September 1st, 2010
Plan for the worst; hope for the best. Those are the words guiding boat owners along the Eastern Seaboard from Georgia to Maine as hurricane Earl takes aim at America’s Atlantic coast on summer’s final holiday weekend. Weather forecasts warning that Earl could make landfall along the North Carolina coast has boat owners pulling their boats from the water and heading inland. Friday, state authorities started evacuating tourists from the Barrier Islands, many of which are accessible only by boat or ferry.
With the hurricane expected to sweep up the Atlantic shoreline, similar operations are taking place at marinas and ports all along the Eastern Seaboard. Worried boat owners are keeping a close watch on hourly reports tracking Earl’s trajectory, hoping that their area will be spared the hurricane’s full wrath. Weather forecasters are warning boaters that Earl could also strike the Cape Cod area as it heads north.
The U.S. Coast Guard is warning boaters to heed weather advisories and warnings and stay tuned to emergency broadcast stations. A small craft advisory was issued yesterday for the entire North Carolina coast. Condition X-ray which warns boaters to prepare for gale force winds within the next 48 hours was issued for ports in Morehead City and Wilmington. Dangerous rip currents, rough surf, tidal flooding and high winds are expected as the category 4 hurricane closes in on the East Coast. Gale-force winds are expected to whip current 6-foot swells into dangerous 20-foot waves by tomorrow night. Boat owners are urged to prepare now.
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August 30th, 2010
With hurricane Danielle still causing problems along the Eastern Seaboard, the next threat is already on its way. Hurricane Earl is headed for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with a trajectory that is expected to hug the East Coast, creating significant trouble for boat owners.
If you own a boat in hurricane waters, it’s important to know what to do to protect your boat if a hurricane threatens:
- Check the weather forecast before you up anchor. Set your marine radio to continually receive weather updates and warnings. Know the emergency radio frequencies for the area you are boating in.
- Make prior arrangements with your marina operator to either tie down your boat or pull it out of the water.
- Before you pull away from the dock, identify safe harbors and hurricane holes where you can head for safety if the storm catches you on the water.
- Keep emergency equipment, supplies and tie-down gear on board.
- Make your boat as watertight as possible. Use plugs and duct tape to seal hatches, ports, windows, doors and vents.
- Remove from your boat electronics, non-essential gear and any valuables.
- Keep boat insurance policies, registration, recent photo and description, equipment and gear inventory, marina or storage lease agreement and emergency phone numbers in a secure place off your boat.
- When your boat is secure, help your neighbor. One poorly secured boat can destroy an entire dock.
- Get off your boat and to safety before the storm hits.
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August 27th, 2010
If you’re in the market for a boat, chances are you’ve already started looking online. According to J.D. Powers & Associates, 80% of buyers research vehicle information and pricing online before making a purchase. Thousands of motivated boat buyers visit Boatline.com every month. They come not only to research boats and compare prices but to buy. On Boatline.com boat buyers know they’ll find thousands of well-organized classified boat ads gathered on one convenient site. Boatline provides buyers with a far a greater selection of boat types, makes and models at a much more attractive price spread than can be found at local marinas.
So how do you buy a boat online? Follow these boat buying tips:
- First, decide on the type of watercraft you want to buy: power boat, sailboat, fishing boat, pontoon boat, personal watercraft, etc.
- Browse the new and used classified boat ad listings on Boatline. Make a list of the features you’re looking for.
- Use Boatline’s Advanced Search feature to narrow your search. Boatline allows you to search by make, model, price, year, length, location and more. You can save your search results and favorite ads for easy comparison. If you’re looking for a particular make or model, use Boatline’s handy Auto Notify. You’ll receive an email notification the minute a new ad posts that meets your specifications.
- Find helpful information on prices, insurance, financing, transport and more on Boatline’s Research page.
- Use the handy email form on the seller’s ad to contact the seller and start negotiations!
