Reflected glare-be it from the sunlight during the day or onboard lights at nightannoys, strains eyes and creates visibility issues that threaten safety, especially when it occurs on surfaces on the dash or bow. Glare can be especially prevalent with white finishes, one of the most common colors for boats.
For this reason, many new boats feature dash areas that are gray or black. Navigation lights are now often located in spots that eliminate glare, or they might be shielded to eliminate reflections. Yet with older boats, you might need to mitigate the issue yourself.
SKILL LEVEL
2 OF 5
FINISH TIME
Approx. 2 hours per mask
TOOLS AND SUPPLIES
Matte-black adhesive waterproof vinyl ($8.99 per 13-inch-by-3-foot roll; hobbylobby.com)
Sheets of paper and tape (to create a template) Pencil • Ultra Fine Point Sharpie marker
Scissors
X-Acto knife
Needle
Cutting board
Spray bottle
Dish soap and water
Flexible plastic spatula ($5.95; walmart.com)
TIP
If the vinyl doesn't adhere to the surface immediately and tends to lift, there's still soapy water underneath. Continue to squeegee out the water with a spatula until the vinyl adheres. If a bubble appears from trapped air, make a tiny hole with a needle and squeegee away the air.
Such is the case with our 21-foot center-console project boat. The red and green navigation lights reflect off the white gelcoat finish on the bow and create a distracting glare at night.
TIP
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 2022-Ausgabe von Boating.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 2022-Ausgabe von Boating.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
AFFORDABLE SATCOM
Communications devices using satellite technology are more abundant today than any time in the past. What's more, many are portable, ultra-compact, affordable relatively and designed for boating, dispelling any perceptions that you need a big, expensive dome antenna aloft to access satellite communications.
IN THE BEGINNING
REPOWERING FOUNTAIN HULL NO.1
NAVICO GROUP FATHOM 2.0
Engine charging at 48 volts could be a game-changer.
PROPS FOR INNOVATION
Sharrow MX3 propellers live up to most of the company's performance-improvement claims.
MERCURY RACING 500R
Supercharged power for a variety of boats.
FLIPPING THE SWITCH
Much reporting focuses on reasons why one might choose electric marine power. The issues of range, speed, noise levels, winterizing and ethanol challenges, lake restrictions, environmental concerns and more all must be resolved on an individual basis. Little gets said about how a boater choosing to repower with electric actually gets that accomplished. Is it DIY? And if not, how does it get done?
TOW-VEHICLE TECH
If it's been a while since you bought new tow vehicle, you might be surprised by the many built-in advancements in trailering technology. New tow tech ranges from integrated weight scales and adaptive suspensions to systems that automatically back up your truck to hitch up your trailer. Here are a few examples to look for. -Jim Hendricks
MONUMENTAL TIPS FOR BACKING A TRAILER
Three Boating greats offer advice for a perennial reader query.
STICKING POINTS - Anchoring alternatives, and why you will always need a traditional anchor.
My brother-in-law likes to fish offshore reefs, and the process once entailed navigating to a mark, dropping a float, and idling upwind or up-current to drop the anchor in hopes the set would drop us back to the float.
FOR WANT OF A CLAMP
When 100 miles from shore, home and help, this boater’s preparedness prevented potential catastrophe.