Boat Rigging - What You Need, and What You Don't!
By Pro Staff |
Thu, 22 Jun 2006
Each season I get a lot of questions from guys shopping out new
equipment. Some are new boat purchases and some are just updating or
replacing existing equipment. At the heart of the matter, we're all
sort of alike - we want to save money where we can, but not lose one
cent worth of performance. And that's a pretty reasonable expectation.
So in lieu of boat show season coming just around the corner, as well
as the predictable spring itch, I thought it might be important to shed
some light on what I feel like are the necessities and options when it
comes to rigging out your new boat.
NECESSITY LIST:
- Hydraulic
Steering - improved safety / responsiveness, ease of use. Once you go
hydraulic I think it's some kind of law of physics that you can't go
back - it would be like disconnecting running water from your home.
- Highest
power trolling motor you think you could possibly need. This is the
business end of the boat, why skimp here. My choice is the 36 volt Minn
Kota 101. Depending on your individual needs and size of boat, a Minn
Kota 74 may be enough power.
- Max Horsepower - I've never met
anyone who bought a boat with less than the max rated horsepower who
didn't shop motor prices within the same season. My choice is the
Evinrude E-tec H.O. (high output). While maintaining a Maytag
reputation on the Pro Tours this direct injection motor makes gas and
oil and has blistering performance.
- Boat cover - Too many
people try to save that couple hundred dollars, wind up going to some
department store, paying half that price for something that doesn't fit
and it scratches the boat up going down the road. Or in a lot of cases
they never buy one at all and essentially trade the $300 boat cover for
the $1,200 gell coat work that they'll have coming in the future.
- On-board
charger - Your batteries will stay healthier with an on-board
maintenance style charger that you can leave plugged up. Too often we
put off fighting those two or three stand-alone units until it's too
late.
OPTIONAL LIST:
- Tandem axle trailers - They
give your boat the luxury ride by taking out the jolting bumps, they're
safer, but ultimately optional on most models depending on your
individual hauling needs.
- Hydraulic JackPlate - Approximately a $600 to $900 add. I always run one, but it's definitely an option.
- Electronics
- Wait! I'm not suggesting that electronics are optional, but I do want
to stress that you can shop smart when selecting your marine
electronics. Many anglers today are utilizing gps units at both the
console and bow of the boat. My choice each year has been to run
combination sonar/gps units at each end of the boat. You can split the
screen or toggle between screens depending on your needs at a given
time. These models will typically save you a little money over buying
both separately.
- Lighted compartments, anchor reigns, etc? All these little gizmos can add up to the cost of the cover you should have bought.
- Hotfoot
throttles ? These devices were historically reserved for the so-called
?high performance ? fight it to drive it? models of boats. Today,
however, we?re seeing more and more of them show up in all boat lines.
I personally run one in all of my boats for safety. A foot throttle
allows both hands to be on the wheel while turning and especially in
rough water where boat control via the steering wheel and throttle
control are equally important.
See you guys at the boat show!
