Firstmate Controls

While you may not be able to go shopping or dine-in at your favorite restaurants right now, there is still much you can do. If you live on the lake, then you have your own personal source of entertainment right there in your backyard! While Firstmate Controls knows it's always fun to swim and dive off of your own dock, it is also a blast to go exploring and try new things. Read on to find inspiration and a few new ideas to try for your day on the water. Family Fishing Competition Fishing is a fun family pastime that you may have often enjoyed together. But... Have you ever turned it into your own competition? Choose a fun prize like a homemade crown or trophy, and bestow it on the person who catches the most - or maybe the biggest - fish during the day. This can be a fun and friendly competition that brings a little more excitement to the activity for the kids. Try Out Water Sports Cruising around on the boat is fun in itself, but getting up on your skis in the water...

Boating is a favorite pastime for many people. There is no better feeling than spending a day out on the water with friends and family. Naturally, if you have children you will want to include them in your on-the-water fun. This week,  Firstmate Controls  offers some tips to make boating fun and safe when children are present: WEARING LIFE JACKETS Even the best swimmers should still practice safe boating by wearing a life jacket. Since you never know what could happen at any given moment, it's best to wear a life jacket at all times to avoid drowning. Your child’s life jacket should fit snugly and have a collar that will turn the child face up if he/she enters the water. Choose a jacket or vest that has a handle on it and is brightly colored for high visibility. By getting your child used to wearing their life jacket regularly while on the boat, they will be less likely to resist this requirement and more likely to keep it on. TEACH YOUR CHILD TO SWIM In additi...

The sun is shining and it's a beautiful day to get out on the water! But what to do once you're there? Sure, you could just idle your way downstream and enjoy soaking up the sun. But when there's so many other activities you could be doing instead, why wouldn't you take advantage of the opportunity?  Firstmate Controls  has some great boating activities for you to try out - check them out! Spend the Afternoon Fishing You already know how the fishing is at your normal go-to spot. Spend the day visiting different fishing spots, or you can simply drop anchor at a new spot to see what you can catch. You never know, you may stumble upon a sweet spot and catch some of the biggest fish you've ever caught! But even if you don't come home with anything, the day is not wasted when you get to spend time on the water casting a line. Get Adventurous with Water Sports Going out on the boat doesn't have to mean just sitting on the boat. There are plenty of advent...

Memorial Day Weekend is all about honoring those who gave their lives for our freedom. It's also a major weekend for kicking off summer time fun. There are many ways to honor those that have given their lives and to enjoy the extended weekend.  Firstmate Controls  has some great ways for you to enjoy this time with friends and family. Take a look: Remember Those Who Have Fallen Memorial Day is the perfect time to visit a National Military Cemetery. If you have children, this can double as an educational opportunity for them. You can always bring flowers to lay by the gravestones, too – even if you didn’t personally know the individual buried there. Red poppies were the flowers traditionally used in the very first Memorial Day observances, so you can bring them if you’re going all-out with your child’s educational historical experience. Attend a Local Event Regardless as to where you live, there's a good chance that some kind of activity is going on during Memorial Day...

Many of us boaters have already pulled our boats from the water, but wishing we hadn't just yet with this mild winter we're having so far. If you've got cabin fever already and are looking for any possible excuse to visit your boat this winter, we've got some boating projects for you to take care of while your boat's out of the water. 1. Clean Your Boat Thoroughly While you've probably kept your boat pretty clean throughout the boating season, you can't truly give your boat the deep clean it deserves until you pull it out of the water for winter. Now is the time to give your engine compartment a good cleaning and change out the oil absorbs. Recover your worn out cushions. Organize loose items in your lockers and cabinets into plastic totes and waterproof trays. 2. Fix Any Fiberglass Damage You can easily fix many scratches and nicks in a fiberglass boat. Fix stress cracks, dock dings and other fiberglass injuries to the best of your ability while y...

‘Tis the season to make New Year’s resolutions! But if you've ever attempted to make a resolution in the past, you may have noticed that most resolutions relate to changing bad habits or attempting to change negative aspects of your life. As boaters who know the importance of living happy,  Firstmate Controls  thinks it’s time to put a more positive spin onto this time honored tradition and create a list built to bring out the positive aspects of your life. Check out our list of New Year's resolutions you'll actually WANT to keep! Spend More Quality Time with Family and Friends Consider the amount of time you spend at work every week. Now consider the amount of time you get to spend with your family and friends. Is there a healthy balance? Probably not. By the time we get home from work, most of us are too exhausted to give our family and friends the full attention that we'd like to give. We always say we'll make up for that time by planning a vacation or weeke...

Just like with cars and trucks, there are a plethora of options when it comes to boats. Depending on your location, the body of water you'll be taking it out on, and the types of activities you plan to do will determine the type of boat that's right for your needs. We at Firstmate Controls love ALL boats! As long as we can get out on the water, we don't care if it's a row boat. We're game! Here are just a few of many types of boats we typically see on the rivers and lakes when we go out. Bowriders Bowriders tend to be a great family boat, with room for typically eight or more passengers spread between the cockpit and the helm. That added real estate not only adds passenger space, it creates two distinct areas for socializing. These boats can be used for entertaining friends on a shoreline cruise, joining the crew at the nearest cove or sandbar, towable watersports, stopping at your favorite waterfront eatery, even fishing! Cabin Cruisers Cabin cruisers have...