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August 25th, 2010
Living aboard your boat seems carefree and idyllic, the perfect way to travel or spend your retirement. And it can be, if you prepare properly and have realistic expectations. (See our August 20, 2010 post.) Here are some important things boaters should consider:
Cost. Compared to the cost of owning and maintaining a landlocked residence, boat life can be considerably less expensive. Remember to budget for slip fees ($10 to $15 per foot) and port charges when calculating costs.
Tax benefit. If you buy a boat with a galley, berth and head and stay on your boat overnight for at least 14 days out of the year, the IRS will treat your boat loan like a mortgage, allow you to deduct loan interest on your federal taxes. It may also be possible to deduct sales tax on your boat purchase and boat registration fees; check with the IRS or your accountant.
Safety. Before moving in, have a marine surveyor check your boat to ensure that the structure, systems and gear are all functioning correctly. Bring several working fire extinguishers aboard.
Upgrades. Living on your boat will place more stress on systems than weekend use. You will want to upgrade your bilge pump to an automatically activated pump. Auto pumps are usually activated by a float to prevent unexpected flooding. You may also want to invest in a marine refrigerator to protect against food spoilage.
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August 23rd, 2010
Anchored off the coast of Sausalito, California is a $300 million mega-yacht that has been drawing salivating boaters and crowds of awe-struck gawkers. Owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Meinichenko, the 390-foot yacht, christened “A,” is impossibly sleek with a futuristic command tower rising mid-ship. One gawker, echoing the sentiments of the shoreline audience, described the boat to Silicon Valley’s MercuryNews.com as looking “like something out of a James Bond movie.”
Dripping in luxury, the yacht is 62 feet wide at the beam, sporting a 2,583-square foot master suite, 6 cabins, three swimming pools, hot tubs and spas. The ship carries a crew of 37 and staff of 5. Safety and confidentiality are assured with a fingerprint security system on all doors.
The opulent white master suite is wrapped in bombproof glass. A king-sized bed sits on a rotating platform that allows uninterrupted views of the sunset from any angle. A 60-inch plasma TV retracts from the ceiling. White stingray hides cover the walls of one room. Chairs crafted from Kudo horns and alligator hides sit on the main deck.
The vessel is powered by twin 6,000 HP engines. Cruising speed is 19.5 knots, but the yacht can reach speeds of 24 knots and travel 6,500 nautical miles without making port. Click here to take a tour of the A.
Mega yachts of this class are out of the price range of all but a few people, but you’ll find plenty of affordable yachts and boats for sale on Boatline.com.
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August 20th, 2010
Life aboard a boat seems like an idyllic existence. Boat life conjures up visions of turquoise blue waters edged with warm sand beaches, palm trees swaying gently in the breeze while the water laps softly against the hull of your boat. It’s an appealing fantasy and a retirement choice being embraced by a growing number of retirees. But fantasy is not reality. Before you decide to sell your house and move into a cabin cruiser, sailboat or yacht, rent the boat of your dreams for an extended vacation. A few weeks of onboard life should help you decide if living on a boat is the right choice for you.
Before buying a boat and moving in, consider the following:
Space. Boats are compact. You’ll have to sell or store most of your possessions. Can you live without your knickknacks and treasures? Can you downsize and make do with a limited wardrobe and basic kitchen set?
Compatibility. If you plan to live with a spouse or partner, can the two of you cope with the loss of privacy and personal space demanded by a boat’s close quarters?
Legal. If you plan to keep your boat primarily in one location while living aboard, as opposed to traveling, make sure you get the proper legal permission. Not all marinas allow live-aboards.
More tips on living aboard your boat next time
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August 18th, 2010
With year-end model sales started to get underway, boat dealers trying to clear stock have found an ally in Boatline.com. A leader in online classified boat ads, Boatline is now offering dealers, brokers and sales people unlimited FREE ad listings on our popular website. This is a deal too good to pass up!
Hundreds of thousands of motivated boat buyers visit Boatline.com every month. Posting your boat inventory on Boatline allows boat dealers, brokers and sales people to tap into that lucrative nationwide buyers’ pool without spending a dime. Posting your inventory on Boatline instantly extends your marketing reach beyond local markets to a nationwide audience, maximizing your sales potential and helping you clear stock more quickly.
