The Best Wood For An Aluminum Boat Transom

Are you looking for the best wood for the transom of your aluminum base boat? Then keep reading...

Whether you want to repair your transom or want to replace it, we will help you choose the best wood for the transom of your aluminium boat.

What is a transom?

The transom is a very important part of a boat. If it somehow it gets damaged, you must immediately replace it or get it repaired if the damage is not severe.

The main function of the transom in a boat is to provide a strong support to your hull from the motor, as the motor exerts a tremendous force while riding fast or even making a simple turn.

The transom plays the role of power transmission and provision of a strong hold. If it gets damaged, the boat might get completely wasted.

Choosing A Transom Material

So, to best choose the material for the transom, whether on a kayak (see Carve Your Creation) or some other boat, one must be aware of the most suitable alternatives available. Should you go ahead with a fabricated metal transom or a wooden transom?

The most used traditional transom material is wood as it is lighter and stronger and provides a very consistent and subtle support.

With that said, the organic wood of a boat transom will rot after several years and need to be replaced. The best wood for the transom of such an aluminium boat needs to be polished and fabricated to prevent it from decaying.

Best Wood For Transom

The best wood for the transom of an aluminium boat is oak or teak, specifically a piece the size of the transom. These woods are a little bit oily and tend to repel epoxy, while on the other hand, softer woods like cedar or pine tend to be more adhesive and create a transom with almost no joints or
junctures.

The rotting of the wood can be easily prevented through the use of excellent fabrication and adhesives. This is not a difficult task.

Finally, to go along with the choice for the best transom wood, here are a few tips:

• Pick the wood according to the size of your boat. A strong wood is not always the best option! 
• Be aware of the details of the transom — it contains many rivets and holdings — and keep them in check.
• The fabrication of the transom is important. It prevents the transom from getting rotten.

Follow these tips and tricks and you'll have the perfect wood for your aluminum boat transom in no time. Good luck!

Boating & Sun Safety - Be Sun Aware

This infographic illustrates the importance of sun safety on a boat and how recreational boaters can be sun safe on the water.

Included are important statistics and guidelines.

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What Paint Should You Use On A Mercruiser Outdrive?

Since a Mercruiser outdrive is an accessory, so the way which you will paint or repair it may change according to your preferences, budget and other factors. And which paint you will use on the Mercruiser can change too.

Here are some ways to approach panting a mercruiser outdrive:

1. Coating

One suggestion for a "tool" you could utilize is to use a coating. Gloss coatings are usually used, but whether you want to use a clear coat, colour coat, gloss or no gloss is up to you.

2. Rattlecan

Another thing that you can to use to paint the Mercruiser is a rattlecan, which is a container of spray paint. For this, we can say that there is also a great diversity of colors to choose from, so go wild.

The question is: must you always paint a Mercruiser outdrive with spray?

Well, the spray is maybe the most common method for painting, but there are other options. You can use acrylic enamel or zinc chromate.

3. Zinc Chromate

Painting with zinc chromate has the advantage of eliminating surface imperfections. A possible disadvantage of using zinc chromate is that you will need to repeat the application procedure from time to time.

4. Urethane

There are some items which contain urethane, and you can use this to paint your Mercruiser. An example of this is acrylic urethane.

5. Others

There are other materials that you can to paint the accessory.

Take alodine, for instance. With alodine, you must know if there are any areas on your Mercruiser that would repel it. If the answer is yes, you must first de-grease as appropriate, and then safely paint after that.

A resin is also possible when you want to paint, hence an epoxy polyurethane.

But more important than choosing your method of painting your Mercruiser outdrive is to paint correctly, and always follow the steps indicated by the manufacturer as well as, possibly, some tips on boating forums. If you do this, your project should turn out great.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Tips For Installing A Macerator Pump On A Boat

Boat riding can be a pretty awesome sport to engage in. With boats, however, the issue of sanitation always comes up.

Macerator Pump

You need a proper and clean way of getting rid of the waste collected in the holding tank. This is where macerating comes in.

Macerating is basically soaking solid wastes in liquid to convert them into a fluid form. Macerator pumps are usually used in such instances.

Depending on your needs, there is a wide variety of macerators on the market. They can be used for domestic or commercial purposes.

If not done properly and on time, you may start to notice a foul smell in and around your boat.

How To Install A Macerator Pump On A Boat

If your macerator pump is not properly installed, it is likely to fail you. Follow the installation instructions you have as carefully as possible.

There will be guidelines on the maximum distance to set it from the tank. If you place it above the tank, you will not need a vented loop.

Installing a Y-valve will save you from having to pay for pump outs. You can also use it in areas with 'no-discharge’ policies. This is because it allows you to reroute the waste to either a discharge point or the holding tank.

The process is generally simple and straightforward. However, you need to:

1. Turn the pump off as soon as the process of draining is over. If you leave it running for too long, the pump may get damaged.

