Three Safety Tips to Safely Get You Through the Spring Fishing and Boating Season

In many parts of the country, people are asking when did winter end and spring begin? Anglers and boaters are taking advantage of the unusually warm weather, but some may be forgetting that cold waters still lurk beneath the keel. Here's three easy safety tips from BoatUS.com/foundation that will help you get safely through the spring fishing and boating season.

1. Don't allow the warm weather to let your guard down: The air temperatures may be downright balmy, but deceptively cold waters increase the risk of hypothermia even on a "T-shirt" day. Also remember there are fewer boats out on the water that could come to your aid. Bring extra layers or change of clothes and rain gear this time of year.
   
2. Plan on how to get back in the boat: If you accidentally went overboard, do you have a way to get back aboard? You may be surprised how hard this can be - especially if you are alone or haven't prepared for it. It could be as simple as having a rope with looped foot holds affixed to a cleat that can easily be grabbed from the water. The BoatUS Foundation also tested after-market boarding ladders for small jonboats, RIBs and larger center console boats. You can view these tests at youtube.com/user/BoatUSFoundation/videos?sort=dd& A hardcopy of the tests along with a ranking of the best ladders can also be found at BoatUS.com/foundation/boardingladders.
   
3. Refresh your memory: Take a boating safety course now from the comfort of your own home. The no-cost BoatUS Foundation Online Boating Safety course, which is designed so that you can stop and then continue at any time, includes videos that demonstrate important safety devices such as flares, shows the rules of the road, how to get help in an emergency, and the best way to fit a life jacket to a child so they will not slip out. Go to BoatUS.org/onlinecourse. It may also help you save money on boat insurance and meet your state's requirements for boating safety education.
   

Model year designations for Evinrude outboard engines eliminated

BRP will eliminate traditional model year designations for Evinrude outboard engines. Beginning in April 2012, model year designations will no longer be used. Instead, the date of manufacture will be referenced on the serial number label, located on each Evinrude outboard engine. Benefits to model year elimination include:

·         Quicker Product Updates – Consumers will not have to wait for a model year transition to receive the latest product developments from Evinrude

·         Simplicity – Instead of tracking two model years, one for the boat and one for the engine, Evinrude outboard owners will only have to reference the model year of their boat package

·         Improved Inventory Management – Authorized Evinrude dealers and OEM partners will be able to manage their inventory more effectively and ensure the most recent Evinrude outboard models are available to their customers

“BRP remains committed to the award-winning Evinrude E-TEC technology, and the model year elimination is consistent with current standards in the marine industry,” said Steve Laham, vice-president of Sales, Marketing and After-Sales, Evinrude. “By eliminating model year, consumers will be provided with product upgrades earlier without having to wait for the start of a new model year.  Overall, this change will be positive for our customers, dealers and OEM partners worldwide.”

The model year elimination will not affect the warranty of any Evinrude outboard engine, nor will it affect the resale or trade-in value of an outboard engine or boat package. In states that require a manufacturer’s statement of origin (MSO) for titling purposes, Evinrude will supply the appropriate MSO information to its dealer network.

Consumer questions about model year elimination can be directed to Evinrude’s customer service center at 1-866-EVINRUDE or by contacting an authorized Evinrude dealer.

Video Tutorial on Understanding Deep Cycle Marine Batteries

TROJAN BATTERY LAUNCHES VIDEO TUTORIAL SERIES TO EXPAND UNDERSTANDING OF DEEP-CYCLE BATTERY TECHNOLOGIES, MAINTENANCE AND SAFETY

Trojan Battery Company, the world's leading manufacturer of deep-cycle batteries, today launched "Trojan Tips," its video tutorial series created to provide in-depth information focusing on a variety of battery topics such as deep-cycle battery technologies, maintenance practices, charging procedures and safety when handling batteries. "Trojan Tips" is designed to expand awareness of deep-cycle battery technology.

The first "Trojan Tips" video tutorial can be viewed at http://www.trojanbattery.com/.

