Interstate Batteries – Delivery to your home or marina*!

Go2marine is proud to carry Interstate Batteries for use in starting and running electrical equipment on boats ranging from day fishing and run-abouts to cruisers, commercial operations and offshore use. Interstate Batteries offers the convenience of home delivery with a  wide selection of quality built  batteries for  a variety of marine uses, as well as backed by a worldwide warranty.

Home Delivery – A convenience no other battery manufacturer offers!

Interstate batteries offers door to door service with delivery directly to your home, marina*, business or nearly any place you wish! At the time of delivery, Interstate will also pickup your recyclable core batteries. The total battery delivery cost is $25 for the first battery and then $7 for each additional battery.

Gaston Plante

 Choosing Your Battery

The first practical, rechargeable, lead acid flooded storage battery as we now recognize it, was invented in 1859 by Gaston Plante in France. In the last 150 years, the vehicle battery has remained virtually unchanged. It was not until just 10 years ago that the Lithium Ion battery that is now in use in hybrid vehicles was invented.

Vehicle batteries are still made of lead plates in a simple plastic case, filled with acid. Sixty years ago it was often just a choice of a 6 volt or the new 12 volt battery design. Today’s marine batteries still contain lead, have a plastic case and are filled with acid, but that is where the similarity ends and there is so much more to the design and construction now to make batteries more rugged, more powerful, longer lasting and affordable.

 What You See – the outside case

The battery case is a rectangular plastic protective casing that houses the lead plates in an acid. Traditionally, batteries have had vented caps on top and required regular filling maintenance because of the gassing off of the hydrogen and the oxygen from the electrolyte during the charging cycle. One of the modern improvements with the case design has been to reduce venting to the outside which results in a more ‘maintanance free’ battery. Deep cycle batteries often have removable caps to facilitate topping the electrolyte. AGM and Gel batteries are completely sealed.

The Lead Inside

A battery is more than just a big outside case. There are dividers inside the case breaking a 12 volt battery up into 6 cells of 2 volts each (a 6 volt battery has 3 cells). In each of these cells are alternating lead and lead dioxide plates. The lead plate is negative side of the electrode and the lead dioxide is the positive side. There is an arrangement of odd numbered plate in all cells, with positive being on both sides of this plate group. Thicker lead plates produce a battery that is better able to tolerate deep discharges. Thinner plates allow a battery to discharge very quickly (starting batteries). When two batteries are compared together, the one that is heavier will generally have thicker plates.

The Acid

Most batteries are then filled with electrolyte to cover the plates in the cells with a 33% (approximate, changing with manufacturers) dilute sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid has been the choice electrolyte for over 150 years and continues on with some mild improvements. There are two common modifications to the battery electrolyte:

• Gel Batteries – are filled with the electrolyte that has been immobilized using a gelling agent such as fumed silica.
• Absorbed Glass Mat – AGM batteries feature a fiberglass felt that holds the electrolyte in place like a sponge.
• Neither AGM or Gel cells will leak if inverted, pierced, etc. and will continue to operate even under water.

Optima Batteries are spiral formed AGM batteries that are available in starting or deep cycle.

Lastly, it is worth noting that there is no real compromise in the starting vs. the deep cycle battery. Due to the differences in battery use, ensure that you are getting true deep cycle batteries for applications where they are required. Interstate Batteries manufacturers deep cycle batteries for all uses, including its own 4D in true deep cycle, thick plate, design.

* Delivery to a marina is done just like a business. There must be a location where the Interstate Battery truck can pull up and unload as well as a person to sign for the delivery. Interstate Batteries will not deliver to your dock or boat.

Keeping your boat dry for winter & off season storage

For most people, there comes a time when the boat must be put away for the season, the cabin locked up and all is left to fend for itself through the slumber of the winter. In most locations, you will cover or store a small boat in open or unheated storage. Larger boats will be secured to the dock or hauled out and winterized. The number one thing that people complain about is the smell when you get back to the boat in the spring. Go2marine is here to offer you some understanding about what happens during the winter with moisture and what can be done to protect your boat.

If your boat is small, you should first get a boat cover to protect the topsides and interior from weather and reduce moisture coming in from the environment. If your boat is large, you will need to seal it up well; yet still supply some form of ventilation. The number one enemy of the interior of boats in the off season is moisture.