If you are lucky enough to have a boat to hit the rivers and lakes in Missouri, boating is probably one of your favorite pastime activities. There is no better feeling than spending a day out on the water with friends and family. Naturally, if you have children you will want to include them in your on-the-water fun. Firstmate Controls  offers some tips to make boating fun and safe when children are present: SET SOME BASIC BOAT RULES Just as your children have rules when riding in the car, your boat should be no exception. Children need to understand and follow basic boat rules. Children should be told to keep their hands and feet inside the boat at all times. It is very easy for small hands and feet to get injured when youngsters attempt to stick them into the water. Never allow children to run around on a boat. The boat can be slippery and children can fall on deck or overboard. And teach your children to wait until the boat has stopped and the engine is turned off before jum...

It's about that time of year again! September 15th marks the beginning of Gigging season in Missouri! When the weather gets too cold to enjoy splashing around in the rivers or lakes, but we're just not ready to give up on boating, it's time to break out the old jon boat and hit up the shallows for some REAL sport fishing! If you're interested in learning about fish gigging,  Firstmate Controls  has some great information to get you started! What is Fish Gigging? Gigging is a centuries old tradition that began as a necessity that consists of spearing fish rather than catching them with a hook and line.  As the culture and economy of the Ozarks changed, gigging began shifting toward sport. It became a social event and recreation for Ozark families. For local communities, it provided an opportunity to pause and spend quality time with family and friends. Opening night of gigging season was a major event. Families would show up at boat ramps throughout the Ozarks to gi...

Each year hundreds of lives are lost, thousands are injured, and millions of dollars of property damage occurs because of preventable recreational boating accidents. Too often pleasure outings turn tragic all because of carelessness and recklessness. While high-speed boating is a rush for many, it can be dangerous. You may be excited to get out on the water and get to your destination, you have a responsibility to yourself and to others around you to practice boat safety, especially when boating at high speeds. Take a look at some of the safety tips you should be following when boating at higher than normal speeds. Watch Your Speeds and Stability Running your boat at high speeds can create stability issues. Always keep an eye out for larger waves that can throw off your stability, and know whether the water ahead is rough or smooth before you drop the throttle. Keep an eye on the tachometer for any signs of instability. If the tach is jumping around, you may be losing stability....

The sun is shining and it's a beautiful day to get out on the water! But what to do once you're there? Sure, you could just idle your way downstream and enjoy soaking up the sun. But when there are so many other activities you could be doing instead, why wouldn't you take advantage of the opportunity?  Firstmate Controls  has some great boating activities for you to try out - check them out! 1. Spend the Afternoon Fishing You already know how the fishing is at your normal go-to spot. Spend the day visiting different fishing spots, or you can simply drop anchor at a new spot to see what you can catch. You never know, you may stumble upon a sweet spot and catch some of the biggest fish you've ever caught! But even if you don't come home with anything, the day is not wasted when you get to spend time on the water casting a line. 2. Get Adventurous with Water Sports Going out on the boat doesn't have to mean just sitting on the boat. There are plenty of ad...

Endless meetings, tight deadlines and long work hours can have a significant impact on our daily lives, leaving us wondering when we'll ever get a chance to truly enjoy life. Many people are now spending more time at work and struggle to balance their work and personal lives. But for those who love to boat, we can find solace out on the water! Check out why Firstmate Controls feels that boating is a great way to relax, rejuvenate and can be good for the soul. BOATING IS AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE When you go on a boat ride, you have the opportunity to broaden your range of experiences by trying different types of water sports like fishing or water skiing. Learning new boating skills can be an empowering and educational experience. When you go on a boat trip, you will always have the opportunity to learn something new. Having a passion or hobby, such as boating, can contribute to your overall happiness. Plus, boating establishes a feeling of community on the water. Fellow boate...

The colder weather has us boaters jonesing for next year's boating season to get here as quickly as possible. You may even be spending time longingly staring out to the water or just sitting in your boat offshore reminiscing about the great times you had on the water this past summer. Firstmate Controls know your pain. BUT! Just because it's fall and the temperatures have dropped, doesn't mean you have to completely give up your love of boating. We've got some great ideas - check out 5 things you can do NOW to gear up for next year's boating season! 1. Inspect Your Life Preservers Lifejackets that don't get used much and spend most of their shelf life tucked away in the wells of your boat may not be in as good of shape as you think. And while you may be thinking "well, we don't ever use them anyway, so it doesn't matter," if an incident were to arise that you did need to use a lifejacket, if yours aren't in good condition they're ...

Every boat owner should have a good understanding of how their boat works, the function of each part of their vessel, how to address issues when they arise, and have a basic understanding of boating safety . One thing that many boaters don't know, however, is common boating terminology. And some of these terms you really should know without having to put much thought into it if you're going to own a boat. Why? Because being able to properly communicate with those on your boat in case of an emergency situation is very crucial. Plus, in the event that you need to call for help, knowing common boat terms will come in handy when speaking with dock staff and even the coast guard when the need arises. So here are 15 common boating terms every boat owner should know: Common Boating Terms 1. Bow Refers to the front end of a boat. (You can remember "bow" as the front, because when you take a bow, you're leaning forward.) 2. Stern Refers to the rear end of a boa...