Fuel Stablizer......

Winter is right around the corner and its time to start preparing our boats for the upcoming freezes.  To avoid costly damage you need to winterize you boat.  While there is several steps to the winterizing of your boat, which I touch on earlier in the blog, a very simple step would be to add a fuel stabilizer to your engines fuel tank.  Make sure that you are adding the correct stabilizer for fuel with or without ethanol.  If you have any questions about the correct stabilizer, feel free to call our service department and Nancy can answer all of your questions...... 904 338 9970 !

Outback Crab Shack.....

Located in Six Mile Creek, deep in Palmo Cove you will find one of St. Augustine's best kept secrets!!  Outback Crab Shack has been serving up Four Star Cuisine for quite some time.    With its rustic atmosphere the Outback Crab Shack can be accessed by boat, car, or plane, with a massive 1500 ft. floating dock with over 15 ft. of dockside draft it can accommodate just about any boat.

Check out the website for directions, reservations, and to take a look at the menu.  

http://www.outbackcrabshack.com/   

Ask Us How You Can Win $300 in Boating Gear Bucks Before Christmas.....

Marinemax Jacksonville will be out at the St. Johns Town Center with 3 different ways for people to win $300 in boating gear bucks!!! 

1)  Enter to win through the drawing at the Town Center Christmas Tree Lighting!!

2)  Purchase an extended warranty on your current boat!!

3)  Re Finance your current boat loan with us!!!

We look forward to bringing in the Holiday Season with all of Jacksonville's Boaters!!!

Check out this months issue of prop talk!!

2010 Jacksonville Light Parade......

On Saturday night, November 27th, the city of Jacksonville will be hosting the Jacksonville Light Parade!!

"For more than 20 years, the award winning Jacksonville Light Parade has cast a magical glow over the St. Johns River.  This glittering nightime procession ushers in the holiday season as the largest lighted boat parade on the First Coast.  We invite you to take part in what has become a tradition for thousands of local families and out-of-town visitors.  Add some magic of your own to the evening and bring the whole family.  At the conclusion of the parade, excitement rises as fireworks choreographed to joyous music provide the perfect finishing touch on the evening."  -City Of Jacksonville

Individual Awards:

• Grand Overall
• Best New Entry
• Private Individual 30' and Over (1st and 2nd Places)
• Private Individual Under 30' (1st and 2nd Places)
• Sailboat (1st and 2nd Place)
• Corporate/Commercial
• Organized Club
• Holiday Spirit

Visit makeascenedowntown.com to see pictures and view more events hosted by the city of Jacksonville!

Destination: Ft. George Inlet

Fort George Inlet is situated just above Atlantic Beach in Jacksonville, Florida.  Fort George can be accessed through the Inter Coastal Waterway or through the Fort George Inlet.  The Inlet is a beautiful area with shallow water and accessible sandbars.  This is a popular spot for boaters throughout the season.  From sport boats to yachts, you can almost guarantee a group of boaters out there every weekend.  Once the home of Zephaniah Kingsley the Fort George Inlet and Fort George Island was home to the Kingsley Plantation. If you are looking for a fun area for the family or just your friends, Fort George Inlet is a short run from Jacksonville and always promises a good time!

Clarks Fish Camp

Serving you for 30 years and located in Julington Creek and the Mandarin area, Clarks Fish Camp is known thoughout Jacksonville for is extensive collection of animals!  "Rumored to be one of the largest privately owned collections of taxidermy in the country, Clark's menagerie of preserved animals includes lions, tigers, monkeys, bears, giraffes, deer, bobcats, and a flock of birds that gaze eerily at guests in the bar area and dining rooms." (clarksfishcamp.com).  The menu is quite eclectic from southern style sea food to ostrich to gator, Clark's has it all!  Check out http://www.clarksfishcamp.com/ or call 268-FISH to make a reservation

Sea Ray 185 Sport

Click to view video - Sea Ray 185 Sport

One of Sea Ray's most popular models the 185 Sport boasts sleek design with an over all length of 19'8", 7'3" beam and fuel capacity of 26 gallons.  This boat comes standard with a 3.0L Mercruiser with gas stern drive and turn key ignition.  A fully complemented dash instrument panel with room for upgrades with low profile windshield.  One of the best features of this boat is the gull wing sun pad, allowing for easy access to the engine from either the cockpit or swim platform.  The Sea Ray 185 Sport has an innovated bow seating with maximum comfort in a variety of different seating arrangements.  With a variety of upgrades the 185 Sport is a boat for all boaters.  Check out the video above!!

