Proctor Marine, Southwestern Ontario Marina, New & Quality Pre-owned Boats, Service, Parts, Accessories

We will be closed on Saturday September 4th and Monday September 6th to observe the Labour Day long weekend

Subject:

Proctor Marine July Newsletter

June 2010 We hope that you are enjoying our newsletters and finding 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. If you prefer not to receive news from us in the future, please feel free to unsubscribe by logging on to www.proctormarine.com and follow the links to the �Newsletter� section of our site. We Close Early on Wednesday July 21st. Please note that we will close early at 5:00 PM on Wednesday July 21st. to attend a special function with all of our staff. Sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause. Low emission stern drive engines are on the way. Outboard motors have been getting greener for over 10 years now due to increased Government regulations for emission requirements. Similar new emission standards were implemented for stern drive powered boats in the United States a year ago. For model year 2011 many of these emission regulations will become a reality for new boats sold for domestic use in Canada. Cleaner burning stern drive engines will be an improvement for the environment but with every new technology comes added complexity and increased costs. Many stern drive powered boats will increase in cost for 2011 and beyond by $2,500.00 or more due to the added cost of catalyzed exhaust systems and other emission driven modifications. If you are in the market for a new boat but waiting for the 2011 season to make your final decision, you might want to rethink your timeline and consider one of our remaining 2010 models. There are still a number of models in stock that are excellent value even before considering the non-catalytic savings. Using your battery charger Most live-aboard cruisers have sophisticated electrical systems to support the myriad of 12 volt appliances and accessories typically found on board. We find that many users don�t fully understand the systems on their boat. In many cases the battery charger gets overused and people �kill their batteries with kindness�. Below are a few simple rules about how to use your charger properly to maintain your batteries and get the maximum service and performance from them: Your battery charger runs on 110 volt current. It only works when your shorepower is plugged in and turned on. While you are away from the dock and running your engine(s), the alternator(s) will maintain a proper charge in your batteries. Your batteries will discharge when you use 12 volt accessories without the engine running or the shorepower plugged in, typically while at anchor at the beach. If your batteries are fully charged, there is no need to leave your charger running. Many boaters leave their charger running all week while they are away from their boat. This is unnecessary and damaging for most batteries. While many chargers are marketed as �fully automatic�, they are not designed to run week in and week out. There is a simple way to check the state of charge in your batteries. With your battery charger turned off, simply turn your ignition key to the �on� position (but don�t start the engine). A fully charged battery will read 12 volts on the voltmeter on your dash. If you have more than one battery, check each battery separately by selecting �battery #1�, then �battery #2� on your battery selector switch while observing the volt meter. Constant charging will deplete the electrolyte level in most batteries. If you must use your charger frequently, it is imperative to check the electrolyte level in your batteries at least once a month. This summer, you might consider applying for a maritime radio station license for your boat. It's not necessary for Canadian pleasure craft in Canadian waters, but as soon as you cross the border into the USA, or into any foreign country without a reciprocal maritime radio operating agreement, it is a requirement. Your vessel will be assigned a unique alphanumeric radio call sign. This station license automatically covers your boat for all radio transmitting equipment. VHF, MF & HF (SSB) , Radar and Direction Finding radios, as well as any portable marine VHF transceivers that you may have, while travelling in the U.S. This is a must as per U.S. Homeland security. If you do not have the station license you will not be able to dock at a U.S. marina, and may not be permitted to purchase fuel for the return journey. The lifetime plastic wallet card, Restricted Radio Operator's Certificate (Maritime) is no longer sufficient when Canadians sail in the USA. You still require this certificate to operate any marine radio transceiver, but if you leave Canada your vessel must once again have an annually renewed station license. (It's a piece of paper). Contact your local Power Squadron to obtain this document. Please note that a valid Canadian Passport is also required for everyone on board. We receive many inquiries every summer about various topics regarding boating and the law. Below is a summary of a few of the more frequently questioned topics: Requirements for Boaters in Canadian Waters- as stated by Transport Canada May 2010. Age - Horsepower Restrictions The Age - Horsepower Restrictions prohibit operators under the age of 16 from operating recreational vessels above specified horsepower limits: Children under the age of 12 and not directly supervised by someone 16 years of age or older can operate