraction, entertainment and comfort. The Dream catcher program helps ill children fulfil a special wish and their Caring Cabin provides a place for families to spend some time outside the hospital. Free to the families, it can meet ill children's medical needs while providing a comfortable private retreat for families.

Take a moment to visit the CCA site and learn more about what they have going on. By the way, I'm not a representative of the CCA, just a fan, so if I've got any of the facts wrong in here, mea culpa.

The SavvyBoater crew recently were able to do our tiny part, by helping outfit the Caring Cabin with life jackets fishing rods and games so the families can enjoy boating on the small private lake. What can you do to help out the CCA and the children they serve?

Phantom Shipwrecks and Cannons Mark 2007-2008 Winter in Oregon

I like boats and I like history, so the winter of 2007-2008 has been an interesting one. For starters, old and forgotten shipwrecks have been resurfacing up and down the coast. The first popped out of a sand dune in North Bend, near the site of the modern wreck "New Carissa", and proved a mystery for awhile with many people weighing in on it's identity. It has finally been identified as the George L. Olson, a lumber ship built in 1917 and lost in 1944. Winter erosion revealed a couple more unidentified wrecks, then revealed 2 cannons just south of Cannon Beach in Northern, Oregon.

Cannon Beach was named after a couple cannons were found in the the late 1800's, presumed to be from the U.S. Navy Survey ship "Shark". Surprisingly, two more cannons were discovered just south of the town in February. They have been recovered by the state and are now undergoing a long process to stabilize and preserve them for future display.

The image above is from http://historicphotoarchive.com/caps/00068.html where you can also purchase copies The first time I saw this image I thought it must have been PhotoShopped. How would a ship in full sail have run on the rocks like that? What you can't see is that this is faced by a huge cliff and mountain that run right down to the sea, so not really even a surprise rocky shoal. It is real, the ship Glenesslin wrecked on Mt. Neahkahnie (also famous for legends of buried pirate treasure). Apparently more than a couple crew members had been into the spirits - another great reminder to "Boat sober". :?)

For more information on the exposed shipwrecks, check out the Oregonian's coverage at http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2008/02/oregon_shipwreck_identified_sh.html

I also ran across the following interactive map of the "Graveyard of the Pacific" - Columbia River bar. It shows you a time lapse of the shifting river topography and the wrecks from the mid 1800's to present. Interactive Columbia River Shipwreck Map the data was compiled by the staff of the Columbia River Maritime Museum which is worth a visit in person or on-line - http://www.crmm.org/. In addition to information on the spectacular museum, their site offers a live webcam of the Astoria, Oregon bayfront and the current weather station as well.

I don't know what made me think of it, but I thought I'd mention that at Savvyboater.com we offer a wide array of life jackets, inflatable life vests and personal flotation devices including life jackets for children and pet life vests.

New Universal Boat Covers added to our Boat Cover Line-up

If you've visited SavvyBoater.com, you probably noted that we have a good selection of boat covers at very reasonable prices. we've been spending some time this winter expanding both our Boat Cover offerings and the support materials that will help you find the cover that is just right for your boat and needs.

Among our new additions to our Universal Boat Cover Section are the 4 boat cover lines in the Taylor Made boat Guard Universal Boat Cover line.

The Boat Guard RainBreaker Boat Cover offers a simple, economical mooring and storage cover. Made from 70 denier polyester, it is a light weight easy to manage cover designed to protect your boat from moderate elements as well as dirt and debris. It is available in 6 size / style combination to provide protection for many of the popular boat styles.



The classic Boatguard Universal Boat Cover steps up to 11 styles and offers a number of great features that make Taylor Made covers an industry leader. These include 4 ply seams, double folded hems, sewn in tied downs loops and a 2 year warranty.



