New Product Introduction - Boater Sports Keel Protectors

While meeting with our friends at Boater Sports during the IBEX Show in Miami earlier this month, we learned about a new Boater Sports Keel Protector they have just launched.

If you are not familiar with Keel Protectors, they are typically a protective strip that bonds to your boats keel, forming a protective pad for several inches on either side of your keel. The purpose is to provide protection from abrasion or dings when you beach the boat, or come in contact with shallow structures or debris.

Like many of the other products Boater Sports offers, these are focused on utility at a very nice price point. Similar to competing keel protectors like the Keel Shield or Keel Guard products, the Boater Sports Keel Protector is made from PVC with a special 3M marine adhesive to bond it to your keel. The product is designed for you to install it yourself in an afternoon. It requires some prep work to get the keel surface ready for the adhesive, and a little care when actually putting it into place, but it is well within most boat owners capabilities.

The Boater Sports Keel Protector is available in Black or White in 6, ft., 7 ft. and 8 ft. lengths. Each kit comes with the protector, a pair of rubber gloves, 4 tubes of 3M primer to prepare the surface, a special scouring pad and an application squeegee.

Length - Savvy Price
6 ft. - $109.95
7 ft. - $124.95
8 ft. - $139.95

Compare those prices to any other Keel Protector on the market and you'll know why we are so excited about this product.

We are also very pleased to offer Keel Shield Keel Protectors, the industry leader in Keel protection. While they cost a bit more than the Boater Sports Keel Protectors, they are available in a much wider range of colors and sizes. We currently offer 4 sizes and up to 5 color shades, but as a special order we can get the entire range of Keel Shield Keel Protectors from 5 ft. to 12' in up to 14 colors. If you need a size or color we don't offer on the site, give us a call toll free at 866-560-1330 for pricing and availability.

MAATS 2007 Marine Products Show in Las Vegas

Well, I'm finally getting around to mentioning it, but I had a chance to attend the MAATS show - (Marine After-market Accessories Trade Show) in las Vegas last month. While it was a whirlwind 1-day trip, I had a chance to talk with a number of our suppliers and brand representatives.

One feature of the show is the New Products Awards. Congratulations to Mustang Survival for the selection of their Rescue Stick product. If you want to see more about these selected new products, check out the Boaters TV video review below:

BoatersTV17 MAATS Boat Product Awards Power & Motoryacht 100

Aside from the awards, the show was manned by hundreds of hearty souls braving the 106 degree heat to show us all the new toys we should have. Some are old SavvyBoater friends and other became new acquaintances as they pitched their new products.

As you may have figured out, I'm a fan of Boater Sports products. They produce a number of solid products at very competitive prices and our SavvyBoater customers have made it clear that they appreciate this. I had a chance to meet with Keith (right - Keith at the Boater Sports booth at MATS 2007) and the other Boater Sports reps, and after our discussion, there are a number of new products we'll be adding to the SavvyBoater line-up in the coming months.

We had a chance to talk with Marine Dynamics, manufacturers of the StingRay Senior Hydrofoil Stabilizer series. My first question was, "We could sell lots more of these if we could just get our hands on them - What's going on?"

If you've had a chance to look at the product, you'll realize that complex molded plastic components are integral to the design. According to the Marine Dynamics representative, changes in their major supplier caused them to have to set up with a new supplier. Things didn't go as smoothly as planned with the transition at the same time demand for the innovative StingRay XPRIII Hydrofoil Stabilizer with no-drill mounting was really taking off. It looks like they have things working smoothly again, so I'm hopeful we'll see a steady supply of this popular product.

Polyform was there of course and we had a chance to talk with our representatives there. The SavvyBoater.com offerings of Polyform fenders & buoys have been very popular this year. We are carrying a broad selection of the Polyform's popular G-Series boat fenders, the rugged HTM-Series Fenders and the signature A-Series Polyform buoy as well as their stainless steel True Fit Fender Holder system. While we didn't run across anything really new, it was good to confirm that we've got the full selection of boat fenders and buoys that are geared towards the recreational boater and fisherman.

Among the new companies I met were the folks at BulZeye Boat Cradles - While it is a little large for on-line retail, it is a very interesting guide system for docking and lifting or trailering your boat.

Aqua Lantern has developed a line of solar powered lighted marking and regulatory buoys. We are currently working with the manufacturer to add AquaLantern to our buoy line-up.

We also met with KS Marine and got a chance to look at their KeelShield keel protector products. I know - they aren't really new, but they are new to me, and were kind enough to give us a bit of an education. Since then, we have added the Keelshield keel protector product as well as the TransomShield transom protector to our offerings. They are available either in our Anchoring & Mooring - Beaching Category or our Boat Maintenance - Keel and Hull Protection Category.

I could go on a lot longer as I was able to cram a lot of research and visiting into one day, but I'll wrap up for now. I'm looking forward to attending the IBEX show in Miami in October, with plans to hit the Bahamas after words for some fishing, diving and recreation.