Firstmate Controls

Summer will be here soon, which means you're already making plans to spend time out on the lake with friends and family. You want to be prepared for all the fun that's bound to take place, and have as little interruption as possible. The  best marine electronics manufacturing company  has some great ideas for you to ensure a fun and fantastic time out on the lake this summer! In this week's blog, we will highlight a few must haves before summer arrives.   Bring on the Fun with Towables It's not a day on the lake unless you take the kids tubing.  Everyone enjoys a little adventure!  Whether you prefer fast and furious or leisure water activities, there are plenty of towables out there to satisfy anyone's adventurous appetite.  Tubes of all shapes and sizes are available, you can purchase a 1 person tube or a 5 person tube.  Choose from a tube that you sit on, lay on, or they now have some enclosed tubes.   You are sure to see many sm...

Imagine This... It’s Saturday morning, the cooler is full of beverages and food for the day, the kids all have their life vests on, the boat is clean and ready to roll out for a day of fun. Walking down to the dock everyone’s eyes are smiling thinking of spending a full day tubing, coving out, and cruising the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. Dad hits the Firstmate Remote Control and lowers the lift… Everything is going perfectly, cooler is loaded, kids are in the boat, the boat starts up and dad backs the boat out of the slip… smiles from everyone in the boat.  Mishap #1 is coming soon, wait for it… The boat is cruising along and suddenly, the tube flies off the back of the back, (the rope broke) hits a wavebreak and deflates. The kids are crying, mom is screaming, and dad with the look on his face, turns the boat around and heads back to the dock. Luckily, with the Firstmate Remote Control heading back to the dock to pick up the spare isn’t such a chore. The lift is lower...

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...

Spring is here, and boat show season has already begun! You know what that means... boating season will be here soon! We can't wait to get out on the water and do what we love most. But we also want to do so safely and conveniently. So how do we (and you) do that? There is without a doubt, no better accessory to have for your boat lift than a  boat lift remote control  system. With the many advantages it provides, investing in a boat lift remote control will be your most favorite purchase of all.  Firstmate Controls  has some of the best electronic marine equipment around. Let us give you some examples of the advantages of owning Firstmate products for your boat lift control needs. Why put in all this work?  Consider the efforts that you put into launching and docking your boat anytime you want to go out on the water. You've got to lower the boat from the dock, and then climb on-board while the boat is swaying back and forth from the waves. You've got...

One of the great perks of  buying a boat lift remote control system  from  Firstmate Controls  is the awesome user support that you get. Not only do we have a user friendly support request option online, but we provide instructional videos and printable user guides on our website as well - and if that's not enough, you can always just pick up the phone and call us! We believe that to provide excellent customer service you have to also provide easy user support in ways that consumers best understand it. That's why we have several different methods of instructional and troubleshooting support options available on our website. Here are some of the ways  Firstmate Controls  quickly assists you with your questions, installations, and troubleshooting issues. Firstmate Controls Product Information  Overview Firstmate Controls provides information about each system we manufacture so making a selection is quick and easy. You can quickly view all of the f...

This year, the annual St. Charles Boat Show will be taking place on March 7-10 at the St. Charles Convention Center. You can bet  Firstmate Controls  will be there showcasing our state of the art  boat lift remote control systems ! Don't miss the opportunity to check out an abundance of boats and boating accessories from all over the state. The Lake of the Ozarks Marine Dealers Association is made up of over 40 Lake of the Ozarks area marine dealers, including the  best boat lift control manufacturer in Missouri ,  Firstmate Controls . All attending vendors have one common goal in mind: to promote fun on the water! We're Happy to Answer Your Questions Whether you have questions about your current boat lift, or have an interest in upgrading your  boat lift electronics  to make your boating experience more enjoyable, we'll be there to help. You may be wondering if our lift control will work with your boat lift size. Lifts are often categorized by...

Revolutionize your dock with the proper accessories that make boating easy!  Firstmate Controls  has some featured products that you'll love. We make shopping for dock accessories and  remote control systems  easy. We don't just have remote control systems, we also carry parts for servicing systems as well. This week, we're showcasing a product that makes changing accessories without hurting your dock simple: the  Bracket Buddy ! Check Out the Bracket Buddy! This handy new product allows you to change out dock accessories without damaging your dock. It eliminates the need to drill unsightly holes in your dock posts! These universal brackets fit 2" or 2 1/2" dock posts, making them useful to almost any dock owner. The stainless steel construction provides long lasting reliability and easily mounts in less than 5 minutes! And since they're not a permanent fixture, you can move them just as easily as you put them up - meaning you're not stuck with too ...