The premium Eclipse Boatguard Universal Boat Covers step it up even further. The Eclipse boat covers are made from Taylor Made's Hotshot acrylic coated polyester fabric in a striking two-tone black and gray design and comes with a five year warranty. These boat covers feature sewn-in air vents, reinforced tie-down loops and each cover order includes tie-downs, a support pole and a storage bag. While the cover is premium, the price isn't.



We're also offering the Taylor Made BoatGuard SST Self Supporting Technology universal boat covers. The SST Universal covers feature a unique, patented support system where flexible fiberglass poles slide into sewn in pockets in the cover ,creating a fairly rigid arched support under the cover. Designed for V-Hull Runabouts and Cuddy Cabins, these are an interesting solution to the boat cover support question.



In addition to the Taylor Made Boat Guard Universal Boat Covers, we also offer Carver Covers Flex-fit universal boat covers as well as Wolf Covers Harbor Shell universal boat cover line. we've got fantastic prices on Wolf Covers heavy weight Mariner mooring and storage cover in our clearance section.



When you're looking for a new boat cover, think SavvyBoater.com.

Investing to Protect Your Dock & Boat

It's getting towards the end of the ice season (to the joy of many boaters) But I finally did some catch up reading and ran across an article of interest.

If you've bought, built or rent dock space, you know it is a real investment. If you live in many places in the country, you're probably familiar with the kind of havoc that ice can raise. I ran across a great article "Storm Proofing a Marina Can Get Very Costly" by JoAnn W. Goddard in the December issue of the boating industry magazine Trade Only. According to the article, ice causes millions of dollars in damage to docks and marinas each year.

If this article doesn't help you understand the value of investing in ice protection for your dock or boat, nothing will. Marine de-icers are definitely an investment but compare the outlay to the cost of resetting all your pilings, replacing your dock structures or any of the other imaginable. Visit our Dock and Marina De-icer Section at SavvyBoater.com and compare all the major brands. We offer the full catalog of PowerHouse Ice Eaters de-icers, accessories and de-icer parts. We have a wide selection of the popular Kasco Marine De-icers and Pyramid Tech's innovative oil free de-icer line.

Picking it up in the New Year

I hope you are all having a great start to 2008 this year. Its been awhile since our last post, mainly chocked up to the holidays and brisk business during the past couple months.

I attribute the brisk weather for part of that. Demand for dock de-icers is at a peak this time of year, and many customers have discovered that SavvyBoater.com has the broadest selection of dock de-icers you'll find, featuring the full catalog of PowerHouse Ice Eaters, including de-icers, parts ands accessories, the line of popular Kasco Marine De-icers as well as the new Oil-free Pyramid D-icer line. In addition, our prices for Dock De-icers are very competitive. Compare them to the competitions' "Sale" prices and see for yourself.

Despite the weather, we're getting a lot of visitors preparing for the upcoming boating season, however distant that may seem at the moment. One customer from the Great Lakes area picked up and EasyTroller Trolling Plate, and noted wistfully that now he had to wait for the ice to melt before he could use it. I feel his pain. Now that the year has turned, I'm getting restless to get outside. A look out the window looks inviting with blue skies and sun, but we are at uncommonly cold temperatures for our area and a stiff east wind means its still time for indoor activities.

I opened my email this morning and found a notice for the SuperYacht Cup Transatlantic Challenge slated for April of 2008. they are trying to add a little fun to the annual slog of crossing the Atlantic when the Caribbean yachting season ends and the Mediterranean Season begins. I'm glad someone is seeing to this, because it is certainly a misery no one should have to suffer. - ;?)

It is the stuff of day-dreams, running from Antigua to the Azores for a stop over, then on to the finish line at Vigo, Spain. Oh well, I don't suppose my 17' "SuperYacht" would be competitive anyway. They have a pdf SuperYacht Cup Newsletter that is image intensive and will warm you up on a cold, dreary, January morning.

Whether you are boating, or just dreaming about it, we look forward to seeing you drop by SavvyBoater.com to see what's new.

Note, the image of Antigua Harbor above is from TheSuperyachtCup.com.