Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
- Details
Mercury Report
While many first-time boat buyers start by researching their new-boat purchase online, working with a dealer can be a crucial part of the process. In addition to seeing the features and amenities of the boat models on your list in person at the dealership, having a dialogue with your dealer can help to make sure you purchase the right boat to fulfill your needs.
According to Joseph Smith, director of sales and finance at Berkeley Outdoors, a Mercury Authorized Dealer in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, an experienced boat dealer will start by asking you a series of questions.
“They will ask, ‘How often will you use the boat?’ ‘What body of water will you be using it on?’ ‘Will you be using it for fishing, or taking the family out, or both?’” Smith said. Your answers to these questions can help the salesperson to narrow down the list of boat models that are right for you.
- Details
Lowrance Report
Lowrance Electronics and the White River Marine Group (Tracker, Nitro , Triton , and Ranger Boats have increased their partnership that will see even more Lowrance products as standard.
“We are excited to be renewing and expanding our partnership with White River Marine Group, and to be able to offer increased product choices to anglers -- both as standard and upgrade options, including our award-winning Ghost™ trolling motor,” said Lucas Steward, Executive Vice President of Lowrance.
The 2022 model year of Nitro “Pro”, Triton “Patriot”, and Ranger “Cup” models will be rigged with the latest, high-end sonar technology from Lowrance.
- Details
Mercury Report
Truck and trailer launching boat
The endless adventure and flexibility delivered by a trailerable boat are awesome. You can fish or cruise virtually any waters within driving distance, just as long as the weather and the bite are right.
But boat trailers also come with a number of headaches ranging from burned-out lightbulbs (learn to change one here) to difficulties mastering your trailer-backing skills (here’s some helpful advice on that subject). There are a number of trailer upgrades, however, that you can do to make your boat-trailering life better. Most of these are simple enough for DIY-savvy people to handle on their own, and all will make a substantial difference every time you use your boat.
- Details
Mercury Report
Choosing a boat cover
Whether you bought your boat a week ago, a year ago or a decade ago, one thing is for sure: You want to keep it as well-protected as possible.
Keeping a boat under cover means soft goods such as seat cushions and canvas will last longer, the boat’s shiny finish will stay shiny longer and the boat will be cleaner every time you use it. Plus, a boat represents a major financial outlay for most of us. Keeping your boat under a cover and protected from the wind and weather will help maintain its value. But, how will you know which boat cover is the best to choose?
Boat Cover Materials
Your main fabric options when choosing a boat cover are vinyl, polyester and acrylic. Vinyl covers have the advantage of being waterproof, but there’s a big downside in that they don’t breathe. This can lead to mold and mildew issues, so you don’t see many vinyl boat covers on the market. But you do see some, and they can get the job done as long as they’re well-vented. Polyester and acrylic are much more common. Both are water-resistant (though they aren’t 100% waterproof), both breathe and both offer good strength. As a general rule, polyester is stronger coming out of the box, but there’s a catch: It weakens more quickly than acrylic does with age and exposure. In an exposed environment where a polyester cover provides a useable life span of five to seven years, an acrylic cover will likely last more like seven to 10 years.