PONTOON BOATS - FINDING GOOD INSURANCE INFORMATION
More and more people are adding the extravagant boat shows of 2008 to their social calendars. Nautical maneuvers are in full gear as the boating community eagerly anticipates seeing the newest vessels and marine products. While many of the events focus on introducing new ships and accessories, there also are competitions where yachtsmen are invited to enter and compete against each other, such as the Super yacht Cup Transatlantic Challenge 2008. So whether you are in search of a new boat or an exhilarating experience, the 2008 boat shows will not disappoint.
Tidewater Boat Show
The fourth annual Tidewater Boat Show is set for March 14 thru 16, 2008, at the Hampton Road Convention Center in Hampton, Va. The show is being sponsored by AGI Events. Numerous manufacturers of luxury yachts, sports boats, fishing boats, personal watercraft, inflatables, runabouts, saltwater fishing boats, ski boats, pontoon boats, deck boats, jet boats, PWCs, and bass boats will be on hand. There also are exhibits for various marine accessories, water-sports items and safety equipment. The show offers an all-encompassing guide on boating. Guests will find learn about marinas, financing, insurance, boat maintenance, boating safety, and marinas.
The Superyacht Cup Transatlantic Challenge 2008
Reserve the entire month of April for the Superyacht Cup Transatlantic Challenge 2008. It is the perfect ending to the Caribbean season. Celebrating its third anniversary, the rally begins in Antigua on the Atlantic via the Azores and finishes in the Port Vigo on the northwestern coast of Spain. The race features two levels of competition: a performance-sailing class and a rally class. All entrants are expected to finish in Azores within a 48-hour period.
During the stopover, there is a pre-start cocktail party at Nelsons Dockyard on April 7. Yachtsmen are expected to arrive in Azores at Horta Marina by April 17, take in three nights of events and festivities before starting out again to Port Vigo. The finish is expected by April 25. There is an awards ceremony the following evening. Registration info is available at the Superyacht Cups Web site.
2008 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show
The 2008 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show marks the 20th anniversary of the most prestigious boat show in the Asian Pacific. Last years event featured 456 exhibitors and was attended by more than 50,000 visitors. It is the largest on-water display in Australia with more than four kilometers of on-water exhibitors.
Larger power vessels longer than 15 meters (49 feet) to be shown include the Australian release of the Eagle 53 Yacht; Formula Cruisers Icon 54; the Australian debut of the Hampton 680 Pilothouse and the luxurious trawler yacht, the Selene 59. Luxury imports include Sunseeker and four models from Horizon Boats International.
Sinking Pontoon Boats: Abandon Ship!
Remember those funny cartoons you'd watch as a kid where some cartoon characters are in a boat when suddenly there's a hole. In an effort to counteract the effects of this hole in the boat, people start using pails to scoop the water out; however, they can't keep up and eventually the boat sinks as a consequence. Well, this also happens in real life.
Every year, thousands of boats of all shapes and sizes sink, including pontoon boats. The most ironic part is that most of them sink when they're not even in use; they're at the dock!. As a matter of fact, sinking boats is perhaps one of the biggest losses to marinas all over the world.
Why is this: because marine insurance is too expensive. Perhaps one of the major reasons that boats sink is because the people who own them are neglectful. Another possible reason may be due to the fact that the people manufacturing, building and distributing the boats are inexperienced themselves or have inexperience, inefficient staff members. Now, there's a scary thought. I mean, imagine if the people who build cars didn't have qualified staff on hand toeven want to think about all of the negative consequences that could come out of that.
According to David Pascoe, boating specialist, the major causes of boats sinking can be broken down into two categories: hull design and internal systems. In terms of the hull design, Pascoe claims that hull design problems usually involve boats under 40 feet long and more often boats that are under 30 feet long. The smaller your boat is, the more likely it is to sink because smaller boats sink faster than larger ones. When it comes down to powerboats and why they sink, it is usually because of the cockpits being improperly designed. For sailboats, the reason is due to improper head installation, sink drains and inadequate bilge pumps.
Many people who own boats do not realize the value of weight distribution. For example, if you have a smaller boat, you need to pay even more attention to the bilge pump because if that fails, then you are going to really be up a creek. Pascoe goes on later to say that improper design or use of poor quality materials is the cause of the majority of boats sinking. Internal system failures, as he calls it, fall into three main categories: reverse siphoning resulting from errors in plumbing, insufficient bilge pumping or batter failure and failed hull fittings and hoses.
If you are thinking of purchasing a pontoon boat or any type of new or used fishing boat, power boat, ski boat , you really need to make sure that you properly inspect the boat for any problems before hand. If you are already a boat owner, you need to make it your duty or responsibility to (every time) always check over your boat thoroughly before you take it out on the water. After all, the last thing you want is to have a problem or end up in hot water when you're miles away from everything. It is also a good idea to make sure that you always wear your life vest for this reason as well as have a working radio and/or tell someone where you are planning on going for that day.
