With the price of fuel skyrocketing and the desire to leave only a wake not an oil slick in the lake, I have been researching boat motors this week.

Pouring through the top four outboard manufacturers websites: Honda, Mercury, Yamaha and Suzuki’s, some companies are touting their commitment to the environment, Honda in particular, while others are still focused on torque.

One thing has become abundantly clear, our old two-stroke Mercury outboard has got to go. While Honda’s website states that their four-stroke engines are 90% cleaner, 50% more fuel efficient, 50% quieter (I have a Honda generator called Lovely, and she’s very quiet) than a typical two-stroke engine, what catches my eye is they do not release any oil directly into the water.

There’s nothing like sitting in the lake behind a sputtering old motor that’s billowing oil and gas exhaust, struggling to go wakeboarding. In fact, I have spent my entire life crouched behind some kind of Merc motor waiting to yell “Hit It!” Next to falling, this is my least favourite part.

Thanks to companies like Honda, Suzuki and Mercury, who offer CARB’s three star rating (see Wednesday’s blog on Green Boating) on practically every one of their motors (exclusion include: Suzuki’s 30, Honda’s EFI motors, and Mercury’s Verado series and the Optimax 150/175/200/225), wakeboarding is about to get a whole lot more enjoyable.

In 1998 Honda introduced an entire line of high performance outboard motors that met the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2006 emission standards. The customer service rep at Suzuki believed they started sometime in 2000.

It’s important to note the newer engines are more likely to have CARB’s three star rating. This is one thing I will definitely be looking for when we start shopping for our new boat and motor.

Ahoy,

Julie

Worth Repeating….

Now that boating season is just around the corner, only 11 weeks to go until the May long weekend, some people may be starting to ponder a new boat. In the fall I wrote about the deals to be had in the US, (see Buying a Used Boat are they Cheaper in the US?) given the majority of the boats are manufactured there and the size of their population, it’s only natural that they have a larger market for used boats.

One of our reader’s, RunningCar, has imported several used boats from across the border for resale and explains the paperwork process involved in clearing customs.

He writes:

• You will require clear title for the boat and the trailer.
• You need a letter from the manufacturer of the trailer that there are no open recalls on it (contact either the manufacturer or the authorized dealer to obtain a recall clearance letter.
• You also need a certificate of origin. If the boat and trailer are not built in Canada or the US, its a different ball game. Click on Transport Canada’s website as well as Canada Border Services Agency’s website.
• Determine additional cost, such as duty and taxes (contact Canada Border Services Agency at 1-800-461-9999)
• When you get to the border make sure you have:
  • title documents
  • registration
  • sales receipts
  • statement of compliance label and manufacturer’s recall clearance letter
• At the border, you need to go in and fill out Form 1 (it needs to be kept in the vehicle until it’s licensed). Canada Border Services Agency will collect a nonrefundable Registrar of Imported Vehicles fee of $195.00 + GST (avoid paying by cheque as it will add an additional 10 days to your clearing time) or you can go to www.riv.ca and pay it online. The serial number on the trailer is inspected at this point as well.
• After payment and recall documentation have been received by the Registrar of Imported Vehicles, an Inspection Form will be mailed to you
• Take this and the boat to Canadian Tire where they will confirm the serial number and perform the provincial inspection.
• Once you pass the inspection the Form 1 gets stamped
• You then take the Form 1 to the provincial or territorial licensing authority to get the numbers for you boat.
• Within one week of passing the federal inspection, they will send you a new Canadian Certification label

For more information visit How to Import A Vehicle to Canada.

It’s important to note you only have 45 days to get all the inspections and paperwork completed. After that the boat will have to be exported back to the US.

Missed the Boat on Deals

As far as finding deals in the US, RunningCar has this to add:

“You missed the boat so to speak on deals for this season. You need to be buying in November and December. This is now prime time and I’m getting tons of action on my stuff and the prices are at their highest level of the season.”

Oh well, there’s always next year.

Cheers,

Julie

As the owner of an old two-stroke outboard motor, I was surprised to learn that it emits more hydrocarbons in one hour than a typical car does in about 40 hours, according to Cottage Life magazine. What’s even worse about our aging Merc engine is it emits up to 25 - 30% of it’s fuel unburned into the water or atmoshphere. In some lakes in California, I wouldn’t even be able to operate it.

I know that my boating activities: wakeboard, waterskiing and tubing are having an enormous impact on our lake. The wake I generate is one thing, but the fuel and oil emissions are another as they inflict the greatest environmental damage.

Hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxides are the major pollutants. A gasoline additive called MTBE (methyl tertbutyl ether) and possible carcinogen, is another. Nearly 90 percent of the MTBE in lake water is due to recreational boating, according to Gerry Mackie, author of The Cottage Bible.

While purchasing a new motor and accompanying boat are an expensive proposition, outboard models built after 2006 in the US have reduced emissions by 75%. In fact, if people are shopping for a new boat, they want to be aware of California’s Air Resource Board’s three star rating system as it applies to all new engines and PWC’s sold in the state of California.

	CARB’S One Star label identifies engines that meet CARB’s 2001 exhaust emission standards. Engines meeting these standards produce 75% fewer emissions than conventional carbureted two-stroke engines. These engines are equivalent to the US EPA’s 2006 standards for marine engines.
	The Two Star label identifies engines that meet CARB’s 2004 exhaust emission standards. Engines meeting these standards produce 20% fewer emissions than One Star (Low Emission) engines.
	The Three Star label identifies engines that meet CARB’s 2008 exhaust emission standards. Engines meeting these standards produce 65% fewer emissions than One Star (Low Emission) engines.

According to Air Resources Board’s website:

The main purpose of labels is to educate consumers. ARB wants consumers to be able to make informed choices concerning engine emissions when they are shopping for watercraft. Water agencies that worked with ARB in developing the watercraft regulations supported labels. The labels are an additional tool water agencies can use to reduce pollution in areas where water quality is a special concern.

I’m curious to find out which boat engines carry the three-star rating, and over the next couple of days will report my findings. I will also look at ways to improve a two-stroke engine’s fuel efficiency.

Cheers,

Julie

Today’s subject is something I confess I know absolutely nothing about, but am totally fascinated by it. The part that I find fascinating are the people who enjoy sitting on a frozen lake, often for hours at a time, in a small wooden (or canvass) hut, freezing their —- off, waiting for the fish to strike.

My brother, Running Car, is one of these people. Now in all fairness, he is an avid fisherman. During the summer, long after the sun goes down, there he sits in his aluminum fishing boat, reeling in one walleye after another. His frozen minnow by his side, his fish finder activated, and the net ready, he takes this sport very seriously.

How do people sit still for so long? Apparently, hot toddies are one of the necessities of this sport, in addition to a well stocked ice hut. According to The Cottage Bible, these huts can be as large as 10 by 12 feet, constructed on skids for towing to a site and have four to six bunkbeds, a gas or woodstove, and gas lighting

Another website I checked out for the definitive guide to ice fishing, Ice Fishing Canada, had some interesting stats. Did you know:

• Canada is home to the greatest number of people who “hard water” fish
• In 2000, anglers across Canada spent a combined total of 4, 489,296 days fishing
• Fewer than 1/3 of fish caught beneath the ice are eaten
• 60% of the fish caught are released
• If you are fishing with a group of people make sure the ice is at least18 centimeters thick and if you’re going to drive on the ice, it should be 28 centimeters thick.

I would love to hear from the hard water fishermen out there as to why this sport attracts so many Canadians. Pictures are always welcome (email julie@cottagedaily.com).

Here’s to some interesting fish tales.

Cheers,

Julie

What are you giving your favourite cottager this year for Christmas? And what are you asking for yourself? I recently posted this question on Cottage Life’s forum and cottagers responded with some interesting gifts. I am sharing a couple of them with you today, including a few of my own. But I would really like to hear from you.

Here they are in no particular order:

The first one is from Debb, (who often leaves great comments on this site)

• Photo-opoly - a game that mimic monopoly, but you use photos of your family on the game board
• Lee Valley’s Rasp & Zest holder - and pretty much anything from that store - cottagers as well as Martha seem to really dig their products
• Siruis Radio (I have XM Satellite and agree, satellite radio is great for the cottage)
• GPS
• Gift Certificates for the Beer Store (Ontario )

Here is my list in case ANYONE is interested

• Malibu or Mastercraft wakeboard boat - does not have to be brand new
• Chantry Island Bathrobe (ladies medium)
• L.L. Bean Hammock with metal frame
• Gift certificates from Chapters & Starbucks (love those Chi Lattes)
• Time - more time. I would love more time to spend with my husband & kids, my awesome nieces and nephews, and my wonderful friends.

If anyone has any great charities or organizations they would like to share with us, please do so. My sister is giving a needy family Christmas dinner instead of buying our mom a gift. Way to go Nat.