Silver Glen Springs......

Silver Glen Springs is located in Ocala National Forest about 11 miles south of the town Salt Springs.  Silver Glen Springs is a 1st magnitude spring with a large, semicircular pool that measures 200 feet north to south and 175 feet east to west. Most of the strong flow emerges from two cavern openings in the rock at the bottom of the pool, with large boils at the water's surface over the vents. The vertical cave opening called the Natural Well in the southwestern edge of the pool is about 12 to 15 feet in diameter and 40 feet deep. The vent in the east part of the pool is a conical depression about 18 feet deep. Most of the spring pool has sand and limestone on the pool bottom, with areas of aquatic grasses. Large fresh and salt water fish are common in the pool and around the vents. Additional flow is from sand boils in the bottom of the spring run downstream from the head of the springs. Water from the springs flows eastward down a run about 200 feet wide for 0.75 mile to Lake George. 

Silver Glen is a favorite for Jacksonville Boaters and be on the look out for it on our event calendar for 2011!!!

Whitey's Fish Camp

http://whiteysfishcamp.com/index.htm

Nestled in Doctor's Lake (Orange Park) since 1963, Whitey's Fish Camp has been serving up beer and sandwiches for 47 years.  Although Whitey's has expanded from its original tackle shop and 9 bar stools it now houses a full kitchen, restaurant, bar, outside patio, and campground for 44 RV's.  While Whitey's is best know for its Catfish the menu has something for everyone!  The bar has daily specials and on Monday nights they hold my favorite, the beer pong tournament!  Whitey's is a fun restaurant for all and is accessible by water, so check out the website and scoot on over to check em out!  A map is included on the website!

Maintanence Tip of the Week, Winterization!

Winterizing is the most important part of your boat maintenance.  Follow these steps to help you along the way or talk to our service department about properly winterizing your boat to prevent any damage during the off season.

1.  Pull boat out of water and thoroughly wash and clean.  Flush pumps, toilet, and leave areas open to air dry.  Pull plugs and make list of repairs for next season.

2.  Fill fuel tank with fuel stabilizer and then with marine gas.  Run engines long enough to so that mixtures fills fuel lines.

3.  Flush out cooling system.  Remove plug and drain engine with flushing kit.  Pump back in Anti-freeze to prevent serious damage to motor.

4.  Spray engine with fogging oil.  Change lubricant in gear casing.  change oil and oil filter.

5.  Take a look at the prop.  If there is damage it can cause other damage to the motor.

6.  Refer to instruction manual and identify lubricant to spray down electrical terminals and fuse panels.  Check out steering system and make necessary adjustments.

7.  Cover boat with proper molded cover if storing outside.

If you are unfamiliar with these process speak to a professional at Marinemax 904-338-9970 to have your boat properly winterized.  Proper winterizing can prevent costly maintenance at the beginning of your boating season next year!!

8th Annual Halloween Getaway in St. Augustine Florida!!

So it is the Monday after our 8th Annual Halloween Getaway in St. Augustine, Florida!  What a fantastic time we had with all the boaters from Cocoa Beach, Jacksonville and surrounding areas!  Here is a brief recap of the events!  Costume contest winners, Capt. Elena Puig and crew on "Cruisen with E's", Boat Decorating contest winners were Capt. Mike Dickens and and crew on "Firestorm."  Capt. Elena and crew came dressed to impress with their rendition of Gilligan's Island!  Capt. Mike had his 330 Express Cruiser decorated as a haunted house and it had some serious scare appeal.  A fantastic catered meal was followed by a cocktail hour.  The bloody mary crawl was cranked up that Saturday around 10 a.m. in preparation for the Ga vs. Fl game!  And what a game it was, after a thrilling overtime win for the Gators everyone explored the city for dinner on their own and met back on the docks to enjoy a beautiful night on the water. 

A total of 18 boats were in attendance with around 75 people!  Stay tuned for pictures!!  A special thanks to Kim Burch for all of her hard work coordinating the event!