The Problem(s)

Fungus (Fungi) consist of molds, mildews, yeasts and more, in this unique Kingdom that is neither animal nor plant. Fungi are part of the natural environment and operate primarily by breaking down dead organic matter such as fallen leaves and dead trees. Indoors, fungus growth tries to break down dead matter (wood, cotton, rayon and other organic materials) as well as pseudo-organic materials (like foam, polyester). Fungi reproduce by many means, including tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air. The more commonly recognizable mold and mildew may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types of mold, and few of them will grow without water or moisture. This Kingdom makes up the most diverse life on the planet with worldwide distribution and some 1.5 million species. Fungi also has the ability to become an allergen, irritant or significant pathogen to humans.

Fungi gradually destroy the things that they grow on. Ultimately Fungi thrive as a  result of a high level of moisture encouraging their growth; rather than trying to just treat the fungi to kill them, resolve the moisture issue to prevent the problem that encourages Fungi growth.

The Solutions

Requiring Power - For boats that are left within the reach of an extension cord or dock cord you can help keep moisture to a minimum with a number of heater or dehumidifier options.

GoldenRod Dehumidifiers offer inherent safety features like no fan, simple installation, constant heat output and simplicity. They eliminate dampness, mildew, condensation and humidity with size options for areas from 100 to 500 cubic feet.

Extreme (Xtreme) Heaters takes a higher tech, more active approach to keeping moisture in control. The XtremeHeater Boat Heater is a heating element that is self-regulated at a pre-set temperature and automatically varies its wattage in order to maintain that pre-set temperature.

 

Non-Powered – If you leave your boat and there is no means to power anything, you still have several options.

Hard mounting vents are are installed in the cabin top or on hatches and used when leaving your vessel for the season, while it is uncovered but still weather-tite. The big news here is solar vents that have the advantage of a fan without leading power wires.

There are a variety of moisture control devices that rely on a ’salt’ like Calcium Chloride to draw moisture from the surrounding air and can be used in nearly any location, onboard or under cover. The most common of these is the Dri-Z-Air Dehumidifier.

Lastly, if you have a boat cover, a vent with support pole can help in any season with moisture control. This system is easily installed with a pair of scissors and your hands for a clean vent installation.

Teleflex Control Cables

Go2marine carries a complete line of Teleflex control cables for most applications, including vintage Morse cables. Teleflex Incorporated is a diversified global company supplying research and goods to Medical, Aerospace, Commercial and the Marine market sectors.

Teleflex control cables are the current replacement for traditional Morse 33c cables that fit operational Morse controls. Whether you are outfitting the controls on an inboard or outboard, Telflex cables are the industry standard. Beyond the 33c control cables, there are cables for both Mercury / Mercuiser as well as 1979 and newer Johnson Evinrude. Control cables are available as either ”General Controls Cables“, which will satisfy the needs of many boat operaters or the  ”TFXTREME Control Cables” which are used on performance, commercial and military vessels.

General Controls Cables

• Available in varies quality, from Standard to Supreme
• 3300 / 33c fit Morse, Teleflex and many other manufacturers controls
• Mercury, Mercuiser cables available for standard Mercury controls and Mercury Gen II
• Johnson Evinrude cables fit 1979 to current, (adapter available for pre 1979)
• Cables available in 1 foot increments
• Quality built for most environmental applications

Teleflex General Control Cables from Go2marine

TFXTREME Controls Cables

• Built to survive in the harshest environmental conditions
• Unique splined core construction
• Maximum performance with no lost motion
• Cables available in 1 foot increments
• Excellent for long cable runs
• Available for most 33c, Mercury / Mercuiser and Johnson Evinrude applications

TFXTREME Control Cables at Go2marine

How to measure your replacement cable

 

For all your Control Cable, Steering Cable and Marine needs; visit Go2marine

PRI Fuel Treatment, Additive & Stabilizer that really works!! – at Go2marine

PRI Fuel Treatment, Additive & Stabilizer is available for both gasoline engines as PRI-G and diesel applications as PRI-D. The unique formula can be used in marine engines, RV’s and other fuel situations. With more than 40 years of research and usage, PRI, Power Research Inc is a product that accomplishes just three things for diesel and gasoline fuels (and by extension, in those engines):

1. PRI is a Fuel Stabilizer and Restorer.

2. PRI removes trapped moisture that modern fuels promote.

3. PRI reduces carbon particulate size.

Fuel Additives & Stabilizers by Power Research Inc.

 PRI is the industry leader at restoring old stale fuels. PRI can produce usable gasoline and diesel fuels from the worst storage conditions. Independent laboratory tests have tested 10-13 year old fuels that were restored with PRI and found them returned to usable condition. Treat just once a year for year after year use.

PRI will emulsify and absorb small amounts of water from fuel. While not able to clean water contaminated fuel that has large amounts of water, it does prevent alcohol phase separation. PRI prevents corrosion in the tank as well as everywhere fuel flows and contains asolutely no alcohol.

