| DEALERSHIP NEWS |
| Strong Presence for Honda Marine at Cape Town International Boat Show |
Honda Marine Somerset West supported by Honda Marine Knysna had an excellent three days at the Cape Town International Boat Show where much was achieved in both further introducing and branding the new dealership in the Western Cape region.
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The Winner of the Honwave Inflatable at the show was young Jamie Potgieter pictured here with Dave, Ashley Barnes and her father Gerhard. |
Honda Marine Outboards are the Engines of Choice for many Users
Throughout the World, Honda Marine outboard engines are rapidly becoming the outboard engines of choice for a diverse number of applications. Pictured here, the usages range from powering a Barge Boat to Fishing Boats, the Navy, the Police, Racing Boats, Tourism-related boats and the Coastguard. All are situations where you need to run outboard engines which have superior technology combined with phenomenal performance and of course Honda’s legendary reliability, not forgetting Honda’s total commitment to the protection of the environment.
SANParks takes delivery of 2nd Honda powered Semi-rigid Inflatable
 Andre Riley and his team from SANParks recently purchased and took delivery of a second boat, namely an Infanta 3.6m powered by a Honda BF20 tiller arm which will be specifically used for the patrolling and policing of the Knysna lagoon. They needed a lightweight and highly manoeuvrable boat, and it was this dynamic little boating package that fitted the brief perfectly.
Red Bull Aerobatic Plane sponsored by Honda Marine Knysna
Honda Marine Knysna were one of 3 sponsors for the recent Knysna Hillclimb Red Bull Air Display. Former Red Bull air race pilot, and Dave’s good friend Glen Dell, 8 times South African Aerobatic Champion and 2004 Winner of the Advanced World Aerobatic Championship, flew a Red Bull Extra 330 LC aerobatic aeroplane in a dynamic display directly above the Simola Golf Estate on whose primary access road the hillclimb was being run. Despite inclement weather conditions, Glen gave it a full go and enthralled the huge crowd that had gathered for the Knysna Hillclimb, an annual event which is rapidly gaining stature on the SA Motorsport Calendar.
Bakkie powered by Honda BF150
Many heads have recently been turned by the sight of our newly developed Honda BF150HP outboard engine powered delivery/ work bakkie. Initial tests have proven to be very successful with patents for this exciting new amphibious craft currently being registered! Apparently it’s important that the ‘Honda AmphiBak’ or HAB, as we’ve affectionately come to call her, floats, so as soon as we get that right we are confident that orders will start flocking in…
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| PRODUCT NEWS |
Honda Power Products supports the World Cup Action
 During the recent 2010 FIFA World Cup, the HRH 536 lawnmower manufactured by Honda France Manufacturing was the official lawnmower of the tournament. Sixty-four units kept the pitches looking beautiful in all 10 venues around the country. Fans appreciated the neat appearance of the stripes the Honda mowers made, and many players said that the precision cut grass enhanced their performance - well that is except for the England players!
EP650 Generator brings the World Cup to a Village
 As the South African economy continues to grow, so does the demand for electricity, and many villages are still without basic power service. Back in June in a suburb of Pretoria lacking electricity, Honda South Africa hooked up a large TV to a quiet and fuel-efficient EP650 generator and held a World Cup viewing party. The residents not only enjoyed the game but also learned about the convenience of Honda’s generators and received a lasting impression of the Honda brand.
GX Engine Powers Long-Tail Fishing Boats
New Power Product can help enhance Fishermen’s Incomes
 On the coast of southern African nations, fishing is an important business. In addition to making use of wind and arm power, fishermen also use inexpensive automotive engines to create “long-tail boats,” named after the long drive shafts that propel the boats through the water. Always looking for creative ways to introduce Honda products in new markets, Honda South Africa created a long-tail boat kit based on the GX general purpose engine that offers superior performance and reliability. Back in August in Maputo, Mozambique, Honda held the first launch event for this new product, welcoming local government officials, bankers and over 100 professional fishermen. Most importantly this new kit has the potential to increase fishing ranges and to upgrade boat performance, thereby enhancing incomes and helping local economies grow. As time goes on, Honda South Africa plans to launch the long-tail boat kit in other southern African countries.
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VISIT OUR WEBSITE
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| Monthly Tidal Chart |
| Weather Report |
| Photo Gallery |
| Nautical Info |
Flying RIB!
