New Article on Installing Ice Eaters Published

EzineArticles.com recently picked up our article Installing an Ice Eater Dock De-Icer.

We offer a selection of articles on Ice Eaters and other marine de-icers in our Marine De-icer Resource Center including tips on selecting a de-icer, set up and using Ice Eaters and Ice Eater's Product Specifications.

SavvyBoater is an authorized dealer and offers the entilre line of Ice Eaters de-icers at hard to beat prices.

Amps and Currents - Fun With Electric Boats

Sometimes the roar of an outboard while you race across the water is exhilarating. But sometimes a little peace and quiet is in order, which is one of the reasons I enjoy paddling a kayak so much. When I’m quietly sliding along the river, I see and hear so much more. Round a bend and there is an otter playing on the bank, a heron roosts on a log up ahead and the murmur of the water passing under the hull is soothing.

What if you could combine the best of both worlds? How about a silent, electric launch, that can propel you along at 5 miles per hour, and can run for up to 10 hours on a dollar or two’s worth of electricity? It sounded pretty interesting to me, so I got in touch with Duffy Electric Boats, a leader in the electric boat field and had the opportunity to speak with Kevin Kearns.

Shamrock 14' Electric Launch by Duffy Electric Boats

My first assumptions was that electric boats must be something new, a waterborne cousin of the EV1 or Tesla electric cars, but Kevin set me straight. Duffy has been producing electric boats long before electric became cool. They were producing electric launches back in the 1970’s . Today they produce a line of 9 electric pleasure boats that range from the 14’ Shamrock to the Duffy M240, a 24 foot pontoon like “Party Barge”. Scanning over their designs, they have tended towards that elegant launch styling from the earlier half of the last century. Some models are available with teak furnishings and fittings with leather like seats, and models have removable canopies with full window enclosures. Kevin tells me not to be deceived by their refined looks; they have done a lot to over-build these boats with heavy hulls and a prominent keel for stability and strength.

So who’s using these boats? Most of them are used for casual cruising on protected waters, think picnic on the lake with the family or a romantic sunset tour of the harbor. Apparently I’m not the first person to think about the nature watching possibilities. A nature preserve in Naples, Florida shifted over to electric boats because their outboards were disturbing birds on nesting sites, and tours for patrons were less than satisfactory as the wildlife fled from the boats.

22' Cuddy ST Electric Launch by Duffy Electric Boats

Kevin pointed out several other benefits of Duffy Electric Boats. No gas or oil to mess around with, which is a great benefit when it is easy to drop a C-note on a fill-up. No internal combustion engine also means no direct emissions (I know, it took something to create the energy, but here in the Northwest, hydro and wind are more significant than coal.) Kevin pointed out that there is also no need to winterize. As long as the batteries are kept in a state of positive charge, the boat is good to go. For any of us that have winterized the boat, then been presented with several beautiful boating days, the last features is pretty appealing. Models with the canopies and window enclosures, with a heater and optional seat warmers make boating a year around possibility as long as you’ve got boatable water.

I noticed that one of the images on the Duffy web site showed a boat with a solar array on the canopy. I immediately imagined cruising the waterways, perpetually refilling my batteries on free sunshine. While solar panels are becoming popular as an alternate energy source on larger cruiser and RV’s, the return from one of these solar arrays is not enough to significantly extend the cruising range of these boat. Besides, as Kevin points out, these boats will run longer on one charge than most people want to spend in a boat. Just plug it in overnight and you’re ready to run for another full day of boating tomorrow.

One obvious question I had to ask Kevin was, “How do you keep these electric motors happy around all this water?” He told me it isn’t really an issue. Duffy uses a “bilge within a bilge” configuration to assure that the workings stay out of the water, and they employ “marineized” motors and components, specifically designed to operate in harsh marine conditions.

Electric Boats…What’s next?
Here’s a hint, biodiesel – electric hybrids, and hydrogen fuel cells, but we’ll have to g there another day. Visit Duffy Electric Boats at http://www.duffyboats.com. They have an interesting site that offers a good introduction to the world of electric boats.

M240 Electric Boat by Duffy Electric Boats
Images courtesy of Duffy Electric Boats

Boating Should be More Affordable This Year

With the current economic conditions, many of us may not be rushing out to buy a new boat this year, but at least it may be a bit more affordable to get out on the water this summer. With fuel prices exceeding $4.00 per gallon in 2008, a lot of folks decided it would be better to stay on the beach, than to splurge on a fill-up at the gas dock.

According to the Energy Information Administration, Official Energy Statistics from the US Government web site, "Average monthly U.S. prices for regular gasoline and diesel fuel were $1.69 and $2.45 per gallon, respectively, in December 2008, more than $2.25 per gallon below their monthly peaks last July. Economic contraction in 2009 and lower projected crude oil prices are expected to reduce annual average retail gasoline and diesel fuel prices in 2009 to $1.87 and $2.27 per gallon, respectively."

At $1.87 per gallon, hitting the water should be a much more affordable option this summer. We see that as a glimmer of sunshine on a cold January day.

See you on the lake.

Photo courtesy of Skeeter Boats

'Tis Still the Season for Marine De-icers.

Now the holidays are behind us, so I'm ready for spring to arrive. Unfortunately, no amount of hoping is going ot make it arrive any sooner. In fact, January is typically our busiest month for marine de-icer sales. If you've been thinking about setting up a de-icer to protect your dock or boat, now is a good time to buy. We've got some great sale prices on all models of the two leading marine de-icer brands. We've got Powerhouse Ice Eaters for as low as $409.95 and Kasco Marine De-icers for as low as $399.95.

Not sure if a marine de-icer is right for you? Need a little help deciding what size de-icer will best meet your needs? Here are a few good de-icer resources to help you decide:

• Dock De-Icers 101 - The Basics of Choosing a Dock De-Icer to Protect Your Dock From Ice Damage by Loren Hadley on ezine articles
  


• Choosing an Ice Eater By Paul Esterle on Mad Mariner
  


• Archive of Marine De-icer specifications and articles on SavvyBoater.com

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?