This Week's Article

This Week's News

Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina Billfish Tournament Going Green For 2008!      JULY 25 – 28, 2008
     Charleston, SC—The Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina Billfish Tournament begins tomorrow with the Captain’s Meeting at 7 pm. Day 1 Fishing will be Thursday, with the anglers fishing two out of three days through Saturday. Fifty boats have registered so far and boats are still registering every day on-site. This should be another great year for billfishing here in Charleston after Charleston boats have won the sanctioned Big Rock in North Carolina for the past two years.
     As part of three separate billfishing series...The SC Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series, the sanctioned World Billfish Series, and the MTU Legend Series, CHRMBT is proud to be the FIRST CARBON NEUTRAL fishing tournament in South Carolina. Joining forces with Environmental Defense, The National Wildlife Federation and the South Carolina Wildlife Federation, the tournament will be able to purchase "climate mitigation credits" offsetting its carbon footprint. Partners will help to finance the tournament's purchase of credits specifically intended to capture methane gas from dairy farms and convert it into electricity, effectively balancing out the events green house gas impact on the environment. The CHRM tournament and our Sponsors are committed to changing the way our industry impacts the world. Environmental changes that we make, mitigating effects of climate change, demonstrate commitments the angling community feels for the global dilemma we face today.
     Also, to help conquer the fuel costs for participating boats, the Charleston Harbor Marina is offering 30¢ discount per gallon when captains fuel up at their marina and they are also offering an additional 10¢ per gallon when purchasing 500 gallons or more!!!
     With its inaugural year in 1998, Charleston Harbor continues to be the premier tournament in South Carolina. The tournament, which contributes to several different charities, holds the State Record Blue Marlin, caught by “Corky” Taylor aboard Rascal in 2005. The World Billfish Series is the most elite billfishing tournament series in the world, with over 45 tournaments, six divisions, and 30,000 anglers annually worldwide. The MTU Legend Series is comprised of 14 of the most prestigious and competitive sportfishing tournaments in the world.
     If you cannot make it to the tournament on-site during the festivities, you can watch the weigh-in “Reel-Time” by visiting www.FishCharlestonHarbor.com.
For more information on the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina Billfish Tournament, the SC Governors Cup Billfishing Series, the World Billfish Series, or the MTU Legend Series, please visit www.FishCharlestonHarbor.com or call Deidre Menefee at 843.345.0369.

Top Ten Tips From BoatUS For Getting The Most From A Tank Of Gas
ALEXANDRIA, VA, June 9, 2008 -- With boaters facing record high fuel prices this summer Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has a few tips that could help stretch their fuel dollars:
     1. Leave the extra 'junk' home: Don't load the boat up with weight you don't need. Do a little spring cleaning - unused equipment that has been collecting mildew in the bottom of lockers for years should be taken home.
     2. Water weight: At 8.33 pounds per gallon, why keep the water in the tank topped off if you?re only going out for the afternoon?
     3. Tune her up: An engine tune-up is an excellent investment and should easily pay for itself over the summer.
     4. Tune your prop: If your boat goes 30 mph with a like-new prop and only 27 mph with a prop that's dinged and out of pitch, that's a 10% loss in fuel economy, or, you're wasting one out of every ten gallons you put in your tank.
     5. Paint the boat's bottom: When boating in salt or brackish waters a fouled bottom is like a dull knife. It takes a lot more fuel to push your boat through the water.
     6. Keep the boat in trim: Using trim tabs or distributing weight evenly will help move your boat through the water with less effort - and less fuel.
     7. Go with the flow: Consult tide tables and try to travel with the tide whenever possible.
     8. Install a fuel flow meter: A fuel flow meter is like a heart monitor; when consumption starts to rise, it's an early warning that something is amiss. A fuel flow meter also allows you to select a comfortable cruising speed that optimizes the amount of fuel being consumed.
     9. Do the math: If you don't want to spring for a fuel flow meter (about $300) you can calculate your fuel mileage by dividing distance traveled by gallons at fill-up. Using your logbook, you can then approximate fuel flow using average speeds and time underway.
     10. Get a discount: Many of the 885 BoatUS Cooperating Marinas around the country offer up to 10 cents off a gallon of gas. To get the discount all you have to do is to show your BoatUS membership card. If you aren't already a member, join online now for a special rate of $19.00 by going to BoatUS.com/membership or call 800-395-2628.

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