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Boat Showroom Home About Us Accessories Parts and Service News and Events Boat Buyers Guide Photo Gallery Proctor Marine Racing Financing Options Links Newsletter	Subject:  Proctor Marine May Newsletter May 2010 This is our third electronic newsletter. Word is beginning to spread and we are now reaching over 500 customers. We hope that you enjoy these newsletters and find them informative. Help us spread the word by telling all of your boating friends to log on to www.proctormarine.com and follow the links to sign up for future e-mail newsletters. Feel free to forward this one to get them started. Our spring launch season is now in full swing. We have over 350 boats in our care for winter storage as well as a similar number of off-site boats that pass through our service bays each spring on their way to the lake for the summer. When arranging for spring service, please keep this in mind and consider the backlog of work orders ahead of yours as we prepare each and every boat for a trouble free summer of pleasure boating. Our entire staff works hard to meet every customer’s specific needs. Ten days notice is required to have your boat removed from winter storage and prepared for spring launch. Boats that are dropped off for service will need a similar lead-time. Choosing the right anchor for your boat. Anchoring successfully requires an anchor of the proper size, correctly rigged for your boat and designed to hold on the type of bottom that you will normally encounter in your boating travels. Things you will need to know are: 1- Length of your boat to determine anchor size 2- Have some idea of the bottom that you plan to anchor in, so you purchase the correct type. 3- Approximately how deep the water is, where you will be anchoring, to determine how much anchor line, called rode, to have on board. Anchors come in sizes based on the length of the boat. They also are made from different materials. Choose an anchor one size larger than recommended for your boat length. There are three basic anchor shapes that you can choose from: Mushroom- looks like a mushroom, and holds on the bottom mainly due to its weight. It is good for most bottoms where wind and currents are minimal, and a simple weight is enough to hold the boat in position. Fluke-has a pointed tip or fluke on either side of an inverted “T”. The fluke is good for soft bottoms that will allow the flukes to dig in. Note that the fluke anchor may not re-set itself, if the wind or current shifts and the boat swings around. Plow- is shaped like a fish hook. The pointed end flares out on either side, like an agricultural plow. This anchor is good for soft bottoms, and unlike the fluke, tends to re-set itself if the wind or currents cause the boat to swing around. Choose an anchor shape based on the water, wind, current and bottom conditions you are likely to encounter in your boating area. Please note that if you are docking in an area where there are many, many boats, and the water is fairly shallow, you should also have an anchor for the stern of the boat. The stern anchor does not need to be as big as the bow anchor, but something substantial enough to prevent accidental drifting into your neighbors boat, should you encounter a wake, or the winds pick up. Rigging your anchor. Anchors are attached to an anchor line, called rode. The rode must be able to handle the weight of the anchor and the stress caused by wind and currents against the boat. The length of the rode should be 5 to 7 times the depth of the water you intend to anchor in. Keep in mind that the more intense the wind, wave, and current become, the more anchor line should be played out to insure a secure hold on the bottom. The anchor line should be attached to a length of chain, and then to the anchor. The chain serves 3 purposes: 1- It helps the anchor maintain the proper angle to set and hold on the bottom 2- It acts as a shock absorber rising and falling as the boat moves up and down due to wind and wave action. 3- It protects the anchor line from abrasion due to rocks and other bottom structure. The length of the anchor chain is dependent on the size of the boat. Three to five feet of chain is usually adequate for a small fishing boat, while six to ten feet may be enough for a bass boat or mid size family runabout. Boat lengths of twenty feet and beyond may need anchor chain ½ to 1 times their length. At The Boat Launch We’ve all been there. You’ve looked forward to this day all week and now you’re finally ready to go boatin’. You arrive at the ramp only to find a big line up and the guy holding up the show is unsnapping his covers and moving coolers, canvas and other sundry items leisurely between boat and tow vehicle while backed halfway into the water. Grrr. This stress is completely avoidable. It’s easy really. When you arrive at your launch destination pull out of the way of other vehicles and prepare for your day on the water. Off to the side you can take the necessary time to do what has to be done. Press those kids into service and start moving your boating needs from the family truckster to the boat. Someone can be removing the covers from the boat while someone else removes the trailer tie downs and stores them in the tow vehicle. Check that the hull plug is in place. You’ll need dock lines and fenders so now is the time to attach them to both bow and stern keeping in mind which side the dock will be on when you launch. Make sure the key is in the ignition and the battery switch is turned on. Unhook the safety chain from the bow eye and unplug the trailer lights if you have drum brakes on your trailer. If your trailer has disk brakes you’ll want to keep them plugged in. Assign stations to your crew. Ideally you will want one person to take the bow line and another, the stern line. If they are inexperienced, tell them what’s going to happen. You are going to back down the ramp, and once part way into the water you are going to stop and unhook the winch, assuming you have a bunk trailer or the ramp has a gradual angle. Then you will back the rest of the way in and the boat will float gently off the trailer. The crew should know that this is where they take over, guiding the boat backward and gently pulling it to a position where it can rest while they wait for you to park the tow vehicle. If your boat is a sterndrive, someone can turn on the blower so that you are ready to start the engine as soon as you return to the dock. Preparing for your launch away from the ramp is both courteous and stress free and stress free is a great way to begin your day on the water. A Time for Pan Fish Trout season has just officially begun. But if you are not a stream angler, what to do! This is an excellent time to fish for pan fish, such as rock bass, bluegills, crappie and perch. All of these species make fine table fare. Typically the lake’s water temperature is still cool. This means solid, firm meat. Since these fish are normally referred to in inches rather than pounds, I usually fillet the fish from the back downwards and come off at the top of the ribcage. Perch may be the exception to that rule, especially if you prefer them butterflied. This is fishing in its simplest terms. Light spinning gear and small baits are the norm. Live bait such as minnows and worms are ideal. There are many biodegradable and plastic types of bait that are highly effective. Small jigs account for many of my fish. Suspend these baits and jigs under small delicate floats to keep them perched, pardon the pun, above the vegetation. Small in-line spinners, such as Mepps and Blue Fox are extremely productive. Get your boat ready for the water and catch some of Ontario’s delectable wonders. You need the Pleasure Craft Operator Card NOW! Effective September 15, 2009 all boat operators in Canada need the Pleasure Craft Operator Card or they risk expensive fines. We encourage any unlicensed boaters to take the 36 question, multiple-choice exam in our store or online and get certified for life. Visit our store to challenge the test or visit www.boaterexam.com to study online and learn more about obtaining your boating license. All of us here at Proctor Marine are pleased to announce that we have been recognized alongside a select group of Chaparral dealerships for achieving a 100% score for Excellence in Customer Satisfaction. We are proud to say that we are the only Chaparral dealership in all of Canada to receive this award and this is the second time in three years that we have received such an honour. It takes a great deal of hard work by all involved to earn such an accomplishment and we couldn’t be more proud! Our small, dedicated group gives 100% every day to exceed your expectations to make your boating experience as enjoyable as possible. It is truly satisfying to know that our customers and our peers in the marine industry notice our hard work. You can be assured that we will work just as hard in the future to maintain our 100% CSI score.   Image Attached: None