Parker Hannifin’s new marine Armada Hose supplied by Go2marine is truly an all around, use anywhere hose.

Armada Hose is available from 1/2″ to 6″ and may be used for*: bilge pump intake and discharge, bilge ventilation, cabin heating, coolant and radiator service, gasoline and diesel fuel systems, lubrication systems, wet exhaust systems, internal non-potable water systems – galleys, drains, toilet and bath connections.

The unique construction of Armada Hose consists of two textile plies with dual wire helix acting as the matrix for the specially compounded black nitrile.

Unique Features Include:

• Diesel, gas and fuel oil compatible
• Rated for full suction / vacuum of working pressure without crushing
• Can be used in wet exhaust systems
• Compatible with antifreeze and coolants

Armada Hose is the superior replacement for Thermoid 7910 Bellowsflex A hose.

Go2marine can supply Armada hose by the foot or the roll (1/2″ – 3-7/8″ in 50′ rolls, 4″ and up in 25′ rolls).

Go2marine is offering free shipping on all our model ships!

Did you know? About the Swedish Warship Wasa…

A great Swedish king who ruled Scandinavia in the early 17th century had to have a fleet of warships to patrol the Baltic and ordered 4 new galleons. One was to be the royal mighty battle galleon called Vasa (also called Wasa), greater than any ship ever built at that time. The king himself dictated the Vasa’s measurements and no one dared argue against him. It was of the type we call skeleton-build, same build as the Sovereign of the Seas.

The Vasa sank within one nautical mile of the start of her maiden voyage in 1628 before she even left the Stockholm archipelago. Anders Franzén had already found some 17th century wooden ships, as his hobby and obsession was looking for old wrecks. He was bent on finding Vasa and did. Franzén found her in 1956. Although she is now housed on public exhibition, more than 30 years after she was initially brought up, and 95% of her is original parts, some reconstruction work remains to be done.

This ship was not excavated first and then lifted out of the water, but the reverse. She was lifted up from her claybed and moved in several steps to shallower locations until she could be excavated in “dry-dock.” This was possible only because the hull was in good condition. The Baltic Sea is brackish water. It does not have a wood destroying organism called Teredo navalis which is found in the oceans. Therefore timbers long sunken in the Baltic are well preserved.

Recovery and restoration techniques done for the Wasa were both innovative and at a scale never before attempted. At the time, it took decades of chemical treatment and slow environmental exposure to have the resultant restored ship. 90% of all materials in the entire ship and associated displays are original.

More Model Tall Ships / Traditional Sailing Ships

Did you Know? About the Bluenose II, Canada’s National Ship…

Bluenose II is known as Nova Scotia’s sailing ambassador. She is a replica of the famous schooner Bluenose (c. 1921-46). She is 43.5 metres long and was launched from the Lunenburg shipyard of Smith and Rhuland in July, 1963. The speed of Bluenose II need not be compared to the original schooner, as she was not built to challenge the triumphs of her namesake, but to honour them.

Like a ghost ship, in 1963 Bluenose returned. A replica schooner endorsed by Angus Walters and William Roué, Bluenose II was built in Lunenburg by Smith & Rhuland in yet another marketing venture. This time it was financed by Oland Brewery, built specifically to advertise their productswhile at the same time promoting Nova Scotia’s maritime heritage, tourist appeal and business potential. In 1971 the schooner was gifted to the Government of Nova Scotia. In the years since then its role as floating ambassador for the province has been consistent. Looking back, not much has really changed in the eighty-plus years since Bluenose was launched in 1921. Both vessels have always represented a fixed time, place and way of lifespecifically, the great Age of Sail in Nova Scotia and the traditional seafaring existence of a maritime people. Both vessels have also been marketed and promoted by corporate interests. The Halifax Herald, Oland Brewery, the Government of Nova Scotia for purposes far beyond the primary role of the first Bluenose as a gritty little salt-bank schooner.

It is the sailboat depicted on Canada’s .10 coin

More Model Yachts & Historic Sailing Ships

Did you know? About the Chris-Craft Cobra and the Legend of the All American Speedboat…

The legend of Chris-Craft began in 1884, when Christopher Columbus Smith began the Smith Boat House on the St Clair River in Algonac, Michigan, to manufacture small duck boats and power launches. Later, the company was extended to Chris Smith and Sons Boat Co. Many of his larger runabouts were used as taxis; transporting guess on the river front to resorts, or to various sightseeing attractions. In the twenty’s, mostly runabouts were produced, but with the introduction of his speed boats, Chris Smith’s fame took off.

