Whether it’s a grill for cooking up your fresh catch or getting the latest in radar technology, every skipper should strive to check a couple of these products off their wish list.
.jpg_600.jpg)
Anchors
Do you like to stay put in one spot to enjoy the beautiful sunshine or watch the stars reflect in the waves? If you’re ready to upgrade your anchor, you might want to invest in one from Fortress Anchors. An American-based company, its FX series is made of light aluminum metal, but don’t let that fool you. These anchors are sturdy and keep you where you want to be. Its best-seller, the FX-7, keeps boats 16 to 27 feet long in place without being too heavy to pull up. They also have up to seven other sizes including the FX-125, which serves 69 to 150-foot boats and is used by the Coast Guard and the Navy in certain ships.
Along with its durability, the company offers one of the best warranties. It includes a hassle-free lifetime parts replacement warranty and you can get your money back up to 90 days after your purchase if not satisfied.
Starting Price: FX-7 $124
www.fortressanchors.com
Inflatable Bumpers
Must-have accessories for any boat on the Great Lakes are inflatable bumpers. These bumpers from Big Bumper Company are ideal for separating your boat from the dock and keeping it from being scratched or damaged. Big lakes can equal big waves and if your boat isn’t properly protected at the dock, dents and other damage to your darling boat could be in store.
Simple to inflate and easy to stow, the bumpers come in lengths of 2, 4, 6 and 12 feet for boat tie ups and can be used horizontally or vertically.
Starting Price: $184
www.bigbumpercompany.com
Dock Boxes
Wanting to get organized? Mobox Marina comes to the rescue with some top-of-the-line dock boxes that are built to last well into the next generation of skippers. Every Mobox dock box is made from fiberglass to make it strong, yet light, and includes stainless steel gas springs to help keep your lid up – even on windy days. Plus each lid has been reinforced and stiffened so you can sit on it. Using marine-grade aluminum and marine-grade through bolts to make them last longer, the boxes are gelled in marine-grade UV gel both inside and out to protect it from the damages caused by sun exposure.
Finally, in order to protect your dock from mold, these boxes are also built with feet that keep the box raised off the planks. This allows it to dry out and prevents rot and mold from forming underneath
Their Premium Box series is made for max storage space coming in sizes 4, 6, or 8 feet long. They are all 23 inches high and 24 inches deep making them good for sitting and giving you plenty of space to work with when storing your tools and tackle. If you are looking for a more compact style, Mobox also offers a Slimline Series and a Corner Series designed to give you optimal storage with minimal space.
Starting Price: $548
www.moboxmarine.com
Steering Wheels
One of the most important parts on a boat is the steering wheel since you won’t be going far without some way to guide and direct it. But not every steering wheel looks or feels the same.
Schmitt and Ongaro Marine Products understand not every wheel is equal in the eyes of the beholder. This is why they have made it so the new 14.2-inch Model 30 Marine steering wheel is customizable by the client.
Offering different designs of anodized black or satin silver along its three spoke pattern, you can offset it with black, chrome or matte silver trim, highlights and center cap. The customer can also add decorative sectors and spoke inserts.
This wheel isn’t just good for its pretty looks though. It comes equipped with a comfortable and durable black polyurethane hand grip to make steering easier and more suited for longer days on the lake. It also comes with a 3/4-inch tapered or splined hub to fit most boats with no assembly required.
Starting Price: $220
www.schmittongaromarine.com
Radars
One of the biggest dangers when it comes to boating is the danger of colliding with an unseen object. With the Simrad HALO series, this is no longer an issue.
The HALO series is made to meet the needs of Great Lakes boaters who are more financially-minded as well as those looking for the newest and best toy on the market.
Better suited to larger boats, the HALO20+ comes in a compact dome antenna and delivers high-quality short to long-range detection. It also comes with a dual range mode allowing boaters to keep an eye on distant weather cells, while watching for collision hazards nearby. Using pulse compression technology and beam sharpening, navigators don’t have to worry about the quality for either radar or for distance detection. To also assist the navigator, the HALO20+ comes with an easy color code that highlights hazards, and the VelocityTrack Doppler that tells the driver if the object is moving towards the boat, or away from it.
Starting Prices: HALO20 $1,699; HALO20+ $2,199
www.simrad-yachting.com
Rod Holders
Going out on the lake to relax is a wonderful summer activity. With friends, family, water fun, and beautiful sights, the only thing left is to do a little fishing! An American-based company, SeaSucker has dedicated much time to the enjoyment of fishing and catching the next “big one”, but recently they have also dedicated themselves to helping the environment. SeaSucker has decided to “go green” with their new Blue Collection.
A series of rod holders, the Blue collection is made up of recycled materials to help promote the cleaning up of the waterways and Everglades in Florida. Don’t think for one second though that this makes them weak! Coming in sizes that can hold up to three rods at once, these SeaSuckers can hold up to 210 pounds using their UV-stabilized rubber. The vacuum-mounted technology guarantees an easy to apply rod holder for your fishing trip that vacuum-seals itself to your boat with a stainless steel rack, making it secure for hours on end, even in the roughest weather.
If you want to go green, go Blue.
Starting Prices: 1-Rod Holder $60; 2-Rod Holder $90; 3-Rod Holder $135
www.seasucker.com
Portable Grill
After you get that legendary catch of the day, the last thing you want to do is wait until your back at the dock to cook it up. With this amazing cooking attachment from Magma, grilling is more then possible on the deck of your boat. Equipped with a 162-square-inch grilling surface, your catch will have more than enough room to get cooked up. To protect your hand from the burning coals, the domed lid comes with a “stay cool” plastic handle that allows you to grill, roast, and even bake without any worries or burns.
To protect it from the harsher elements on the open water of the Great Lakes, the Cabo comes with a built-in double-lined stainless-steel shell that makes it resistant to corrosion. This combined with its strong arm for mounting to the side of your boat, makes the Cabo ideal for upping your off-shore cooking abilities.
Starting Price: $269
www.magmaproducts.com
Life Jackets
Boating can be a fun and exhilarating experience, especially when you bring the whole family along! One of the highest priorities though, is proper boat safety, and that includes a life jacket for even the youngest sailor. At West Marine, lifejackets can be found that are made for both safety and sighting. Their youth life jackets are made with a heavy-duty nylon outer shell that is made to be durable in even the worst of weather. It also features a full-zip and double buckle closure that can be adjusted to be secure on even the smallest child or teenager.
In order to ensure that the life jacket is dependable when it comes to floating, each jacket is made with lightweight polyethylene foam. This helps to ensure the safety of the wearer. Finally, segmented hinge points and large armholes allow for the swimmer to have the max movement possible while the bright yellow outer shell makes it easier to spot any overboard youth.
Keep safety your top priority, don’t forget your life jacket.
Starting Price: $37
www.westmarine.com
Hull Cleaner
Before getting back into the water, every boat needs a good cleaning. This is made easier by using the West Marine Hull Cleaner. With a professional-grade formula at an affordable price, this hull cleaner removes waterline stains, algae and other grime. With the hull being clean, you are also ready to polish and wax your ship making her ready to shine on the water.
So, don’t forget to get the best cleaner for the job during summer and the upcoming fall cleaning!
Starting Price: $14
www.westmarine.com