That’s my list - now tell us yours.

Cheers,

Julie

The loud high-pitched beeping can be heard all over the lake. It starts as soon as the key is inserted into the ignition. The beeping is caused by the oil indicator. Despite having a full tank of oil, it’s still trying to warn us. Lifting up the white vinyl seat cushion to store the boat cover, the white piping tears off into my hand; the seats are disintegrating. The gray carpet has come unglued from the boat’s sides and the bar holding up the glass windshield has come unhinged. Our boat is not aging gracefully.

We have held off buying a new boat every year, in an attempt to save money. But the money we are trying to save, is getting spent on repairs. Picture a dog chasing its tail and you’ve got the idea.

So before we pay a whole lot of money to winterize and store our sinking ship for the season, I thought I would look around to see if now might be a good time to buy a new boat. It turns out it just might be - depending on the economy, interest rates and the dealer’s inventory.

According to Paul McKeown, owner of Big Lake Boats, located in Cobourg, Ontario, the economy, interest rates and the dealer ‘s inventory all affect the price you are going to pay on your new boat. If interest rates are high and the dealer has a lot of inventory, he is going to be motivated to sell you a boat, rather than pay the cost of carrying it over the winter.

If you have a trade-in, you will likely get a better price for it in the spring, because the dealer has a better chance of selling it in the upcoming months. If they have to store it through the winter, they will likely offer you less money.

The Toronto Boat Show, held in January, is another good place to buy a new boat, as manufacturers will often provide show-only incentives ranging from $500 to $1,500.

If you’re worried about the high cost of buying a brand new boat, there is some good news. While boats depreciate 25% in the first year, they tend to hold their value for the next five years. A 10-year-old bowrider, provided it has been well maintained, is still worth 50% of what it was brand new.

Regardless of when you buy your boat, you need to do your homework, especially if you are buying a used boat or looking to sell yours. The dealers have a Boat Value Book, which tells them what a used boat is worth. This is not available to the public, but going online to boattrader.com or boats.com is a good place to start.

If you are buying a boat in the US and bringing it into Canada, be sure to visit Registar of Imported Vehicles website for a list of the fees and documentation required by Canada Customs Agents. There are deals to be had in the US, see Wednesday’s blog, but buyer beware. Make sure you have the boat inspected before you buy it, especially if you are not buying it from a marina.

I still haven’t decided on what boat buy, but I will be looking for a marina that has a lot of inventory and I will try to sell our boat privately.

Anyone interested in a well used bowrider? I am definitely motivated!

Cheers,

Julie

Is it a sin to covet your brother’s new Mastercraft wakeboard boat (pictured above)? Actually, it’s not brand new. He bought it used from a dealer in the United States. With a strong Canadian dollar, a lot of loonies are flocking south of the border in search of cheaper boats.

But are boats really less expensive in the US? And how much hassle and cost do you incur bringing them through customs?

Are Boats Cheaper?

To find out if boats are cheaper, I decided to go online and do some price comparisons. The first boat I looked at was a used Malibu 2005 XTI. It is listed on a Canadian site for $52,995. The same model is listed on Boats.com for $39,999, that’s difference of $13,000. With the exchange rate and trailer fee of $207 (you don’t pay duty on boats manufactured in the US), the boat works out to about $42,600. You still have to pay PST and GST, but you would have to pay these regardless of where the boat is purchased. Buying the Malibu XTI in the US would save you over $10,000.

The second boat I compared was a 2003 Mastercraft X30. One is listed on AutoTrader.ca for $55,000; the same model is listed on boattrader.com for $46,000. With exchange and trailer fee, the US boat works out to $48,967, a savings of $6,000.

I also checked out eBay.ca for used boats, but most of the ones listed there are from US dealers. Our neighbor at the cottage bought his boat on eBay. The bidding had closed but the boat had not sold, so he contact the seller directly. He got the boat for a great price, but he also had to travel to California to pick it up.

There are more boats built and sold in the US, resulting in lower prices. When I tried finding used boats for sale in Canada, there was very little inventory and it was hard to find them, as least online. Autotrader.ca and boatdealer.ca were the only online sources that I could find. A lot of marinas also list their used inventories online, but this can be a time consuming process.

If anyone has purchased a boat recently, I would love to hear from you, especially if you bought it in the US. On Friday I will discuss the best time of year to buy a boat and what you need to do if you bought your boat in the US.

Cheers,

Julie