We will be closed on Saturday September 4th and Monday September 6th to observe the Labour Day long weekend
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 June Newsletter June 2010 This is our fourth electronic newsletter. Word is beginning to spread and we are now reaching over 600 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. Make A Wish Recently, we were approached by the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help a young man from the London area realize his wish of a 16’ fishing boat for he and his family to enjoy. We were pleased to be able to help such a worthy cause. With the support of several key suppliers we were able to provide a brand new 16’ UltraCraft fishing boat and a Yacht Club boat trailer. The boat was completely outfitted with a Humminbird portable fishfinder, life jackets, paddles, safety equipment and a host of fishing related gear like rods, reels, tackle and fishing accessories. Through the generosity of our suppliers we were able to help a young man with many health difficulties enjoy his passion for fishing and spend quality family time with the people that he loves the most. We would like to publicly thank the following companies for their generous contributions: UltraCraft Boats Yacht Club Boat Trailers Bay Distributors North Bay, Ontario Humminbird Marine Electronics Johnson Outdoors C.C. Marine Distributors We are well past the halfway point of the spring launch season but many boats are still to be readied. The central focus of the service department continues to be spring service and launch. By mid to late June the launch season will come to an end and we will once again begin to schedule installations and maintenance work. We thank you for your patience as we transition from the hectic spring launch season to summer service mode. The weather has been unseasonably warm in April and May. Water temperatures are well above normal for early June and many boaters are already swimming in both the inner and outer bays of Long Point. Weed growth is well above normal for this time of year and is becoming an inconvenience already in many area marinas. We encourage you to keep this in mind this summer. Excessive weeds can make maneuverability challenging. Heavy weed cover can also lead to overheating problems with all marine engines. We encourage you to be extra mindful of your temperature gauge this summer and take precautions to keep your propeller weed-free. The photo above was taken on June 1st. This boat had been in Long Point Bay for two weeks when the photo was taken. The Ideal Father’s Day Gift- something associated with boating! June 20th is Father’s Day, and why not get a perfect gift from Proctor Marine. How about a new side imaging fishfinder from Humminbird, with its 180 degree coverage and amazing picture-like images. This patent pending technology reveals the entire world beneath the surface with 480 feet of side to side coverage. You can also see, with picture clarity, what is happening directly below your boat. Timber, brush, bridge pilings, rocks, and any other structure will pop with stunning detail as you patrol the water. Some of this year’s models are also available in HD- High Definition. Visit www.humminbird.com today! New Minn Kota I Pilot – new wireless GPS trolling system It’s simple, the less time you spend steering and positioning your boat, the more fish you can catch. The I-Pilot controls and steers your boat for you, using GPS technology. Lock onto a fishing spot at the push of a button- and stay there- regardless of the chop in the water. Record a successful path and re-trace it later. Set cruise control for perfect bait presentation. All wireless, all with GPS accuracy, all with the sole purpose of making you a better angler. Visit www.minnkotamotors.com to see all the latest technology and equipment. Please come and visit our store today, and find that special gift for dear Dad!!! Gift certificates are always available in any denomination. Operating a Marine VHF Radio The ROC(M) is a Canadian federal government issued certificate that allows you to operate a marine VHF radio. The certificate is required by anyone using a marine VHF radio (each person on the boat who will use the radio needs their own card). There are significant fines if you are found using a VHF or marine radio without your card. In addition, if you received your ROC(M) card before Digital Selective Calling was introduced, then you are encouraged to return and get your DSC endorsement for your ROC card. All new VHF radios are now being sold with a DSC function that will greatly enhance rescue personnel’s ability to assist you in an emergency. Understanding this technology and how to operate it can, in some circumstances, mean the difference between life and death. Contact your local Power Squadron for upcoming courses. In the Port Dover area visit: http://port-dover.cps-ecp.org and click on “training courses” for upcoming