PRI reduces carbon buildup in small engines, reduces carbon in the exhaust and maintains the carbon size to less than .010 microns. Cleaner burning with less particulates means that engines stay clean on the inside as well as the outside.

PRI marginally increases the octane in gasoline and increases the cetane (diesel) rating by 1-2 points. PRI-D is suitable for diesel #1, diesel #2, kerosene, home heating oil, ULS diesel, marine diesel and marine gas oil. PRI-G is suitable for all octane ratings of gasoline. Although they are formulated for specific fuels, using PRI-D in a gasoline engine (or vice veras) will cause no harm.

Fuel Additives & Stabilizers by Power Research Inc.

Testimonials often have some value, but these unique testimonials will have you thinking that this ‘witches brew’ is one that deserves to be added to your current tank of fuel.

Diesel Smoke Control – Bob White with his 38′ Bertram “Island Time” had a problem. The real challenge was how to get two stroke 6-71 Detroit Diesels, which are known for their smoking, to stop being so dirty. PRI-D solves this problem because it works as a carbon breaker; it never allows clumps of carbon to form in the engine or exhaust larger than .010 microns. That means that smoke is far less visible and that the transom stays cleaner (and is easier to clean!). – Motorboating Magazine, May 2001.

Fresh Fuel – How old is your fuel? If your fuel is stored for longer than a season, it starts to degrade. Howard Freilich the owner of Qescorp Inc. had a unique problem. They run a recycling business, from saw blades to fuel – that’s right, fuel. Qescorp has tested PRI-G added to 15 year old fuel from salvage yards. One quart of PRI-G mixed well with 300 gallons of fuel, then left to stand for 48 hours resulted in a usable fuel that complies with the fuel specifications of all engine manufacturers. – New York Times Upfront, Summer 2007.

E-10 Fuel – Call it Gasohol or Ethanol mix / blend or just E10, it is here to stay. Ethanol is added to gas and it reduces dangerous emissions (good) and is hydroscopic (bad). Ethanol is so good at attracting moisture, like condensation, that when it gets saturated, it simple drops the water (which is called phase separation) which then sinks to the bottom of the tank while alcohol continues to attract more water! PRI-G is a non-alcohol fuel stabilizer (alcohol attracts water!) that functions as a carbon dispersant as well. It keeps outboards running clean. – Boat Digest

‘Servicing’ Older Outboards – PRI-G is essential to maintaining your older outboard in “just serviced” condition. After electrical issues, fuel is a close second. When added to your tank and run through the outboard, PRI-G can make a noticable difference in smooth running and will preserve the parts that the fuel runs through; the carb and fuel pump. When you service your engine, service your fuel! – Motorboating Magazine, January 2002.

Keeping Out The Water – Because “future fuels” like E-10 are here now, the choices of fuel additives has grown on the market. One of the most common (and affordable) component of fuel additives is alcohol. When added to fuel, alcohol makes the fuel burn cleaner, with a 1.5% loss in mpg. Alcohol has undesirable characteristics of being hydroscopic (attracting water) as well as being a potent solvent, additionally, most gas additives were designed for the automotive industry and are not for marine use.  – Saltwater Fly Fishing, Dec 2006/Jan 2007.

Diesel Fuel Oil – The Tennesse Valley Authority had a problem, a big problem; they had 1.8 million gallons of bad fuel. The PAD (Petroleum Administration for Defense) rating was a high of 17, making the fuel unusable. The fuel was fully treated with PRI-D and then retested. The fuel was now at a PAD of 3, fully meeting TVA specifications. – Recyclers Power Source.

Outboard Gas – An outboard is only as good as it’s gas. Some fuels gum up quicker, some age faster and some build up more carbon. Adding PRI-G to your tank prevents gumming of the fuel, contamination of the carburetor and build-up of carbon that causes these small work horses to falter. Carbon build-up is a hidden killer of these engines. When too much carbon accumulates, the rings are pushed higher and higher (called “ring jacking”). The increased friction between the rings and cylinders causes elevated temperatures, accelerated wear and ultimately, power head failure. PRI-G dramatically reduces carbon build-up by reducing the size of the carbon cluster.  – Field and Stream, September 2000.

Go2marine carries PRI-D, PRI-G and PRI-OCIDE.

Hydraulic Steering Systems for Boats

Did you know…Go2marine sells complete boat steering systems as well as steering parts to build your own system or repair your existing  system? Whether you are looking for helm pumps, steering cylinders or rebuild kits, you will find that we carry a large selection of  Teleflex, Hynautics, Vetus, Uflex, Wagner parts to finish or maintain your vessel.

