Tampa Boat Show

Next weekend is the Tampa Boat Show and we will be there in full force. The show is at the Tampa Convention Center and runs from Friday to Sunday. We will have all of our brands (Four Winns, Hydra-Sports, Riviera & Silverton) on display. So whether you like runabouts, deckboats, fishing boats, express cruisers, sport yachts, convertibles, motor yachts or sport bridges, we will have them there. The 52 Ovation will also be premiering for the first time on the West Coast and there will be great discounts on all the boats. If you watch the show "Deadliest Catch", the captains from the Time Bandit will be there signing autographs. It will be a great way to spend the day, so come join us - you might find the boat of your dreams. For more information, go to http://www.tampaboatshow.com/ or http://www.thundermarine.com/events.asp?cal2id=&topsiteid=&content=&siteid=&bvdid=&bvdid_filter=&this_start_date=9%2F1%2F2008

Island Party Raft-Up Postponed

Unfortunately, due to the weather from Hurricane Gustav, we will be postponing our Island Party. We are certainly disappointed because we had a great bunch of boaters signed up. We plan to reschedule and will let you know as soon as we have a new date.

Thunder Island Party Raft-Up

Even though the official last day of summer isn't until September 21st, Labor Day weekend is always considered the beginning of the end of summer. And though we are blessed with great boating weather year round, we were thinking: what better way to welcome in the fall than enjoying the holiday weekend with our boating friends?

With that in mind, we are planning on having a Raft-Up Island Party Sunday August 31st. Nothing formal - just a fun day in the sun on the water. All Thunder customers are welcome so whether you own a runabout, yacht, performance boat or fishing boat, we hope you can join us.

We wanted it to be as close to St. Pete, Clearwater & Tampa as possible so we picked an island that is centrally located in Pinellas on the ICW just north of the Bellair Causeway bridge. The plan is to meet around 11 AM. We'll bring some sandwiches and everyone can bring a side dish and beverage of their choice. With the next day being Labor Day, why wouldn't you join us? For more details go to http://www.thundermarine.com/. We ask that you just fill out the quick registration so we know how many sandwiches to bring. We hope to see you there!

Storm Preparation for your Boat

With Tropical Storm Fay approaching our area, we figured we would post a few tips and reminders on preparing your boat for the storm.

Trailer Boats
1. Make sure your batteries are fully charged so that your bilge float switch can operate throughout the storm.
2. Remove drain plug at the transom for back-up drainage.
3. Elevate the bow of your boat.
4. Remove bimini tops and canvas and store away.
5. Let out some air on the trailer tires and chalk them.
6. Secure your boat to trailer with tie downs.
7. Remove all loose items from vessel.

Lift Kept Boats
1. Make sure your batteries are fully charged so that your bilge float switch can operate throughout the storm – you may lose shore power.
2. Remove drain plug at the transom for back-up drainage.
3. Raise lift as high as possible with the bow of your boat slightly elevated.
4. Remove bimini tops and canvas and store away.
5. You may want to strap your boat to the lift for additional protection.
6. Remove all loose items from vessel.
7. Stay in tune with tides and storm surge.

In Water Boats
1. Make sure your batteries are fully charged so that your bilge float switch can operate throughout the storm – you may lose shore power.
2. Double tie all lines.
3. Use plenty of fenders.
4. Remove canvas enclosure and eisenglass. Cover electronics if possible.
5. Make sure all dock hardware is in good condition and secure.
6. Stay in tune with tides and storm surge

These are just a few reminders and good common sense should always be exercised. For more tips go to
http://www.thundermarine.com/content.asp?nav=116995&cpid=10020&

Stay Safe

Alstott / Thunder Marine Fishing Tournament Recap

Just like Thursday's Captain's Meeting, the weigh in on Saturday was great. Almost all the boats that were entered in the tournament weighed fish. Mike Alstott & the McKenna Family (the winning bidder)decided to fish inshore so they took a Hydra-Sports 23 Bay Bolt & hit the flats. Although they didn't place in the top three, it was a memorable day. The winning inshore team was Ian Dougherty & crew who came in with a 54 lb. cobia as part of their haul. On the offshore side, the James Gang beat out Mike DeOliveria's team with some nice size grouper, snapper & amberjack. The ladies winners were Brittany Kelling & Jean Gifford and the youth division winners were Parker Ferris and Karissa Cobb. Karissa and her dad Kelvin also took home the family division award. Everyone had a good time and as the saying goes "A bad day fishing on a boat is better than a good day at the office". Thunder Marine thanks all the anglers, spectators, sponsors and volunteers who helped make this event a success. We will be proudly presenting a check for $16,000 to the Mike Alstott Family Foundation next Saturday after the Old Salt's Kid Fishing Tournament at the Pier. We hope you can join us. For more pictures of the event, go to http://www.thundermarine.com/news.asp?chsid=&nav=90561&chaid=202495 We look forward to seeing everyone at next year's Tournament.

Mike Alstott Family Fishing Tournament Hosted by Thunder Marine

What a great night! The captain's meeting was the offical kickoff to the Mike Alstott Family Fishing Tournament and it brought hundreds of boaters, fisherman & Mike Alstott fans together for a great cause. With great food & giveaways everyone enjoyed themselves and one lucky bidder will be fishing with Mike & his son on Thunder's Hydra-Sports Tournament boat. Mike was gracious throughout the evening. He was regularly signing autographs and taking pictures with kids and adults alike. Since purchasing his Hydra-Sports Bay Bolt from Thunder, Mike has spent even more time with his family on the water. He is often found on his boat with his son fishing and he thought having a tournament would be a great way to raise money for his foundation. By the looks of the captain's meeting, he appears to be right. We are looking forward to a great weigh-in on Saturday with anglers arriving by boat with their day's haul between 3PM and 5PM. For more information on the tournamnet visit http://www.thundermarine.com/. If you are in the area, come by and join us for the fun.