Chris-Craft was the largest producer of mahogany boats in the country. In one year alone, one million feet of mahogany was delivered. Truck load after truck of Philippine Mahogany would arrive at the factory daily. No wood was ever wasted either. First, the lumber was air dried; then various hull parts were laid out using templates and patterns, were cut into plugs to be cemented into the counter sunk holes of the screws. All scraps were burned in the furnace for fuel.

The decade of the thirties showed a tremendous growth in the company despites the market crash of 1929. However, in 1939, Chris Smith succumbed to an illness which had begun to affect him years before. The death of Chris Smith did not deter the growth of the company. During the Forties, especially the war years of ‘42 to ‘45, Chris Craft produced over 12,000 LCPR (Landing Craft Personnel Raft) for the Army. 98 other pleasure craft were also produced. During this time, the “Barrel-Back” style was introduced. With its pointed bow, and curved transom, created a sleek look took the market by storm. The post-war economic boom at Chris-Craft was felt in increasing sales and the new product lines.

Even with a management change that took place in the early eighties, Chris-Craft bounced back with sleeker designs and a greater market share. Chris Smith would have been proud. And also the legend continues…

More Model Powerboats & Other Sailing Craft

Did you Know? About the Titanic, odd facts and the people who forsaw the future…

Titanic, the ship, was the largest movable objects ever built at the time, measuring in at 883 feet long (1/6 of a mile), 92 feet wide, 46,328 tons, and 104 feet high, from keel to bridge.

Many attempts have been made to find the wreck of the Titanic, yet it wasn’t until 1985, when an expedition combining teams from IFREMER and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute discovered the famous ship. The team, led by Robert Ballard and Jean-Luis Martin, took the first photographs of the Titanic in 73 years.

Some interesting Titanic facts:

• Titanic carried 900 tons of baggage and freight
• Used 14,000 gallons of drinking water every 24 hours
• 825 tons of Coal consumed per day
• Two dogs were among the Titanic survivors!
• Lillian Gertrud Asplund, the last American survivor of the Titanic tragedy, died in Massachusetts on May 6, 2006, at age 99.

In 1898 (14 years prior to the Titanic tragedy), Morgan Robertson wrote a novel called Futility. This fictitious novel was about the largest ship ever built hitting an iceberg in the Atlantic ocean on a cold April night. The fictional ship (named Titan) and the real ship Titanic were similar in design and their circumstances were remarkably alike. Both ships were labeled “unsinkable”.

British spiritualist, William T. Stead, wrote a tale similar to Futility. “How the Mail Steamer went down in the Mid Atlantic, by a survivor” appeared in the March, 1886 issue of Pall Mall Gazette. In this story, Stead tells of a large steamship that sinks after colliding with another ship. Many lives are lost due to lack of lifeboats. Stead wrote that, “This is exactly what might take place and what will take place, if the liners are sent to sea short of boats”. Stead was travelling to the United States at the request of President Taft to address a peace conference at Carnegie Hall on April 20, 1912. Stead sat calmly in the library reading a book as the North Atlantic sea water came rushing in as the ship he was traveling on sank. That ship was the Titanic. Stead did not survive.

William T. Stead also authored the novel From the Old World to the New. In this book, he describes the sinking of a ship in the North Atlantic after striking an iceberg. To add to the irony, the captain of the ship which picked up the survivors, was Edward J. Smith — the eventual captain of Titanic. Titanic, the ship, was the largest movable objects ever built at the time, measuring in at 883 feet long (1/6 of a mile), 92 feet wide, 46,328 tons, and 104 feet high, from keel to bridge.

More Model Ship – Cruise Liners / Ocean Liners

Fan us on Facebook… You could Win a $25 Go2marine Gift Certificate!

Test your knowledge of boating, nautical know-how and history… Starting on November 16th, Go2marine will post on our Facebook a marine related trivia question. The first Facebook fan who responds with the correct response, will win! There will be more, unannounced questions in the future – and more winners…

Go2marine is also on Twitter – with more videos, news, sales and education, unique from facebook…

So, come join us on Facebook!

Free ground shipping within the Continental USA on Handcrafted Wooden Model Ships.

Learn more about these great ships here…
All about Model Ships

Go2marine is proud to offer Seakamp Heat Exchangers and Oil Coolers. Seakamp Engineering offers the following features:

• Made in the USA
• Built from quality materials by professionals
• Custom orders can often be completed in 2 business days
• Affordable replacement for OEM
• 1 year warranty on materials and workmanship

Exposed Heat Exchanger

Heat Exchanger Materials

Heat exchangers are typically constructed of copper cooling tubes or of a copper nickel alloy called cupro-nickle. The copper nickel alloy is most commonly done in a 90/10 ratio although 70/30 is available in limited applications. Heat exchangers built from 90/10 cupro-nickle tubes offer increased resistance to salt water corrosion and biofouling. Cupro-nickel does not corrode in seawater, because its electrode potential is adjusted to be neutral with regard to seawater. 

