Technical Articles About Boat Motors and More

The Smart Buyer: A consultant can help you find the right boat

In addition to designing yachts, Robert H. Perry offers consulting services for boat buyers. Advice from a third party with no vested interest in the transaction can provide vital information that will help boat buyers make educated decisions about the boats they purchase. But such advice can be hard to find.

Full steam ahead

About 50 marine journalists gathered at the International Game Fish Association headquarters in Fort Lauderdale recently for a presentation highlighting the benefits of Mercury’s new 150 FourStroke. “This is the lightest 150-hp 4-stroke in the world,” says Steve Miller, Mercury Marine brand manager for large outboards (www.mercurymarine.com), who introduced the new engine to consumers Oct. 27-31 at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. “We have the highest displacement but the lowest weight. There is a saying, ‘There’s no replacement for displacement.’ This is a very low-stressed engine.”

A new take on the transom bracket

The Armstrong/Yanmar unit houses a diesel sterndrive and creates a boarding platform

Armstrong Nautical Products has teamed with Yanmar America Corp. to produce an enclosed transom bracket that houses a diesel sterndrive.

The Armstrong Yanmar Marine bracket can be used to replace a boat’s current propulsion — outboard, sterndrive or conventional inboard — or can be installed on new boats, says Rusty Sedlack, vice president of Stuart, Fla.-based Armstrong. Bolted to the transom, it holds the entire propulsion package and is available with a variety of Yanmar diesel sterndrives from 188 to 370 hp.

The Smart Buyer: Is that trailer up to the task?

A trailer is often “thrown in” when you’re buying a small used boat from an individual. But if it’s not roadworthy, you may not get to use the boat at all. The trailer has to be suitable for its intended use. You can be more forgiving if you intend to trailer once or twice annually, traveling a short distance to and from your slip and not at highway speeds. A trip from New England to Florida with a twin-engine cuddy cabin is another story.

Managing your boat’s power consumption

The electrical system must meet the increasing power requirements of today's boats. We call upon our boat’s electrical system to power everything from radar to a 2,000-gph bilge pump to a refrigerator and even an iPad. And, of course, no boat is complete without an array of navigational electronics with high-definition screens and the latest in communication devices.

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