A new "Trojan Tips" video tutorial will premiere each month throughout 2012 on the Trojan Battery corporate Web site. The first "Trojan Tips" video, which debuts today, reviews the various battery technologies available on the market today, and what to consider when selecting a battery for a particular application. The public, as well as Trojan distributors, dealers and customers can log onto the Trojan Web site to view the video tutorials and learn more about a variety of deep-cycle battery topics.

"One of the most important features of electrically powered equipment, and probably one of the most ignored, is the battery," said Vicki Hall, Trojan's director of quality and technical services, and host of the "Trojan Tips" educational series. "The battery is the heart of any piece of electric equipment that relies on batteries for power. When a battery fails in a golf car, scissor lift or floor cleaning machine for example, it can make or break a day on the course or impact profitability on the job site. Proper understanding of this technology and maintenance practices are key to getting the most out of a battery investment."

Trojan developed the "Trojan Tips" series to educate the public on a variety of important battery-related subjects that can positively impact the performance and longevity of deep-cycle batteries used to power electrical equipment. Topics such as selecting the right battery, maintenance techniques and appropriate charging and equalization guidelines are just a few of the issues that will be addressed during the video tutorial series.

About Trojan Battery Company
Trojan Battery Company is the world's leading manufacturer of deep-cycle batteries and a battery technology pioneer, having built the first golf car battery in 1952. Trojan batteries provide power for a wide variety of golf, industrial, renewable energy, recreational and auxiliary power applications. Founded in 1925, the company is ISO 9001:2008 certified with operations in California and Georgia, and maintains two of the largest and most extensive research and development centers in North America dedicated to engineering new and advanced battery technology. For more information on Trojan Battery Company, visit www.trojanbattery.com.

Can Today's Boaters Learn Anything from the Titanic?

As the world solemnly marks the April 15th centennial of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, boaters and mariners alike can appreciate the vast improvements in maritime safety that were a result of the tragic sinking. In 1914, two years after Titanic's loss of 1,503 lives, maritime nations gathered in London, adopted the International Convention of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS Convention) and put in place a series of measures learned directly from the tragedy. Do any of those lessons learned relate to today's recreational boater or angler? BoatUS set to find out. 

Slow down: The commission that investigated the sinking found that excessive speed combined with the prevalence of ice flows was a major factor in the disaster. Do you slow down when boating at night, in foggy weather or when in unfamiliar waters? Any time you're out on the water and something doesn't "feel right," slowing down is your best first move, giving you critical time to react. 

Call for help: The radio that the Titanic used to send out the SOS had a limited range of only 200 miles and the airwaves were "crackling," leading rescuers to misinterpret her position. Also, sadly, the vessel closest to her, the Californian, had shut down her radio for the night. Today's US Coast Guard Rescue 21 system now covers over 40,000 miles of US coastline and some major rivers, taking the "search" out of search and rescue 24/7 by providing accurate location information with the simple push of one button - but only if your boat has a DSC VHF radio and it is properly connected to your GPS/chartplotter. Unfortunately, today the USCG reports that most DSC VHF radios are not connected to a GPS/chartplotter. If you travel offshore or boat alone, an EPIRB or personal locator beacon can also speed your rescue. On larger bodies of water a cell phone should only be considered a back-up emergency communications device, and always have your VHF on and tuned to channel 16. 

Give a safety briefing to guests before you leave the dock: Regrettably, no lifeboat drills were held aboard the Titanic, the crew lacked training in their operation, and there was no public address system. Today, before they head out, recreational boaters and anglers can simply share with guests the location of the safety equipment and how to use gear such as the VHF radio, distress flares, fire extinguisher, or inflatable life jackets. 

Have a life jacket for everyone aboard - that fits. The Titanic did not have enough critical safety gear, such as lifeboats, for all her passengers. Do you have enough correctly-sized life jackets for everyone aboard and are they readily accessible? A child in an adult size life jacket could easily slip out simply by raising their hands above their head.

For more information on boating safety, go to www.BoatUS.com/Foundation