Boats actually become more precious with the passage of time. The problem is that the modern specifications for marine engines are developing every day, so what can a boat owner like you do to make use of the modern technology and still keep your good old boat? It is very simple actually. Even an old engine or carburetor that dates from the 1970s can be converted into a perfectly up-to-date modern version.

Installing Fresh Water Conversions

A fresh water cooling system is modern technology for boats that is far superior to the raw water cooling systems that can wreck an engine in no time flat. This newer type of cooling system will prolong your engine’s life and keep it running smoothly. You’ll notice a significant improvement in performance, especially if you own a racing boat or love to speed in the open water.

Providing you have accurate information about the age and make of your boat, and the age and make of engine, you can expect a successful conversion. With the right parts and some detailed instructions, you may even want to have a go at converting your cooling system yourself. It can be very satisfying to do this kind …

If you’re considering your first vacation in the giant desert-and-water playground that is Lake Powell, check out these tips from an avid houseboating enthusiast.

Reserve your boat early. Three marinas rent houseboats at Lake Powell: Bullfrog and Hall’s Crossing in Utah (south of Hanksville) and Wahweap, just across the border into Arizona. You’ll likely book your houseboat depending on what location is closer to your point of origin. You don’t need to book a year in advance, but if you want a certain sized houseboat and a specific dates, you just might want to be the early bird.

Upgrade your rental if you can afford it. Houseboats come in all sizes and prices. The very, very basic 44-foot Explorer sleeps up to 10 with minimal amenities, such as a kitchenette, outdoor grill, bunk beds and water slide. The top-of-the-line 75-foot Odyssey sleeps 12 and features a hot tub, fireplace and many more upscale appointments. With all sorts of options in between, if you are wavering between two choices, go with the more expensive rental—you’ll appreciate the small touches (which might include a GPS system, two refrigerators, bed linens) after a few days on the water.

Make it a group trip. …

In the long list of necessary parts to get an old boat up and running, a good amplifier kit is one of the most important. As an integral part of an ignition system, an amplifier is one of the key pieces involved in getting a charge to the spark plugs. Whether you’re building a new system out of kit parts, or just performing maintenance on a trustworthy old boat, finding the right amplifier kit can be difficult.

Ignition amplifiers are relatively simple devices. Turning a key to start the ignition process sends an electrical current to the ignition coil. It is the ignition coil’s job to store and amplify that signal, and send it along a path that ultimately leads to the combustion cylinders.

If you are trying to debug a troubled motor that doesn’t seem to be getting any power at all, first check the connections around the ignition amplifier. If the coil is equipped with an external resistor, check the connections to the resistor for signs of damage or corrosion. If the resistor is internal, then check the positive side of the coil for an 11 or 12-volt charge.

Purchasing an Amplifier Kit

Depending on your boat, …

In spite of the drought that has plagued many US states in 2011, water levels at Lake Powell are at a ten year high, and boaters are loving it!

In spite of historical droughts plaguing the American Southwest, record-setting snow and rain in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in the spring of 2011 has water levels at Lake Powell at their highest level in ten years.

Lake Powell is an immense, deep blue lake framed by colorful red rock desert sandstone walls that crosses over the border between Utah and Arizona. It is named for Major John Wesley Powell, who charted the area between 1869 and 1872. It is considered a sanctuary for boaters of all kinds. However, according to Account Executive Lauren Pearce, visitors come to Lake Powell for many activities.

“The lake offers excellent fishing, and great open water for water skiing and wake boarding, back canyons to explore by motorboat or kayak and endless shoreline to beach a houseboat,” Pearce said.

With its deep, azure waters reflecting the clear Southwestern skies and surrounding rock formations in various sunset shades of red and orange, it seems as if Lake Powell was created by nature just for houseboats, but Lake …

Boating has become extremely popular in recent years and with the increase in popularity also comes the increase in boating accidents. Accidents that could have been avoided if people would take the time and prepare themselves with some safety tips.

Swim
Learn how to swim. What in the world are you doing on the water without the ability to swim. If you can’t swim and an accident should occur you won’t last more than 5 minutes, 10 minutes tops.

Don’t Drink Alcohol
In the waterways of NJ if you are caught driving a boat under the influence of alcohol you are looking at jail time. In many other parts of the country that is not the case. Regardless of the law you should never drink and drive. It impairs your reaction time, coordination and ability to operate a boat.

Life Jacket
Even though you can swim (see the first part), you should still wear a life jacket. If something should happen you will at least have the added extra protection of being able to float on top of the water so other passing boats can see you.

File a Float Plan
A float plan is a piece of paper that …

Parts such as OMC Sea Drive carburetor kits may be highly specialized, but they are not that difficult to find. If you have a large outboard equipped with a Sea Drive, you would want to insure that you use the correct parts to repair or replace damaged components. Using parts from OMC kits, such as OMC Sea Drive carburetor kits, can help insure that your motor is running at its full capacity and for the duration of its lifetime.

The carburetor in many outboard engines, even large ones such as Sea Drive (S/D) models works very similarly to an automobile carburetor. Incoming fuel is mixed with incoming air to the proper ratio, and then shot into the cylinders of the engine. Of course, for fuel injection systems, the carburetor works a little differently, since no air needs to be mixed with the fuel.

Replacing Parts with OMC Sea Drive Carburetor Kits

OMC Sea Drive carburetor kits contain everything that you might need to replace some or all the parts of a S/D carburetor. To access the carburetor, simply follow the instructions presented in your OMC Sea Drive shop manual. There should also be a detailed exploded view diagram of …

Representing a remarkable expanse of undeveloped coastal shoreline, the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary is composed of many diverse wildlife habitats that vary from rocky inter-tidal zones to massive nearshore kelp forests. While the status report for the sanctuary rates its condition as being from fair to good, the area faces many outside threats.

About the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary was established in 1994 and is located along 217 kilometers of the Washington coast, running from Cape Flattery to the mouth of the Copalis River. It shares 90 kilometers of its shoreline with Olympic National Park and varies in width from 40 to 72 kilometers offshore. Some 29 marine mammal and 100 seabird species call the sanctuary home. People have lived in the area for at least 6,000 years and there are 180 shipwrecks documented along the rugged Olympic Coast.

The NOAA report looked at seventeen different areas of potential concern for the sanctuary. These included issues like water quality, integrity of wildlife habitat, impacts of oil pollution, living resources, and maritime archaeological resources. Potential ranking were from good to poor. None of the categories reviewed were rated as poor.

Emerging Threats to …