In the News: 3 boats and boat houses burned in Harbor Island Fire

In August, an early-morning fire on Harbor Island, located in the Seattle, Washington area, burned three boats as well as three boathouses. There were no injuries.
The fire started at 4 a.m. with an explosion on one of the boats. As it turns out, the fire erupted after a spark from electrical equipment on board a 36-foot wooden motor boat ignited fuel vapor in the boat’s bilge, causing the explosion. The fire became so bad that the Harbor Patrol and the Coast Guard were called in.
The owner of one of the boats, Rick Shelton, claimed to have been awakened by the Read the Rest…

Video: The do’s and don’ts of boat launching

As many of us who already own boats and have dealt with boat transportation before know, owning a boat can sometimes lend itself towards being slightly more complicated (and in some cases, dangerous) if you’re not careful.
After using some sort of boat transport system to get your boat to the dock where you’ll send off, you’ll notice that this is one of the busiest and dangerous places for a boat owner to be. Boat ramps, especially during the summer, are usually pretty busy as numerous people are lined up trying to get their boats both into and out of the Read the Rest…

5 Tips for Better Boat Safety

For most people, boat safety isn’t too much of a big deal. After all, there are a lot less boats in the water than there are vehicles on the roadways, right? But still, just like driving a car, operating a boat on the water is a privilege (not a right) and it should be treated as such.
Rules to Live By

Obey the Speed Limits! According to an accident report issued by the United States Coast Guard in 2006, there were approximately 710 fatalities, 3,474 injuries and nearly $44 million in property damage all from boating-related accidents! A lot Read the Rest…

Fun With Wakeboarding

As summer time is rapidly approaching, so is the high anticipation of water sports and activities. One such water sport, which has gained considerable attention over the years, is something called “wakeboarding”. Upon first hearing it, most people are tempted to think that the term “wakeboarding” must be some hybrid form of surfing. And while wakeboarding does involve the use of a board similar to a surf board (although much smaller), the sport was actually born out of a combination of water skiing, snowboarding and surfing in its technique.
How Do You Do It?
So, now that Read the Rest…

Sailing Away

Buying a boat can be very exciting. It can also be extremely time consuming and stressful if you are not sure what you’re doing. Before you prepare to “set sail” on your new purchase, there are a few things you should know. A lot of first time boat buyers make the mistake of assuming it will be easy to find a boat. However, unlike vehicles (which all have four wheels and are relatively easy to come by), buying a boat is going to take a little more research. Unfortunately, boats aren’t as common as Read the Rest…