Motor Boating - Mooring Marine

Pontoon Boat Jack Plate: Yes or No?

If you pick up a popular bass fishing magazine, speed boating article, or any boating article that has a strong focus on the more technical aspects of boat engineering, then you’ll eventually come across something mentioning “Jack Plates.”

While the name sounds simple and the functionality is even simpler, jack plates actually work on some very complicated engineering principles.

These small and simple mounting plates play a major role in improving the performance of these high-speed boats and are one of the latest advancements in boating technology.

Many powerboat owners rave about the improvements their jack plates make, but jack plates are much less common on pontoon boats.

In today’s article, we’re going to take a closer look at what jack plates are, how they work, and discuss whether a pontoon boat jack plate is a good idea.

Just a warning- this article may get a bit technical, so you might want to bookmark the page or take some notes to show your buddies the next time you all hit the marina!

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How to Name Your Boat

Motor Boating, Sailing

When we’re investing money and time into something, it’s not unusual to want to name it. We do it with most of our vehicles, from cars to motorbikes and motorhomes to boats. It kind of gives us a sense of personal ownership. It’s no longer a lump of metal or wood; it’s something we have an emotional attachment to. After all, these are vehicles that you may have a wonderful adventure with or even make into your tiny home.

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Best Boat Bilge Pump

Marine Electronics, Motor Boating, Sailing

There are a few pieces of marine equipment that you want to pay particularly close attention to ensure functionality. Some of these may be necessary in case of emergencies, while others may help to prevent those very same emergencies from occurring in the first place. Bilge pumps fall into the latter category.

As the name suggests, a bilge pump is a pump that is used to remove water from a ship’s bilge. Most of the time it’s just removing small bits of rainwater, errant wave spray, etc., that get into the boat. But not always. Sometimes it’s working to remove water from the vessel before the boat sinks!

Whether you’re going to be relying on a single bilge pump or multiple ones, you’ll want to be sure that the model you select is capable of reliably removing water from your vessel. Unfortunately, it’s hard to know what to expect from a bilge pump until you get your hands on it. This is where our review guide will come in handy.

Over the course of today’s guide, we’re going to take a look at ten of the best bilge pumps on the market, and we’ll compare and contrast them so you know exactly what to expect.

We’ll start off with the Best Boat Bilge Pump, the Attwood Sahara S500.

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Best Marine Toilet Reviews 2021

Motor Boating, Sailing

After a long week of working for the man (or yourself), there’s nothing quite like a well-deserved day out on the water with the people who matter most. The motor’s running smooth, the fish are biting, and the beers are ice-cold. The day couldn’t get any more perfect…

… that is until you remember that you forgot to use the toilet before you left the dock. That big breakfast you ate is ready to take its final trip and there’s not a bathroom in sight for miles. It sure would be good to have a reliable marine toilet right about now, wouldn’t it?

Whether you’re a recreational boater, run a charter boating service, or you’re a professional fisher, you really need a good quality marine toilet.

In today’s product comparison, we’ll be examining some of the best marine toilets on the market. From portable, lightweight toilets that you can throw in your trunk to more stable bolt-on toilets with electric switches and automated operation, we’re going to give you all of the details. We’ll start with the Best Marine Toilet available, the Five Oceans FO-1599.

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Best Bimini Top Reviews 2021

Motor Boating

While some boats come with a shaded console, many of us are out in the sun while navigating on the water. Wearing a hat and sunscreen may be a simple solution to sun exposure, but that will only get you so far.

This is where a Bimini top comes into play. Biminis are typically supported by a rigid aluminum frame with enough of a range of motion so that they can be collapsed when you don’t need them to provide shelter from the sun or rain and opened when it’s time to soak in the rays.

Today, we’re going to take a look at five of the most popular Bimini tops available. We also include a buying guide that will cover who can make the most of a Bimini top and what to look for when you’re shopping for one. Note that all of these come in multiple sizes, so you’ll have to work out which one is right for your boat. Let’s get started by reviewing the Best Bimini Top, the MSC 4 Bow Bimini Top.
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Boat Flooring Options

Motor Boating, Sailing

When you look at your boat’s floor, do you think “hmmm, not such a good look?” If so, it’s time to switch out your floor. But what to get? There are many types of boat flooring, each with advantages and disadvantages.

In this article, we’ll look at several of the most popular Boat Flooring Options and give you some context to help choose the right material for your needs, your vessel, and your budget.

Why Choosing the Right Boat Flooring is Important

It might not seem like it, but boat flooring is critical for a variety of reasons. It not only allows you to decorate your boat according to your preferences but it also protects some portions of the boat from damage. And in certain cases, the right boat flooring also helps to prevent those on the boat from slipping and damaging themselves!

A steady grip can life and death.