What is a Heat Exchanger?

A heat exchanger is simply a device built for efficient heat transfer from one type of medium to another. Heat exchangers can be used to cool or to heat other devices.  Examples of this abound in our personal life as air conditioning, refrigeration, heat pumps, heaters, radiators and other heat exchanger systems. The radiator in an automobile is a heat exchanger that transfers heat from the coolant which first flows through the engine block, gathering heat. The coolant then flows from the engine to the radiator where air flowing through the radiator fins removes some of the heat. The passenger heater in a car is also a heat exchanger.

Boats rarely have automotive style radiators because clean, steady air flow is too hard to attain. Instead of air moving across a heat exchanger, marine engines use the water the boat sits in to cool the hot engine fluids and exhaust gasses. In marine use, there are two primary ways to cool an inboard or I/O engine. These engines may be cooled with outside water running through the block and exhaust, this is a raw or sea water system. A sealed system of coolant cycled through the block and then into a heat exchanger which is cooled by external water is called a fresh water cooling system. You can also cool any type of oil – motor, hydraulic, power steering, transmission - with an oil cooler.

Fresh Water Cooling Systems

Conversion to a fresh water cooling system is typically done for boats being used in salt water. A Fresh Water Cooling System is a heat exchanger with all the parts to convert a raw water system to a closed loop cooling system. Beyond the heat exchanger, there is some plumbing and parts needed to install the system, including; belt driven raw water pump, heat exchanger mounts, gaskets, thermostat, thermostat housing, hoses, hose clamps, hose fittings, & fasteners. The biggest advantage of a fresh water cooling system is an increased life of all engine parts that were once in contact with the raw sea water. With fresh water cooling, there is reduced galvanic action to the engine cooling system.

Custom Built Heat Exchangers

Custom heat exchangers from Seakamp are available for varied vessel applications. Heat exchangers can be built to match:

• The vessels engine displacement and horsepower
• Hose connections to match the Inlet and Outlet for the engine
• Hose connections to match the Inlet and Outlet for the Raw (Sea) Water
• Outside Diameter of heat exchanger
• Orientation and installation – vertical or horizontal
• Flow rates and system pressure
• Typical raw water operating temperature

Now through December 25, receive FREE Gill Deckhand Sailing Gloves - Short Finger with any purchase of $150 or more of Gill at Go2marine. 

Gill is the true enthusiast's brand, passionate about the boating life style and sport. Known worldwide for their innovative apparel and sailing gear, they support sailing throughout the world with their sponsorships of sailing at every level.

Glove design is a very special area and Gill is a world leading sailing glove brand. They have tackled it head on using expert glove designers, patenting innovations like seamless finger construction, which ensures longevity, grip and dexterity. They have also introduced new materials to sailing, which provide unbeatable durability for every type of sailing in every possible condition.

Even though the season is cooling off, it is a great time to install a built in, ‘central air’ style Pompanette Air System for your boat. These systems will help cool your boat in the summer AND heat your boat in the winter in water temperatures of 45 F or better. Go2marine is proud to offer these custom air systems that are specifically designed and fitted to each boat.

Because each system needs some custom installation, the winter season is the right time to have the work done. Go2marine is here to make chosing the correct system easy for you with our enquiry form.

Pompanette Air Conditioners feature:

• Vibration absorbing chassis design, using state of the art composites
• Energy absorbing insulators, to reduce the “White Noise” of Air Conditioning
• Quiet Rotary compressors
• Ultra-High Efficiency enhanced surface air coils
• Exclusive and patent pending condensate management system
• Cupro-Nickel sea water Condensing Coil / Heat Exchanger
• Pre-Wired meeting or exceeding the latest industry criteria

Before they leave the factory, each unit is individually tested to exacting standards.

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.

Gift with Purchase: Gill Sunglasses

Gill is the true enthusiast’s brand, passionate about the boating life style and sport. Known worldwide for their innovative apparel and sailing gear, they support sailing throughout the world with their sponsorships of sailing at every level.

If you have ever lost your sunglasses over the side and watched them sink quickly out of sight, you will appreciate these floating sunglasses. They have been designed with integral floatation, produced using Grilamid TR90, and feature polarized lenses specifically for use on the water.

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.