a recreational vessel with no more than 10 hp Youth between 12 years of age and under 16 years of age and not directly supervised by someone 16 years of age or older can operate a recreational vessel with no more than 40 hp Only persons 16 years of age or older can operate a personal watercraft (PWC) regardless of supervision. Alcohol and Boating Driving Under the Influence Boating while impaired is an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada. Operators with more than 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood are liable to the following fines: 1st offence : at least $600 fine 2nd offence : at least 14 days of imprisonment 3rd offence : at least 90 days of imprisonment The maximum sentence may vary depending on provincial statutes. Consumption of Alcohol In most provinces: Alcohol may be consumed on board the pleasure craft only if it meets all of the following conditions: The vessel has permanent sleeping facilities The vessel has permanent cooking facilities The vessel has a permanent toilet The vessel is anchored or secured alongside a dock Check with the appropriate provincial authorities (OPP for Ontario, SQ for Quebec, RCMP for all other provinces and territories) for carriage restrictions. Your Fishing Rig Deserves Some Respect The Ontario bass season opener has just taken place a short time ago. All game fish have officially opened to angling for Ontario anglers. Hopefully after a good fishing season to date, now is a good time to take a few hours and go over your fishing boat. There is no need for your rig to look unorganized and to smell like fish with the great cleaning products available today. Conduct a walk-around of your trailer. Look for loose bolts, damaged rollers, nicks in the trailer wires, winch straps or cables that are fraying and worn areas of the carpet on the bunks. Inspect the tires for serious cracks in the sidewall or for tread wear. Once you step in the boat, organize your rods and tackle. Rinse and clean your live well(s) and bait well(s). This also stops the spread of exotic invasive species. Remove any stains. Blood stains need to be addressed immediately, not later. If you wet a cloth thoroughly and apply the water to a blood stain immediately it will disappear. The vinyl in the boat should be cleaned with a vinyl cleaner/protectant such as �303�. This is an incredible product and is highly recommended by Chaparral Boats. Apply a glass cleaner to the windshield or windscreen of your boat. A good tip is to always wipe the windshield dry with a chamois after every use. The windshield will repel water much easier after a few times of doing this. Look for loose bolts or screws and tighten them. This is especially important for the seat bases. These take a lot of strain throughout the boating/ fishing season. Lastly, give the boat�s exterior a wash and apply a coat of wax. Take the time and action necessary to address any concerns. With some care throughout your fishing season, the boat will look nicer and last longer. Ultimately this can translate into a higher re-sale or trade-in value. Dual batteries � Use your switch correctly to benefit from what you paid for. It�s great to have dual batteries but it�s important to use them in the most efficient way. Your dual battery switch has four settings: off, 1, 2 and both. Many boaters turn the switch to �both� at the beginning of the season and just leave it there. Others will switch between batteries in an attempt to manage power consumption and charging. We feel that the best and more effective method is to use one battery all day and alternate to the other the next day you are boating. You simply turn the battery switch to the appropriate battery and pretty much forget it for the day under normal circumstances. You start the motor and use accessories and whenever the motor is running you are charging the battery you are using that day. The other battery is on standby just in case and it�s already charged from the trip home last time. Normally you would not use the �both� setting unless you are dealing with two weak batteries and this setting might just get you started. Think of the �both� position as an emergency �jump start� setting. Also, by alternating batteries in this way, you will be aware if and when a battery is coming to the end of it�s useful life. Keep in mind that it is important to turn your battery switch to the �off� position at the end of the day. This helps discourage theft and tampering as well as insuring that no on board device is draining your battery in your absence. Always shut the motor off before turning the battery off. Killing the motor using the battery switch will very likely damage or ruin your alternator. While on the topic of dual batteries, a useful device for your system is a battery isolator. This smart technology automatically charges the weakest battery first regardless of the setting on the switch. It is still recommended to alternate batteries each outing, use the �both� setting in emergencies and turn your battery switch to �off� at the end of the day. Using these methods and technologies you will prolong your battery life, reduce battery related disappointments and ultimately you will have more fun boating. 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. Please note that we will close early at 5:00 PM on Wednesday July 21st. to attend a special function with all of our staff. Sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause.

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