Mariner

30 years ago American manufacturers dominated the outboard motor market.Names such as Mercury, Johnson, Evinrude and Chrysler, led the field competing with each other to produce bigger and better outboard engines. However, while this was going on they were neglecting the smallest of the outboards. These are the outboard motors that sell in the greatest of numbers and are often the first outboard many of us, buy. This being the case many of us stick to the same brand (brand loyalty) as we buy other bigger outboards over the years. The Japanese seized on this fact and gradually Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Tohatsu concentrating on small outboards began to take over as market leaders. They achieved this domination by improving efficiency and reliability. As well as adding features to these small outboards previously only found on larger engines.

Having achieved success in the small outboard market, these Japanese manufacturers expanded up the power range. They again came to dominate the outboard engine market up to at least 20 hp. The American manufacturers instead of competing with the Japanese, gave up and decided to buy these engines from the Japanese and badge them as their own. Now the Chinese have entered the market. Basically doing what the Japanese did previously, copying the best features of the present engines and at the same time keeping costs down.

So let us compare the outboards that are on offer for those looking for an outboard motor for their dinghy. If we take a fairly larger dinghy say, a Pioner 12, so that each outboard has to push a reasonably heavy weight through the water. If we then take the following outboard motors :

Mercury 2.5hp; Mercury 3.5hp; Mariner 2.5hp; Tohatsu 3.5hp; Yamaha 2.5hp; Suzuki 2.5hp; Honda 2.3hp; and a Parsun 2.6hp. All these outboards are 4 stroke engines. This is due to an E.U. Directive that prevents 2 strokes from being sold in the E.U. These outboards will provide a fairly wide range of engines available on the market, for powering dinghies.

To judge one engine against the another several tests were completed. A Bollard pull test showed that the Mercury 3.5hp and Tohatsu 3.5hp were the most powerful at 90lbs of thrust (These two engines along with the Mariner are virtually identical). The least effective was the Honda 2.3hp at 66lbs of thrust. In between were the Suzuki 2.5hp at 83lbs of thrust, the Yamaha 2.5hp at 78lbs of thrust and the Parsun 2.6hp at 70 lbs of thrust.

Next test was Fuel Consumption. At full speed - 5.75 knots, the best outboards were the Yamaha 2.5hp and the Suzuki 2.5hp by at least 20%. The worst was the Parsun 2.6hp. When the throttles were eased and the dinghy was cruising the Fuel Consumption comparision was less evident, only about 10% difference. All these figures are for 4 stroke engines. However, based on figures previously recorded for 2 strokes under similar circumstances, the older engines were up to 50% less fuel efficient at full speed. Very thirsty! Remember 2 stroke outboards are still available second hand.

Then the weight of each outboard motor was compared. Four stroke engines are heavier than older 2 strokes because of the powerhead etc. The Mercury, Mariner, Tohatsu, Yamaha and Parsun all weighed approx. 38 - 41 lbs (18 kg.). However, the Honda 2.3hp and Suzuki 2.5hp weighed a lot less at 28 lbs (12.5 kg.).

The price of each outboard motor was then compared. This was difficult to be accurate as discounts and sale offers are always changing.

Mercury 3.5hp £449
Mercury 2.5hp £380
Mariner 2.5hp £429
Tohatsu 3.5hp £449
Yamaha 2.5hp £489
Suzuki 2.5hp £379
Honda 2.3hp £429
Parsun 2.6hp £375

Although the Parsun was the cheapest and it is virtually identical the same engine as in the Yamaha 2.5hp, it is not as good. It is a bit like me following a Gordon Ramsay recipe, to the letter, but when compared side by side you just know that his is going to be that much better. The Chinese are able to copy, just like the Japanese did before them, but they have not got it right, yet!

Finally a little about each outboard tested. The Mercury, Mariner and Tohatsu are the same engine. Starting settings for the throttle are easy to understand with the choke and stop button clearly labelled. The petrol on/off tap is not so clearly marked. All these motors have gears. Ahead and neutral then using the 360 degree rotation you can get astern thrust. There are 4 tilt positions and a shallow water ability. Oil levels can be easily checked by viewing the indicator on the side of the engine cover.

The Yamaha 2.5hp also had easily understood starting and stopping settings but the oil level gauge was out of sight under the engine casing cover. As with the Mercury outboard the Yamaha 2.5hp has gears, ahead and neutral with 360 degree rotation. Unlike the Mercury which has a shear pin, the Yamaha has a rubber hub at the propeller, so no shear pin to break.

The Suzuki 2.5hp is as above but with the oil gauge easily viewed at the side of the cover. The propeller has a shear pin with spares stowed under the engine cover.