courses. Or contact Colleen Simmons at 519-429-4634. Digital Selective Calling is a radio technology that has come of age. If you have purchased a VHF radio, in the last five years, it is probably DSC capable. DSC VHF sets are inexpensive, reliable, and robust. All that is required is a little bit of set-up, and your VHF will become a very powerful digital communications tool that can add dramatically to your safety and comfort while boating. In Canada and many other nations, DSC has been required on all new mounted radios for some time, so you probably already have one. If you have a red "DISTRESS" button on the front, your radio is DSC-capable. If not, consider this small investment in safety money well spent. Now, assuming you’ve got a DSC VHF radio, step one is to get an MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) number. An MMSI number, is a unique nine digit number that identifies a particular ship or shore station; it's something like a telephone number. It is unique to your boat, and thus requires a registration so that numbers remain unique to each vessel. Many organizations all over the world, will allow you to register your MMSI number online, and it is often included in an operator's license. You will generally be asked your name, the vessel name, home port, description, secondary contact info and the like. This will be kept available in a global database in case of the need for a coordinated search and rescue. To register for a new MMSI number go to: http://sd.ic.gc.ca/pls/engdoc_anon/sd_pages.mmsi_forms Step two is to mount your radio. We cannot stress this enough: use quality antenna cable, and put anti-corrosive dielectric grease on the coax connectors, (available at any automotive or electronic store outlet). This is to keep your connectors from retaining moisture and corroding. Radios are only worthwhile if the antenna works, and many boats (even expensive luxury yachts) are built with inexpensive cables installed by untrained hands. If in doubt, replace it all. Cut corners elsewhere, never on your boat safety equipment. You will notice that there are extra wires coming out of the back of your DSC radio (or an extra connector on some models). These are used to connect your radio to your GPS, which is absolutely critical in using DSC to its full potential. Depending on your current GPS system, you may want to connect to your main GPS, or buy a secondary GPS for this, which can also serve as your backup. Refer to your radio and GPS manuals for connection instructions. It's just two wires, and it's fairly easy to connect these electronics. An added benefit is that most radios will display your latitude and longitude when properly connected, giving you an extra GPS display. Now you need to program your radio. Check the manual, and you'll find instructions for adding your MMSI number. Do it now. Don't put it off, it's not hard, and it's very important. Once you've finished, your DSC radio is ready to use. Now, if you were to push the red distress button on the front of your radio, a digital MAYDAY signal would be sent out to all DSC stations with your position and your MMSI (and thus your boat's description is available to authorities). Make sure everyone on your boat knows that, in an emergency, they need to hit that button. NOTE: The DSC alert does not necessarily replace a voice call on the radio. It will alert all DSC-equipped stations in your area (including all large commercial vessels) to your emergency, but they have no information about the specifics (fire, sinking, etc.). Whether or not there is immediate response after hitting the distress button, mariners are advised to make a traditional (voice) MAYDAY call - including information about your location, the boat description, and the nature of the emergency - to help rescuers reach you and your boat more effectively. Done! Wasn't that easy? Now you are ready to look into the fun side of DSC. Go convince a friend (within radio range) to read this and set up their own radio properly. Then get their MMSI number, and give them yours. You are both going to enter these numbers into something like a speed dialer. Again, check your radio manual for specific instructions. Once you're done, ring up your friend. That's right, the radio will ring like a telephone, and he or she can hit a button and immediately the radio will switch to a working frequency of your choice. No hailing, no tying up emergency channels, and no "switch and answer," just push a couple of buttons and you're talking. Bass – 1; Anglers – 0 - Sometimes Nature Wins Ontario’s bass fishing season begins on the fourth Saturday of June of every year. The 2010 opener can’t get much later than this year – Saturday, June 26th. We experienced summer-like weather in the early part of April. Remember Easter weekend – especially Good Friday? The unseasonably warm temperature sped up nature’s growing season, and quickly increased the river and lake water