It’s summer. The temperatures are forecasted to be in the nineties. You have a day on the water planned and the whole family is excited. Then it hits. Wind. Strong, gusty winds. Just like that, your trip is cancelled, kids are disappointed, and adults are stressed. Have you lived through this story? Almost all boat owners have had a fun boating day ruined by unexpected weather. Many times, it is wind. Wind is one of the biggest enemies of boat enthusiasts. It affects performance, speed, and navigation so much so that captains and passengers would rather forego taking the boat out than risking accident or injury. For smaller boats, even slight winds can have an impact. One way boat owners and captains are fighting back is with West Palm Beach boat stabilizer service. With the inclusion of boat stabilizers, even the most inexperienced captain can navigate through windy seas.
Why Wind is Wearisome
As powerful as boat engines are, wind still has the power to influence many things about a boat. Obviously, the type of boat you are driving greatly affects how significantly the winds power against it is. A sail boat, for example, is made to use the power of the wind to its advantage. In order to do this, they have very tall masts with broad sails that capture the breeze. In contrast, power boats want to be pushed by the wind as little as possible. Therefore, they have low and aerodynamic profiles.
According to The National Weather Service, gusts as low as 34 knots can capsize a small boat. The key point to take away from this statement is that it can take just one strong burst of wind to overturn a vessel. Keeping a close eye on the weather is absolutely crucial when spending the day on your boat. They also point out that “sustained winds of around 18 knots (22 mph) can produce seas of around five feet” which means even large yachts are susceptible to the dangers of wind.
Aside from the wind having a physical force on the boat itself, it greatly affects the water. Regardless of the body of water, be it a lake, bay, or the ocean, wind can cause currents to change course and become more powerful. The stronger the winds, the more the currents are affected. Anyone who has ever tried to navigate waters with strong currents or tried to dock in these conditions knows just how much wind can affect your abilities to steer a boat.
West Palm Beach Boat Stabilizer Service Saves the Day
Boat stabilizers are revolutionizing the way boat owners enjoy their investments. Prior to stabilizers, even the slightest wind could cause a boat trip to be cancelled. With the inclusion of boat stabilizers, captains that used to have a difficult time maneuvering on windy days can now do so with ease. Stabilizers work to reduce the rocking, or side-to-side, motion of a boat.
In addition to the safety aspects and improved ease of navigation that boat stabilizers add, they also decrease feelings of sea sickness among passengers. That alone should be enough to convince you to add stabilizers to your ship. That rolling motion is one of the most complained about things of being on a boat. Curtailing this motion greatly improves on-board comfort.
Of course, none of this is true without West Palm Beach boat stabilizer service by experts at locations like Yacht Service, LLC.
Additional Benefits of West Palm Beach Boat Stabilizer Service
There are many things to consider when thinking about adding stabilizers to your boat or purchasing a boat with stabilizers. The addition of anything to your boat adds cost to the maintenance. When it comes to stabilizers, that extra cost is well worth it when you look at the big picture of boat stabilizers.
Improved maneuvering means decreased fuel consumption. Who doesn’t love that? Boats without stabilizers have to work much harder to navigate through waters under strong currents and problematic winds. If you make that job easier, the engine doesn’t have to work quite as hard to complete the same actions.
The addition of stabilizers maintained with expert West Palm Beach boat stabilizer service can improve resale value of a vessel. Read any boating forum and you’ll find threads filled with people talking about how much they love their stabilizers. In addition to that, you’ll read about buyers searching for boats with stabilizers. Most people searching for a new boat will only consider purchasing a boat that already has stabilizers.