New Slant on the Flying Boat concept, namely a Flying RIB!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aiOiULG8F8
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Rip Current Secrets Revealed
Year after year, the ocean's most successful killer is not the great white shark nor any other shark. It's not the deadly jellyfish. Not even monster waves or hurricane-force winds. Your worst ocean nightmare during a day at the beach is more likely to be a rip current. Each year throughout the World many people drown in ocean rip currents. A strong current can sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea.
Researchers are now making much headway into studying rip currents, revealing the life-saving information you need to know about these dangerous ocean currents. They lurk in the ocean creating panic in even the best swimmers, coming up quickly on people, dragging unsuspecting swimmers out to sea at speeds of up to 8 feet per second. Rip currents flow in very erratic patterns, not in steady courses as previously believed - this may help explain why they can be so dangerous even for experienced swimmers. Oceanographers have discovered the behaviour by tracking the motion of coloured dye added to a wave pool generating rip currents.
Rip currents form at breaks in sandbars hidden underwater, creating a strong channel of water that pulls anything in its path far away from shore. Traditionally, oceanographers believed rip currents had a steady, uniform course. Now, new research shows the flow of water moves in an erratic pattern. Oceanographer James Kirby, Jr, says, "Flow patterns get very, very complicated and very, very unpredictable, and we're trying to come to an understanding of what causes all that complication."
In a study at the University of Delaware in Newark, Kirby added coloured dye to a wave pool generating rip currents. The dye's course is recorded as it moves through the current. The dye's movement shows an irregular rip current pattern - making it more difficult to escape. "It's very difficult for a swimmer once he's actually caught in the flow even to establish a sense of orientation and decide which way to swim," Kirby tells DBIS. He also says some rip currents can last for weeks and even months at a time, in the same location. To avoid unpredictable rip currents, keep an eye out for signs of one, like broken wave patterns and discoloured water. If you end up caught in a rip current...
"Number one is don't panic," says Jesse Steele, a lifeguard at Bethany Beach in Delaware. "Swim parallel to shore."
WHAT ARE RIP CURRENTS?
A rip current is a strong flow of water returning seaward along the shore. When wind and waves push water to the shore, the previous backwash is often pushed sideways by the oncoming waves. The backwash streams along the shoreline until it finds an exit back to the sea. The resulting rip current is usually narrow and located in trenches between sandbars, under piers, or along jetties. The current is strongest at the surface and can dampen incoming waves, which might make the area seem deceptively calm. That's one thing to look for when searching for rip currents: unusually calm waters. The colour of the water may be different from the surrounding area, and the waterline will be lower on the shore near a rip current.
IT'S NOT THE UNDERTOW:
Many of the deaths resulting from rip currents are wrongly attributed to an undertow. The two are related, but distinct. Rip currents occur if there's a place along the beach where the incoming waves aren't as strong, so that the escaping water goes through that weak spot. If there is no spot with weaker surf, the accumulated water flows down and under the waves and back out to sea, forming an undertow.
SAFETY TIPS:
The most common advice for escaping a rip current is not to panic and try to swim against the current directly back to shore. People become exhausted very quickly and can easily drown. Instead, you should swim parallel to the beach and then let the waves bring you into shore.
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| NOVEMBER PRODUCT SPECIALS |
AFFORDABLE BOATING
This month we bring you two fantastic opportunities to get on the water at a highly affordable price : |
| Rebel 400 Sport |
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This 2008 Rebel 400 Sport is powered by a Honda 4-stroke BF30HP with only 22 hours of running. She is a highly affordable open deck boat, ideal for lagoon or freshwater fishing activities. What’s more she has a good level of specifications and is ready to go, all you’ll need is a bait box, some rods and the essential cooler box.
Boat Make: Rebel Boats
Boat Length: 13.5ft
Engine : Honda 4-Stroke BF30HP
PRICE : R 67 500 (incl.VAT)
Features:
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Bow Roller
Buoyancy Certificate
Side Mount Control
Trailer & Winch
Guage Kit
Garmin Fishfinder 140
Navman Tracker 5430 GPS
Navigation Lights
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Centre Console with front seat + storage
2 Gang switch panel
Sun Canopy
Rod Holders
Anchor Well and seat
Bow Grab rails
Anchor Light
Cleats
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| Hart Craft Sport Deluxe |
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This Hart Craft Sport Deluxe is powered by a Honda 4-stroke BF20HP outboard engine and has done minimal hours. As either a cruising or fishing boat, she comes with electric start, a centre console and a helmsman’s seat offering the discerning buyer an affordable and excellent way to get on the water, especially when you consider that a completely new rig would cost R85 000!