temperatures. The last weekend of May saw the surface water temperature of Inner Long Point Bay in Lake Erie reach above 70○F. Boating around the bay and doing some scouting, it was quite evident the smallmouth and largemouth bass were already spawning. This is happening on many of Ontario’s rivers and lakes. The 2010 opener of bass fishing may not see many fish still remaining on the spawning flats or in the shallows. The bass will probably be heading to deeper and cooler waters by then. To the angler this means you will only target your opening season spots for a short time and if there is not a good bite, then move on and follow the bass’s migration route. My other preferred fish species is steelhead, or migrating rainbow trout. These warm April temperatures had the same effect on their spawning activity. The fish entered many of Ontario’s rivers and streams early, spawned, and dropped back to the lakes well before the opening of trout season. The early spawning season is nature’s way of protecting and increasing the odds of a very productive year class. The fish were able to spawn without human interference and high catch rates. This should provide for excellent angling success in the coming years. Unfortunately, low water levels and high water temperatures can have a detrimental affect on the spawning success of these fish. Let’s see what happens. Boat docking techniques Docking your boat safely and carefully is a broad topic that could be discussed and analyzed over and over because almost every docking scenario is different from the last. Still, many of the basics remain constant and are well worth reviewing from time to time. Rule #1 – Never use any more speed than the situation calls for. Often times, your slowest hull speed is still too fast. If this is the case, shift in and out of gear repeatedly to lower your hull speed always remembering that the propeller that moves you is also responsible for steering you. Steering will be less responsive while you are coasting. Rule #2 – Don’t be afraid to ask your crew for help. Tell people with you what you intend to do and ask them to help in specific ways. Always think safety, no one should use their arms or legs to fend the boat off the dock. If no assistance is required be sure to ask your passengers to remain seated but to be ready to help out if called upon. Rule #3 – Be prepared. Have dock lines handy and secured to the proper cleats (or better yet, they should already be secured to the dock cleats of your dock). Fenders should be in place well in advance of your approach. Have loose items stowed away so that no one is tripping on life jackets or a fishing pole if they try to help. Have the stereo and the VHF radio shut off in advance to eliminate any distractions. Rule #4 – It is always easiest to approach the dock at an angle. Don’t try to drive straight in to your slip. I prefer to approach the dock on a shallow angle. When the bow is quite close to the dock, shift quickly into reverse and turn the wheel towards the dock. The reversing action will stop your forward motion and pull the stern towards the dock. The images below help to illustrate this docking method. The yellow arrows represent the boats direction. Note the positioning of the outdrive in each illustration. Rule #5 – In breezy conditions drive into the wind whenever possible. If you are returning to your slip with a strong tail wind, drive well past your dock and turn around. Traveling upwind will help you dock more gracefully in several ways. For one thing, your hull speed will be slower as you head into the wind. Also, as you begin your turn the wind will catch the bow and help to swing it around for you. Conversely, had you tried to dock while traveling down wind, you would need to use more power to turn the bow upwind into your slip. Rule #6 – Practice makes perfect. Like everything else that we have learned in life, practical experience is the best way to acquire skills and knowledge. Find a way to spend some time at the marina on a quiet day and practice your docking techniques. A weekday in the spring (or fall) when the marina is only partially full is a great opportunity to practice. Take advantage of the lighter traffic and many open slips to hone your skills. As you cruise the channels practice pulling in and out of random empty slips. Have fun with it. Not every attempt will be perfect but you will see your skills improving as the day progresses. You will develop a system that works well for you and your boat. In no time at all your confidence level will have improved greatly and you will have more free time available to think about purchasing a bigger boat. (The bigger ones are much easier to dock!) We stay open until 8:00 PM on Wednesday evenings from the first of April until the end of July to be more accessible to our valued out-of-town customers. We stay open on Saturdays until 3:00 PM for these four months as well.   Image Attached: None