Firstmate Controls

Firstmate Controls is so excited about the St. Charles Boat Show coming up next week! This event is the premier boat show in the Midwest for boating enthusiasts and features numerous vendors ready and willing to help answer all your questions and solve your product needs. You can explore the latest products and services including cruisers, runabouts, performance boats, tritoons, ski boats, personal watercraft, docks, lifts, and boating accessories. Read on to learn more about this year's boat show and what Firstmate Controls is excited to show you! Event Details The Lake of the Ozarks Marine Dealers Association is hosting this year's great St. Charles Boat Show at the St. Charles Convention Center. From March 5th through March 8th, enjoy several great vendors and exhibits set up throughout the center. This year, the hours have also been expanded to allow more time to peruse products and connect with businesses. Check it out! March 5th: 12:00pm - 9:00pm Mar...

It is no accident that Firstmate Controls is the best boat lift control manufacturer in Missouri. We work hard and prioritize quality with each and every product. Customer satisfaction, safety, and convenience are important to Firstmate Controls . Read on to learn more about Firstmate Controls, including how we got started and why our manufacturing is the best in the business. Safety First We started our company and invented the Firstmate remote control system as a way to provide a solution to the modern boat lift controls shortcomings. Specifically, the safety issues with not being able to lower the lift while cleaning inside the boat. Before Firstmate's inception, John and Julie were cleaning their boat when Julie tried getting out of the boat while it was still lifted high out of the water. She tumbled and fell in between the lift and the dock. Through this painful accident, John and Julie became determined to create a solution that would allow boaters to lower thei...

Despite the freezing temperature, it's time to look forward to the spring and get ready for the boating season. Part of the fun of boating on the Lake is having our best friends with you, including the four-legged ones! Boating with a pet can be dangerous sometimes, but a well-trained dog can actually be a great addition to your day out on the water.  Firstmate Controls knows you want to include your buddy in all of your outdoor fun activities this summer, so we've come up with some helpful tips to follow when taking your dog on a boat. Check out our best tips below! Stay Safe with a Plan It's important to have a plan in case something goes awry and your fur-baby falls overboard. Don't leave it to chance. Talk to everyone going out on the water with you so everyone is on the same page with what to do just in case. Just like someone may be the designated driver or have the responsibility of watching the young children on board, it is a good idea to designate so...

Your dock is an important part of your spring and summer experience at the Lake of the Ozarks. Without it, your sunny days of boating, skiing, and swimming would be really different... and definitely not as fun. With all the work they do for us, docks can really take a beating and get worn down. As the best dock accessory manufacturer in the St. Louis area , Firstmate Controls knows just what it takes to keep a dock in top condition. Read on to learn why it's important to perform a dock check before the spring season begins! Why Docks Need Check-Ups Rough water conditions can take a big toll on your dock, the lift, and all its hardware, especially if you aren't in a protected cove. As large boats pas by and send waves into your dock over and over, it puts a strain on all the fittings of your dock. Eventually these pieces will wear out and break, so it's important to stay on top of how they are doing with regular check-ups. When to Schedule Check-Ups Now is a g...