Boatline makes it quick and easy for boat dealers to post their stock online. Each online boat ad includes full color photos and unlimited space for a detailed text description. Online classified ad listings can be set up and modified quickly at no additional cost. Boatline even provides valuable traffic stats on your listings to help you manage your inventory more effectively. Multiple listing accounts with auto data feeds and other useful features are also available to boat dealers, brokers and sales personnel.
To find our how you can take your boat sales to a higher level, call the friendly Boatline.com staff today at 1-800-282-2183 or use our online contact form.
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August 16th, 2010
Boating and tourism are slowly making a comeback along the Gulf Coast after a disastrous summer for the boating industry there. With the flow of oil from BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil well finally halted and efforts to permanently cap the well expected to be completed successfully within the next week or two, tourists are gradually beginning to return to the Gulf and boaters are again venturing into Gulf waters. Clean-up operations will continue for some time, perhaps years, and the long-term effects of the spill are uncertain; but researchers are already seeing new growth in oil-coated wetlands, allowing hope that environmental recovery may occur more quickly than originally predicted.
President Obama and his family gave the Gulf’s boating and tourist industries a boost this past weekend with a 2-day family vacation to the Florida Panhandle. Hoping to encourage vacationers to return to Gulf beaches, the Obamas and daughter Sasha spent time playing on the beach and swimming in the Gulf. The First Family also enjoyed a boating tour of St. Andrews Bay on the 50-foot Bay Point Lady. Porpoises leapt and swam beside their boat as they cruised the bay, thrilling the Obamas and their daughter and perhaps portending a brighter future for Gulf boating.
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August 13th, 2010
This summer’s record breaking temperatures have spurred online boat sales as families head for the water to beat the heat. Boat traffic on the Great Lakes and inland lakes throughout the Midwest has been heavy this summer as people flock to the water. While hot weather makes a day on the water that much more enjoyable, it’s creating a serious problem that is closing many inland lakes to boat owners.
The summer heat wave has warmed water temperatures, allowing toxic algae to thrive and spread on inland lakes throughout the Midwest. Daytime temperatures in the 90s coupled with higher than normal overnight temperatures in the 70s have allowed temperature-sensitive algae to bloom out of control. Normally, colder nighttime temperatures kill off enough algae to balance daytime growth, but this year is different. One water quality expert called it “algae on steroids.”
As algae blooms, it depletes oxygen levels in inland lakes, threatening fish and other water life. Farm runoff that carries fertilizer chemicals and manure to streams and into lakes can cause toxic algae to develop. Toxic algae poses a serious threat to humans and pets. Several dogs and one man died in western Ohio after coming in contact with toxic algae at Grand Lake St. Marys. Toxic algae blooms have already closed 10 lakes in Ohio and 2 in Wisconsin with more lakes at risk. Boaters are warned to obey posted signs and avoid algae-smothered lakes.
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August 11th, 2010
This summer two Lakewood, Ohio schoolgirls have again been sharing their love of boating with inner city children. As two of the most active members of the Whistle Program (WHiskey ISland To Lake Erie), the two sisters — 6th grader Hannah and 4th grader Stephanie — have spent their last five summers working to help inner city Cleveland children experience the joy of boating.
With help from dad Mirek Posedel, who founded the Whistle Program in 2005, and a hard-working team of volunteer sailors and carpenters, every summer the girls teach 16 city kids how to build and sail their own boats. In the process of building sailboats, these children build self-esteem and faith in their ability to tackle any challenge. Of course, they also have a lot of fun!
The Whistle Program was initiated in 2005 to introduce inner city Cleveland children to Lake Erie and instill in them a desire to enjoy and protect the lake. Long-time sailor Posedel credits Dan Moore of Whiskey Island with providing the inspiration to initiate the unique boating program. The program takes place every summer in late July and early August at Wendy Park on Whiskey Island in the shadow of downtown Cleveland’s hardscrabble inner city.
Focused on Lake Erie, the Whistle Program uses boating to stimulate academic and social growth by challenging children to learn new skills. While building boats and learning to sail, inner city children build life-changing personal and teamwork skills.
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