Boat Make: Hart Craft
Boat Length: 13 ft
Engine: Honda 4-Stroke BF20
Maximum amount of people: 4
Price : R65 000 (incl.VAT)
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| HONDA WATER WB20XT PUMP |
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If you need to move water quickly from one place to another, then you’ll be needing a Honda Water Pump, the market leaders when it comes down to performance, reliability and environmental responsibility.
WB20XT DRX - Features:
Maximum pumping capacity, 600 litres
Inlet/outlet diameter, 50mm
Engine model, GX120T1
PRICE : R3 256 (incl.VAT)
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| PRESS RELEASES |
Honda Marine North America receives 2010 Customer Satisfaction Index Award from the National Marine Manufacturers Association
Company Earns Recognition for Seventh Consecutive Year
Honda Marine recently announced that it has received the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Award for Excellence in Customer Satisfaction for outboard engines in 2010 from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). The award marks the seventh consecutive year that Honda Marine has secured this honour.
The NMMA formally recognized this year's award recipients at the International Boat Builder's Exhibition (IBEX) show and conference which took place at the Kentucky Exposition Centre in Louisville, Kentucky.
The CSI Award acknowledges companies that actively measure customer satisfaction to pursue continuous improvement. Recipients have achieved and maintained an independently measured standard of 90 percent or higher in customer satisfaction during the past year, based on customer surveys. Honda Marine outboard engines were recognized for their superior performance, high fuel efficiency, excellent reliability and quietness-at-cruise - all criteria important to consumers.
"We are honoured to again receive this important award and recognition from NMMA," said Scott Conner, vice president, Honda Power Equipment. "Providing our customers with the best experience possible is the ultimate goal for our team at Honda Marine, and this survey's findings and analyses are key drivers that help our organization effectively meet that goal."
NMMA launched its CSI program in 2001 to provide boat and engine manufacturers with an independently-measured, cost-effective tool to help improve customer satisfaction in the boating industry. Since the program's inception, more than 500,000 surveys have been sent to new boat and engine customers, allowing participating manufacturers to monitor customer satisfaction on an ongoing basis, and to benchmark themselves against the industry and their competitors.
Honda Marine pioneered four-stroke outboard engine technology, setting a new benchmark for fuel efficiency, quiet operation, and low emissions. Honda's outboards share the same unparalleled durability, quality, and reliability of its legendary automobiles. With models ranging from 2 to 225 horsepower, the Honda Marine full line of current production models certify to California Air Resources Board (CARB) 3-Star standards, ensuring their availability and regulatory compliance in all 50 states.
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| BOATING TIP OF THE MONTH |
How Can the Moon Affect Tides?
Don’t believe everything you hear, especially around marinas and bait stores where the "old salts" spin their yarns. When you hear boaters referring to ebb tide, or incoming tide or outgoing tide, it may be familiar language, but it is not accurate. Tide does not ebb, nor does it come in or go out. Tide is defined as the vertical movement of water and only goes up and down. Current is the horizontal or sideways flow of water. It floods in which makes the tide rise and ebbs out which makes the tide fall.
It is this up and down tidal movement that you should be concerned with and be able to estimate with some accuracy, especially when entering a potentially shallow port or harbour. Let’s explore some definitions concerning tide.
First of all, tide is the rise and fall of water caused by gravitational forces of the moon and sun on the oceans of the earth. Generally speaking, tidal cycles contain two high tides and two low tides each day. During the time between high and low tide there will obviously be current flow. The time between high and low tides is a little over 6 hours and the entire tidal cycle repeats itself approximately fifty minutes later each day. So if you know that low tide is at 0800 today you can estimate that it will be at 0850 tomorrow.
 The difference between the high tide and low tide is called the range of tide. For instance, if the water depth at high tide is 20 feet and at low tide is 18 feet, the range of tide is two feet.
There are two types of currents that you can expect in regard to tides. Flooding current is experienced when the tide is rising. Ebbing current is experienced when the tide is falling. When the tide has reached its highest and lowest points there is a brief period where there is no current ebbing or flooding, this is referred to as slack water.