The Honda 2.3hp is not water cooled like all the other outboards tested. It is aircooled and has no gears. Instead it uses a centrifugal clutch. This makes starting and maneuvering more difficult than the others. It simply takes a bit of getting used to it. The oil gauge is out of sight under the cover. The propeller has a shear pin with spares kept under the engine cover.

Finally the Parsun 2.6hp, a copy of the Yamaha 2.5hp but not as good. However it is the cheapest engine when new. Fuel consumption was its biggest draw back.

I understand that troubleshooting your boat motors is not a piece of cake for everyone; therefore, I have come up with this article so that I can help you as much as I can. I know that it is very irritating when you excitedly take your boat down only to find out to your disgust that its motor does not start. If you have Johnson Boat Motors then you will face any of the same problems that you might get with any other gasoline-powered motors. When all this happens and you finally plan to troubleshoot it on your own then you have to have some of the basic knowledge about how to make the engine run and so on.

If your motor engine is not working properly, there could be some error within the following three components:

Compression
Fuel
Fire

Follow the steps below to troubleshoot your motor:

If your engine is not firing, look for wires that may be disconnected or loosened. If all this seems fine, check the battery cables - - they may not be tightened properly.

If you have contaminated fuel, this could be one problem your motor boat may not be working. To check if this is what is causing your engine not to work, check the gas bag, clogged carbs, fuel tank, fuel pump, and fuel lines.

Cooling system is important to check. May be there is some problem with that which caused the engine to heat up and eventually not work. Therefore, check this and if you feel this is the culprit, go for changing the water pump impeller.

If none of these work, you better take it to a technician.

How to choose the best cruise ships depends on several factors. You may be looking for the cheapest cruise deals or the best Caribbean deals or want to cruise the world. Everybody's idea of the best is different.

This is my review of the best and what they have to offer you depending on budget, destinations and activities that they offer.

Cruising used to be for just the wealthy but now the prices have dropped and has made cruising one of the favorite ways for families to take a vacation.

There is always something to do on a cruise for all ages. The benefit of cruising is everything is onboard such as your entertainment, activities and food for all ages. Check out some of the best ways to create memories that will last a life time by choosing your best cruise.

Carnival Cruise's is the best vacation for the value and is also known as the fun ships for all ages with its most popular destinations in the Caribbean and Alaska Cruises. Has the most US port calls to board than any other cruise line.

Cunard Cruises ships the Queen Mary II and Queen Victoria are known for their British Heritage and pampered white style service. These large ships are famous for their Trans Atlantic Crossing. Elegance and stimulating conversations with the largest library at sea has become the favorite for many.

Disney family Cruises have become the favorite for many families because they have their own private island called Castaway Cay in the Bahamas. Want to get married on your own private island.

Travel the world with an Italian Flare with Costa Cruise. For those who want to cruise the world on a she string budget.

Norwegian Cruise lines are famous for their freestyle cruising concept. This means there are no seating arrangements and dinning time and has become a favorite with families whom are traveling on a budget. If you are looking for luxury and comfort,

I recommend Crystal Cruise Lines that offers Caribbean and world destinations. Imagine the topical breezes while you're basking on the sun deck looking at the white sails against the blue sky. Destinations are the Caribbean, the Orient and the Mediterranean.

Star Clippers are where the past meets the present. These tall ships are a favorite for the boating enthusiast. The crew will even let you participate in the sailing.

To get more information on the best cruises go to http://www.online-travel-agent-opportunities.com/best_cruise_ships.html

Sometimes a cruise is just a cruise, but sometimes you can experience a very memorable vacation. Sailing on board a Princess ship is such an experience. The Grand Princess, is quite simply, the nicest ship I have ever sailed on. It is visually stunning, and the service on board this luxury class cruise line is superb.

There is often a noticeable difference in the service between different cruise lines. Princess provided a nice combination of excellent service and enough to do on board the ship. Some ships that I have sailed on have been more elegant, others more fun, but the Grand Princess but none have been an excellent combination of both.

The ship is very well designed and has many amenities: a convenient walking track, three separate pools, ice cream bar, a number of reservations only dining rooms and many bars and theaters.

There is a lot to do on board a princess ship. The Broadway-style shows occurred every night and our cruise featured a comedian, not one but two separate nights. There are also a lot of fun and games organized by the cruise directors staff.

One of the lesser known advantages to sailing on board a cruise ship like this, is that the staff are the best of the best. New staff who have never served on board a cruise ship before, usually work on board the Carnival or Norwegian cruise lines. Princess and Holland America Line are fortunate to be able to select the best of the best to work on board their ships.

Going on a cruise is one of the perfect ways to spend a vacation. This is why more and more cruise ships are now available on business. You have many cruises to choose from depending on what kind of experience you want. The cruise ships now come with everything you could possibly want.