SeaStar Hydraulic Outboard Steering System

• Complete Hydraulic Steering Systems
• Hydraulic Steering Hose
• Helm Pumps
• Steering Cylinders

Teleflex offers the BayStar Hydraulic Steering System that is ideal for small boats, including inflatables and runabouts with small to medium single outboard powered engines to 125 horsepower.  This system comes complete with everything needed for an install.   For single and twin nonpower-assisted outboard engines up to 300HP, cruisers, runabouts, offshore fishing boats, the SeaStar No FeedBack, Hydraulic Steering System is an industry standard. Suitable for speeds up to 60MPH. For more information about SeaStar Steering, visit Teleflex http://ww2.seastarsteering.com. 

If you have any questions about purchasing a hydraulic steering system, don’t hesistate to contact our Go2marine Engine Specialists at 1-800-998-9508.

A New Solution to Replacing Rub Rails

Rub Rails

When I traded my 1966 Dodge Coronet Convertible for a 1984, 7.3m Tanzer sailboat a few years ago, the replacement of the flexible rub rail was the first major project. Few projects do as much to improve the appearance of an older boat as a bright, new rub rail.

The previous owner had a marine fiberglass repair shop and his new wife didn’t like the “tippy” boat, so the trade worked out for both of us.  He got rid of the boat slip payment, his wife was happy and I got a great little sailboat made by C&C, one of the best sailboat builders in Canada, with a solid hull.

The owner had spent a bucket load of money making the boat hull as smooth as a baby’s bottom, removing every little bubble, blister or crack.  The new Awlgrip paint job was beautiful! The boat had been on stilts for 4 years while he and his crew spent their spare time painting every surface outside the boat.

As time went on, the rub rail needed to be replaced.  It was cracking and powering, looking old and worn next to the beautiful paint on the hull and decks.  No amount of cleaning and buffing seemed to make the boat’s rub rail look better.

In order to keep the boat as original as possible, the rub rail that was originally installed on the boat was purchased by contacting the boat builder to find the manufacturer and part number.

The boat was hauled and the yard put it up on mounts so that work could begin on the rub rail installation.  The flexible rub rail came in one piece, coiled into a box and it was a very heavy, thick, almost rigid vinyl rubber.   The instructions called for a heat gun to make the rubber pliable while two people guided the rub rail into place as it was stretched from the back of the stern, along the starboard side of the boat, around the bow and back along the port side to meet at the stern.  

Personally, I couldn’t visualize trying to manhandle the rub rail into place while using the heat gun.  Instead, I rented a large, industrial cook pot, cook stand and propane bottle from an equipment rental service, filled it with water and boiled the rub rail until it was soft.  Using thick, heat resistant gloves, it was easily stretched into place.  It took a fraction of the time and all I had to do was watch the water boil. 

You can’t imagine how many people in the yard told me it wouldn’t work.  After I contacted the manufacturer to make sure I wasn’t going to destroy the rub rail material, I decided it was a far better procedure for softening the vinyl enough to maneuver and apply to the seam. The rub rail covered the junction point of the fiberglass boat deck and hull. 

3M 5200 Adhesive/Sealant

We used 3M 5200 fast cure marine adhesive/sealant to glue it in place and provide a waterproof seal.  It’s tack free in about one hour and completely cures in 24.  The polyurethane adhesive delivers strong, flexible seals, and is ideal for applications where a fast, long-term seal is needed above or below the boat waterline, such as hull to deck seams, wood to fiberglass, marine hardware, and hull and stern joints. This sealant remains flexible, allowing structural movement, and has excellent resistance to weathering and the marine environment.

There are a variety of options available when you decide to replace the current rub rails on your boat or upgrade to a different material, change rail size or both. Picking the best rub rail material for your boat depends on where and how you boat. If your boating adventures take you to unprotected docks or other areas where you want more protection for the hull of your vessel, choose a bigger, thicker rail. To lessen impact, go with softer material. A heavier rail made of harder material may be your best option if you have a work boat.

Today, companies like Taco Metals provide Rub Rail Guides by Boat Make in order to help boat owners locate new rub rails. Some rub rails are available as kits and also provide rail end caps to give your project a finished, professional touch.

Taco Metals - Rub Rails

If you are unsure of which material or combination of materials will best suit your boating needs, the material descriptions will help you determine which of TACO Metal’s rub rails will best meet your requirements. TACO Metals has been manufacturing quality marine products since 1959 so you can trust that their materials have stood the test of time.