‘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...

When it comes to the safety of your boat and those who will ride on it, you want to make sure you're doing everything you can to prevent any damage or accidents. We as boaters know all too well how hazardous it can be to try to load and unload from your boat without an accident or injury taking place. That's why we came up with the  boat lift remote control system  - to make boating less work and more enjoyable and safe. Not sure a  Firstmate Boat Lift Remote Control  is for you? Check out what real boaters like you have to say about it! REAL CUSTOMER REVIEWS  “Of all the things I have bought at the lake, this was my best purchase!” ~ Tom S., Sunrise Beach, MO “Safety - with the remote system, there is no need to leave someone on the dock to raise the lift” ~ Jim H., Lake St. Louis, MO “Able to raise lifts to protect them when boating” ~ Ken E., Rocky Mount, MO “The Firstmate has operated flawlessly since day one. It’s one part of boating that...

It's that time of year again. We're all frantically running around trying to find the perfect gift for that special someone. We know that sometimes shopping for gifts for boaters can prove frustrating. Especially for Christmas when the boats are winterized and not being utilized nearly as much. It can be hard to think about what the boater in your life would want or need for the next boating season. That's why we've decided to share with you a list of gift ideas we know the boat enthusiast in your life will LOVE! Marine Solar Charger A dead battery is an all-too-common occurrence in a boat that sits idle most work weeks, and when it happens it nearly always spoils a planned day or weekend on the water. This unhappy circumstance can be avoided with the installation of a solar charger. As an added benefit, absolutely nothing prolongs the life of a battery like keeping it fully charged. A battery charger can do the job for a boat on a trailer or at a dock, but there a...

There is without a doubt, no better accessory to have for your boat lift than a  boat lift remote control  system. With the many advantages it provides, investing in a boat lift remote control will be your most favorite purchase of all.  Firstmate Controls  has some of the best electronic marine equipment around. Let us give you some examples of the advantages of owning Firstmate products for your boat lift control needs. Why put in all this work?  Consider the efforts that you put into launching and docking your boat anytime you want to go out on the water. You've got to lower the boat from the dock, and then climb on-board while the boat is swaying back and forth from the waves. You've got to pull your boat out and moor it while you climb back off the boat to go raise the lift back up. Then you have to climb back in your boat without falling in the water. And guess what, you've got to do this whole crazy and time consuming dance all over again after a...

Get ready for next year's boating season by revolutionizing your hoist! Not sure what products will be best for properly  accessorizing a dock ?  Firstmate Controls  has some featured products that you'll love. We make shopping for dock accessories and  remote control systems  easy. We don't just have remote control systems, we also carry parts for servicing systems as well.  Check out our website  for more products that we have in stock. Manual Boxes Features: Full Port Valves  Handle Stops Standard Remote Features: Emergency Handles  Remote Controlled  Safety Valve Drivers Generation 3 Pro Features:  Faster Operation  Even Easier to Use  Emergency Handles  Remote Controlled  Safety Valve Drivers  Smart Controls  Lift Monitoring  Programmable Positions  Remote Lighting Option from Key Fob: Dock Lights, Ambient or Cove Theatre Lighting   *Features in...

You love spending time on the water, and enjoy entertaining guests on both your boat and dock. And there's no better time to take in the full beauty of nature than during the fall. When enjoying a fun-filled day on the water with friends and family, an accident on the dock is the last thing anyone wants to deal with. Common sense and proper precautions will help ensure a safe day on the water.  Firstmate Controls  has a few tips to ensure proper dock safety to help prevent dock mishaps. 1. Have Your Dock Inspected With the natural elements that a dock is constantly under, any number of problems and malfunctions can occur. So, an important step in maintaining a dock is to ensure proper installation and maintenance of electrical equipment on docks and on boats. Have a professional electrician inspect all of the electrical systems on or near the water and bring them up to code, and periodically check the dock cables for frays or breaks and replace any worn out or damaged c...