The on board activities are endless so it's almost impossible to try everything with one cruise. Different restaurants are available so you can choose what kind of food to eat at every meal. This is truly a remarkable experience that everyone should try. It's almost like paradise on earth.

Carnival Imagination Cruises is a specific kind of cruise that is being offered by Carnival Cruise Lines. This is sort of like a fantasy cruise that offers a wide variety of activities on board. It usually sails three to four days from Miami, Florida to the Western Caribbean and The Bahamas. The carnival imagination cruises are so popular and in demand that other companies have copied its style. Many companies are now offering their own Carnival Imagination Cruises style ultimate vacation packages.

In this particular case, the original is definitely better. The original Carnival Imagination Cruises underwent a major renovation and is now a lot better. Although the ship is already more than fifteen year old, it is very well-maintained and still looks new. The care and preservation of the ship's exterior and interiors are excellent.

Activities in Carnival Imagination Cruises

There are many things you can do inside the cruise ship. The water park is probably one of the best attractions of the ship. Kids and adults alike can enjoy the water slides and other fun water activities. If you want to get away from noisy and irritating kids, a nice and peaceful swimming pool just for adults is also available.

There's definitely something for everyone, a play room is available for little kids and teenagers also have their own activity area. For adults there is a dance club, mini-casino area, fitness centre, spa and an art exhibit area. The whole family can also enjoy the classy main dining area of the cruise ship where all kinds of food are available.

Family Cruise ship

Carnival Imagination Cruises are more family-oriented in nature. The activities and entertainment are family-friendly and not really targeting romantic retreats and sophisticated vacationers. The main theme of these cruises is total family fun. This is a great place for family bonding and getting closer to your parents/children.

After the cruise, you will surely have a better relationship with your family members. There are also many establishments where you can purchase necessities and other things. You can also go shopping while on board in the small shopping area of the ship. The prices are a little higher than normal but this is expected.

Great Ship Crew

The crew of this cruise ship is well-known for their friendliness and helpfulness. The service is excellent and you can really feel that all the ship employees are well-trained in high-quality customer service.

As a parent, it is a tough job to decorate your child's bedroom. The first thing that you may wonder about is - Where to get good quality child's bedroom furniture? And will my child like those furniture and the whole get up of the room? No matter how challenging the entire concept may be, it is nevertheless an interesting project.

As a start, you can first arrange for the source of your child's bedroom furniture. Although there are plenty of shops of brick and mortar that provide child's bedroom furniture, you can still look for one that is online - that is a web store. By doing this, you would not have to sweat out in search of interesting yet good quality furniture.

But hang on! Before you jump in to the next online child's bedroom furniture store and start adding items to your shopping cart, have you given it a thought on what theme would you want for your kid's room? Yes, this is a very critical and one of the primary activities that you should do.

Think about your child's tastes and preferences. Yes, who else but you would know better about what your kid wants and like. Is he crazy about any of the superheroes? Or is he a die hard soccer fan? Is she the little princess of her favourite fairy tale? Or is she as lively as butterflies in the garden? Do you find an ambitious mariner in your child? Or do you have a kid fond of cup cakes?

Whatever your kid likes, you can have the same theme in the bedroom of your child. You can decorate it with Child's furniture that are designed on the same theme. Added to that, you can have matching upholstery and other decorative and useful things in the room that are based on the same themes.

Bavaria is one of the top manufacturers of yachts. They were first established in 1979 and continue to be known for their quality and beauty. This company is out of Europe but it does offer yachts to people all over the world. They also have a factory in Germany where many of their best models of yachts are completed.

Many people in the United States and Canada custom order their yachts from Bavaria. At times they may have a wait up to two full years from when they place their order. Yet they would rather wait than buy what is already offered on the market. The fact that they can get a top of the line yacht from the best manufacturer means a great deal to those that plan to get plenty of us out of their yacht.

One of the reasons why Bavaria has continued to be a leader in this part of the market is due to their willingness to change. They hire the very best architects to design their yachts. Combined with excellent computer software they are able to continually exceed the demands of people in the market for a yacht. The combined efforts mean your yacht will look great and be dependable for years into the future.

The smallest cruiser yacht that Bavaria offers is 31 feet long. The longest that they offer is 50 feet long. All of them are very luxurious and comfortable to be on the water in. They also offer many great features that will make your adventures more fun than ever before. Only quality materials are used to make Bavaria yachts so you can be sure you will always get a quality piece of merchandise from them.

You can take a look online at the various models of Bavaria yachts available. You will find the reviews from thousands of happy customers online as well. You can also go to various shows where Bavaria yachts are featured. This is a great way to make sure you find exactly what you are looking for. A yacht is a very rewarding item you can get plenty of enjoyment from. You can also contact Bavaria directly and ask for them to send you out a catalog.