2. Make sure that the size of the discharge pipe is just right. The angles should be precise, and if in doubt, consult a professional.

3. Since you are dealing with waste, do your best to eliminate mistakes. Even the slightest mistake could lead to a big problem.

4. Just like with regular toilets, be careful with paper or any other material that could clog the system. Only use toilet paper or flushable wipes.

5. Note that your pump may need replacement every now and then. It will need replacement more frequently if it is used as the primary toilet.

6. To prevent a foul smell, find a way to prevent, mask or treat the smell from the holding tank. Remember that proper flushing is a good way to prevent such smells.

See this video about macerator pumps for boat toilets:

Conclusion

Boat riding is a generally fun and adventurous activity.

Luckily, no one has to trade comfort, proper sanitation and fresh air to ride a boat. There have emerged a number of ways to deal with the issue of personal hygiene, and macerating just happens to be one of them. Luckily for everyone, it works!

Thanks for reading. Go here to learn how to build your own boat.

How To Check Trailer Lights With A Multimeter

Have a trailer with lights that carries things like canoes and kayaks? It’s very important to know how to use a multimeter to check your trailer lights.

Using a multimeter can be fast and easy and will help you troubleshoot your trailer lights just in case there is a problem.

Listed below are instructions on how to use a multimeter:

Process For Using A Multimeter 

The very first thing that you need to do is put your multimeter in the ohms position.

Ensure that your red wire is on the volt dome jack and that the black wire is on the common jack.

Get the three-pin connector that connects to your car from the trailer, which has a terminal ring for ground.

You will notice that the wires of the connector are labelled; right turn, left turn, brake wire and a black wire that has no writing. Get the common wire from your multimeter and connect it to the terminal ring.

You will then use the red wire to cross-check all the other wires from the connector to see how much resistance your multimeter will read.

If the multimeter shows zero ohms, there is no connection between that line and the ground, and the problem could be a faulty bulb or a disconnected wire. If there are no connection problems, then the multimeter should give a reading of 0.32 ohms.

Now check the grounding of your chasing by connecting the chasing to the red positive wire. This should give a reading of 0.1 ohms for a properly grounded trailer.

For continuity tests, remember that the ohm reading is going to take the path of least resistance and trailer lights are connected in series-parallel circuits.

To get a true reading, disconnect all the bulbs and connect each bulb on its own to determine if it’s well connected. Make sure you read to see if there is an open circuit and whether it's your right turn signal, your left turn light, or your breaking lights. This is the way you'll troubleshoot it.

Conclusion

With this knowledge, you can easily troubleshoot your trailer’s lighting system should a problem arise. Having a multimeter around you whenever you travel with your trailer will always come in handy, especially now that you know how to use it.

I hope this helps! Feel free to like, share and comment.

Why Consider Wooden Boat Plans?

If you have ever contemplated building a boat then you probably thought of using wood.

The fear that you have no experience in boat building should never hold you back from making a boat. Thanks to the internet, you can always have all the information you need in boat building.

My Boat Plans will give you designs and plans, and one of the best is the wooden boat plans. We will give you about the tools and supplies you need when building a wooden boat. 

Merits Of Building A Boat For Yourself

Building your boat is a good idea for you because you can make something to meet your preferences and requirement. This allows you to buy the supplies according to your schedule and your budget.

Using the wooden boat plans will and making the boat for yourself, then you will be able to spare yourself a lot of money. You will finally get yourself a personal boat that is self-made.

Many people who like to build a boat mainly get lost because they get intimidated by the process of boat building. As long as you have the will and a good space for building, then you will be able to secure your dreams to reality.

Finding The Right Design For The Boat

Getting a boat design is the beginning of building a boat.

One of the immeasurable places where you can get resources and ideas is through the internet. Here you will find so many designs of making a wooden boat starting from:

• fishing boats
• sailboats (1)
• flat bottom boats
• canoes
• dories
• skiffs
• dinghies

All you will have to do is to pick one design that looks to fit you best. Always consider your level of experience and skills in carpentry before you pick up design.

There are plenty of plans to fit both people in the advanced levels and the beginners.

Building A Boat With Wooden Boat Plans

As soon as you have finalized on choosing your required boat plan, ensure that it fits the materials that are at your disposal. Follow the given steps one by one without leaving any of them behind.

Look at the schematic drawings and photographs at your disposal and follow all the illustrations that have been given there.

You can also buy a DVD or an e-book to give you some basic illustrations and teachings if you are a starter.

Buying Materials For Construction

You should have a form before you go to buy materials for the boat. Once you have all the information you need about the boat building, then the next thing is getting the right materials.

Ensure that you get high-quality materials. My boat plans may be classic, but without the right quality of materials then it will not last for long. Get the right tools to build a boat, and it will not take too much of your time.

As the times goes on you will learn to invest in some special tools that are specifically used for boat building.