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How Noise Levels Affect Boaters
Why the sound recordings from our boat tests matter.The call came from a boatbuilder — I won’t say which — that had an issue with some of our recorded performance numbers. Not the speed or fuel...
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Releasing a Stuck Anchor
Use these tips to break your anchor free.You’ve anchored for a while to relax, but when it comes time to pull up, the anchor won’t budge. Don’t stress over that stuck anchor. Try these tips for using...
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The Value of a New-Boat Survey
Why you should consider a new-boat survey, and what it entails.Beneteau Yachts’ The Greatest Loop, a Swift Trawler 34, just completed the Great Loop cruise, circumnavigating the eastern United States....
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Should You Shrinkwrap Your Own Boat?
You or the yard: The best choice for shrink-wrapping your boat.For detailed step-by-step DIY information, watch these instructional videos, courtesy of Dr. Shrink.The season is just about over and it’s...
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Using Blue Crabs for Bait
How to determine if a shedder crab is suitable for bait.Used whole or in pieces, shedder crabs make killer bait for drum, flounder, trout and stripers. Shedders are blue crabs about to shed their...
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On Board With NOAA Hydrographer Ben Evans
Find out what it's like to run the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's new high-tech coastal mapping ship.What’s a hydrographic field party? It sounds like it could be a wild time. Pete...
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Become a Better Boater at Boat Racing School
Learning to drive fast at the APBA racing school.The cockpit was tinier than I thought. As the team tightly buckled me into my safety harness, I took a deep breath and tried not to mind the squeeze of...
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Toughest Boats in the World
Handling the toughest yacht tenders in the world.You’ve seen them on the interstate, giant buses turned into motor homes, land yachts really. And behind they’re usually towing a “dinghy.” Not a mini...
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Winter Battery Care
How to properly prepare your battery for longterm storage.Man’s best friend is his dog, right? If he’s trying to crank up a pair of engines, boating man’s best friends are his batteries. Unfortunately,...
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How to Choose a Floating Dock
What you should look for in any floating dock.Floating docks provide convenience, especially in areas where the water level fluctuates. Modular composite docks have made installation and customization...
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Route Planning Tips
How to plan for the most comfortable cruise possible.My wife likes boating, but not lumpy seas. Come to think of it, I feel the same. But I’m used to bumpy conditions. Not so with my better half. So...
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Coast Guard Mayday Calls and Rescue Videos
Listen to mayday calls made to the Coast Guard, and watch videos of the boaters being rescued.Listen to chilling audio of mayday calls being made by boaters in distress, and watch videos of the boaters...
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Automatic Charging Relay Installation
ACRs share charging current for all of a boat’s batteries and protect the starting battery from discharge.Managing all your batteries while boating is a cinch with an automatic charging relay system...
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Using Kelp to Catch Fish
Tips for scoring fish in "kelp paddies".Floating mats of seaweed — known in southern California as “kelp paddies” — are havens for offshore game fish. Baitfish use them for cover in vast stretches of...
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What to Do When Your Boat is Sinking
It’s your worst nightmare. A fitting may have failed; perhaps you struck a deadhead; maybe you stuffed a wave, or chopped the throttles to avoid a collision, bringing aboard tons of green water. You...
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Adding Vents and Doors to Shrink-Wrap
Once the leaves fall to the ground and the first frost chills the morning, it’s a good time to store your boat for the winter. Wrapping it up in plastic is one of the best ways to keep it safe and dry,...
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Integrating an AIS Receiver
An AIS (Automatic Identification System) receiver is essentially a black box that plugs into a chart plotter and lets you identify, locate and read important safety data about vessels and aids to...
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Tow Sport Workouts
Since 1975, I have been continuously enjoying the various tow sports such as water skiing — first on two skis, then slalom, trick, barefoot and wakeboard. And now, at 50, I can tell you without...
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Save the Manatees?
In 1915 Carl Fisher, the man who invented Miami Beach and was a brilliant entrepreneur, had a not-so-brilliant idea for a new company. He called it Ocean Dairy Products and instead of cows was going to...
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On Board With: Jim Craig, Olympic Gold Medalist
The clutch goalie for the U.S. 1980 Winter Olympics hockey team, Jim Craig ruled the ice en route to an upset gold medal for the underdog Americans. More than 30 years later he can be found more often...
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