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Monday, November 19, 2012

Accessorize Your Boat This Winter

I just returned from a buying trip at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut.  Our marine wholesaler, Kellogg Marine, puts on a convention there every year.  Companies with names like Seadog, Seachoice, Kwiktec, Garmin, Minnkota, Taco, and a gazillion others set up cool little booths with the newest and flashiest jewelry that you can add to your boat. 

The technology available today really lets you customize a boat so that you can be one-of-a-kind out on the water. 

LED lighting has been available in some shape or form for quite awhile, but the application of easy to install indirect lighting is pretty new and innovative.  If you spend some time on the water at night you know how inky black it can get, so lighting up the floor, the water around you, or storage compartments is practical and just plain cool.  Attwood's LED tape lighting is easy to install and can help you from stumbling around in the dark:  http://www.attwoodmarine.com/store/product/lighting-led-tape-lighting

Underwater lighting may be the quickest way to throw a dock party and meet new friends.  It also makes boarding at night safer.  Check out this great picture of underwater transom lighting:


 The most impressive new technology has to be Humminbird's new 360 system.  Everyone loves the idea of going fishing, but if you're like me...that doesn't necessarily mean "catching".  I don't care what type of species you prefer...stripers, bass, trout, salmon, blue fish, tuna, or sharks.  The new 360 system is going to allow you to reel in A LOT more fish.   The system replaces the need for a traditional transducer that marks fish in the water column.  Instead the 360 system deploys a puck on a staff below the waterline to provide a radar-like picture of what is below your boat.  I was able to see screen shots of schools of fish on an upcoming bank.  That means you can actually see where the fish are before the boat gets there!  You can cast at schools of fish before you pass by and spook them.  I can't wait to try it.  We'll have demo systems here as soon as February.
http://www.humminbird.com/360imaging/

Humminbird technology showing a 3D picture of a Sunken Sailboat 
Maybe you don't like to attact passerbys with transom lighting, or sneak up on unsuspecting fish.  Maybe you are an adrenaline freak that likes to get pulled behind a boat with a big V8.  If so, you should maybe check out the Poparazzi towable from Sportstuff.


Whatever you like to do on the water, I bet we have what you need at Hamlin's Marine.  Come in and see us!  http://www.hamlinsmarina.com