To check on the times for High and Low Tides, as well as Sunsrise and Sunset/ Moonrise and Moonset, visit our website (www.hondamarineknysna.co.za) and click on the TIDE CHART on the Home page.
So how do the effects of the sun and the moon affect tide? Well the gravitational pull of the moon tugs on the surface of the ocean until its surface mounds up and outward in the direction of the moon. When the mound of water has reached its highest point it is called high tide. On the side of the earth opposite the moon, the centrifugal force caused by the earth’s rotation produces another mound of water and high tide on the opposite side of the earth. Somewhere in between these two high tides are two flat areas on the surface of the ocean, these are low tides.
 The moon appears to rotate around the earth each day, however it is the earth’s rotation that gives this appearance. The moon actually orbits the earth in an elliptical pattern, taking 27.3 days to complete one orbit. The length of time that it takes for the earth to rotate around so that the moon is in the same position is actually a little over a normal 24 hour day. It is 24 hours and 50 minutes or a tidal day. That is why the tidal cycle starts approximately 50 minutes later each day. As the earth rotates, the moon’s gravitational force continually mounds the water and that fluid mound moves around the earth. The actual height of the tide is influenced by the shape of the coastline and depth of the water.
Two other areas that need to be covered are "spring tides" and "neap tides." It was mentioned previously that the tides are affected by both the sun and the moon. Actually, the sun’s effect is less than half that of the moon but when these two bodies are in alignment and pulling in the same direction they cause higher high tides and lower low tides called spring tides.
On the other hand when the Sun and Moon are at right angles to one another with the moon pulling one direction and the sun pulling another there is somewhat of a canceling affect and you get lower high tides and higher low tides called neap tides.
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| EVENTS & SPONSORSHIPS |
The Who Where and When of Knysna Angling? - Kyle Smith from SANParks
Monitoring of recreational and subsistence angling on the Knynsa estuary has now entered its third year and is showing some interesting results. Those of you who have been reading the Honda Marine Newsletter may remember that in essence this program has been designed to find out how many people are fishing, what their motives are for fishing, how long do they fish for, what fish are being targeted and what fish are being caught (species, numbers and sizes), what bait and how much bait is being used and finally what are the anglers’ perceptions and knowledge regarding fishery management and the associated regulations. In a previous article I provided some of the results concerning this last point and highlighted the general low knowledge base amongst anglers regarding the current fishery regulations. In this article I thought we would explore some trends in who is fishing and how much fishing is occurring.
 The Knysna recreational fishery is a male dominated fishery with the majority (78%) of participants living in Knysna and the surrounding communities. Interestingly, and corresponding to Knysna being a choice holiday destination, national visitors made up 14% of all participants interviewed during the first survey year whilst local Garden Route residents only comprised seven percent. Participants had a cross spectrum of educational qualifications; 30% had a matric (grade 12) certificate whilst a relatively high proportion (34%) had an incomplete secondary education and 15% only had some form of primary education. At the opposite end of the scale 17% held a tertiary qualification.
The fishery was dominated by shore anglers making up 71% of all anglers counted during both the first and second years in the survey period. However, when we look at the proportion of boat anglers to shore anglers in different months we see an increase in boat fishing over the summer months in particular in December and January when boat anglers comprised 40 and 36% of all anglers counted. The majority of anglers (57%) in the first year were using rod and reels, 33% handlines and 9% a combination whilst in the second year 63% were using rod and reels, 32% handlines and the remainder using a combination. It’s important to note that the amount of fishing effort occurring through the use of plant lines has not been established and likewise night effort has not been quantified.
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| BOAT TEST |
 | The Review of the Odyssey 650 Sundeck powered by a Honda BF225 HP is brought to you by 'Leisure Boating', SA's premier monthly boating magazine.
>>click here to read more
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| CUSTOMER FEEDBACK |
We warmly welcome the following new boat owners to our Honda Marine Knysna family.:
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| Shaun with Andrew du Plessis |
Gerry and Gina van der Byl |
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| Mr Majola with his family |
Tony Spring with his 2 daughters |
NB. We sincerely hope that you are enjoying our regular monthly Newsletter. With this in mind should you have a friend or 10 whom you would like to introduce to the world of Honda Marine Knysna then please send us their email addresses… Thank YOU!
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