Boating

THESE two outfits offer volunteer marine search and rescue services to the boating public across 2700km of Queensland coastline. For a paltry $77 per year you can receive these services with no other charges. If you are not a member, it can cost a fortune to have either of these services called out to your boat in distress, especially the Volunteer …

HI, Craig Tomkinson here. I hope everyone is coping well in these trying times and keeping active while isolating. I thought I’d give our cars, four-wheel-drive, lawn mowers, gear and 60hp Yamaha outboard on my 5m tinnie a good and essential going over. Though only after recovering, because until the last 10 days of school holidays I was working – …

AFTER your day out on the water, wash down your boat with a good-quality boat wash. Don’t forget the anchor well and winch strap/wire and to remove the bung plugs. Useful boat maintenance tips must include washing your trailer and inside the frame and under the mudguards with plenty of fresh water. Don’t forget the brakes (if applicable) and crossmembers. Flush …

IT has been a great start to the year and we have scored cracking weather between wet season squalls and thunderstorms. Boating during the wet can be a gamble, let alone boat camping, because you simply can’t trust weather forecasts and it can turn nasty extremely quickly. The wet certainly came late, with heavy rain and thunderstorms on Thursday Island from mid-February. That …

MERCURY Marine has entered into a strategic supply agreement with BRP to be the supplier of choice for BRP-owned boat brands Quintrex, Stacer, Savage and Yellowfin Plate Boats. In the agreement with Mercury, BRP has made the decision to discontinue the production of E-TEC and E-TEC G2 engines effective immediately. “This agreement brings us an incredible opportunity to further grow …

FLIR Systems Inc recently announced its Raymarine Axiom multifunction display line is compatible with CZone digital control and monitoring systems. The collaboration enables boatbuilders and system integrators to deliver custom CZone digital switching solutions with rich graphical interfaces controlled through Raymarine’s line of Axiom MFDs. CZone digital switching simplifies the installation of boat electrical systems through the replacement of complicated …

The Boating Industry Association today welcomed moves by Queensland and Western Australia to loosen the COVID-19 restrictions on recreational boating following encouraging signs of containment. Darren Vaux, BIA President, said yesterday’s announcements by the two States were good news for the boating public, businesses and jobs while maintaining a conservative approach to the protection of public health and safety. “Recreational …

BOAT owners are urged to keep their boat’s hull clean with regular maintenance to minimise any further spread of an exotic marine pest known as white colonial sea squirt, after it was found in Queensland. Biosecurity Queensland general manager John Robertson said the white colonial sea squirt (didemnum perlucidum) was an invasive species originating from the Caribbean. “Over the past …

SUZUKI Marine is proud to introduce the new DF300B. This outboard quite simply carries the same DNA as the brand’s flagship outboard, the DF350A. The new DF300B strikes the perfect balance between awesome power and thrust with outstanding fuel-efficiency and trusted reliability, all in a lightweight and stylish design. What sets this outboard apart in this category is Suzuki’s Dual …

WHEN it comes to marine insurance, ‘now’ is always the right time to be thinking about boat trailers. And that ‘thinking’ should take place at several levels including trailer security and trailer loading capacity as well as the more obvious trailer ‘condition’ in terms of towing compliance and road worthiness. Unfortunately, trailer theft is not uncommon. You head off with …