2015 Lobster Season Tips
Lobster Season Tips for South Florida
Mini Season in South Florida runs from June 29-30, 2015. It’s always a great time to get your fill of lobster (and to share some of the lobster with your friendly boat rental staff, of course), but we want you to come back safe and sound. Here are some tips to keep you safe this season:
- Make sure you have your Fishing License and a Lobster Permit. If you haven’t gotten yours yet, visit www.myfwc.com.
- Know your limits: Legal Limit is 12 lobster per person, per day in South Florida except in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park where the limit is 6 lobster per person per day. Please help our ecosystem thrive and don’t take more than you’re allowed.
- Legal Size limit is 3” or larger than the carapace (the upper part of the lobster from where the tail meets the head).
- You are required to have a measuring device at all times no matter what.
- Make sure your dive gear is up to date and that you have it serviced. Also, make sure that your SCUBA tanks have been visually inspected within the last year.
- When scuba diving, please be mindful of your air consumption. Lobster is delicious, but not worth getting decompression sickness or worse.
- Use a diver down flag always!
- When boating, be mindful of diver down flags. Know that there are people in the water and be extra cautious during the lobster season.
- Make sure to plan out your dive locations and check the weather.
- Bring plenty of ice and a cooler to keep you catch fresh until you get back to the docks.
Main Lobster Season Miami
If you can’t make it out for Lobster Mini-Season, not to worry. The regular lobster season opens on August 6th and runs through March 31st. The same safety rules apply, so please boat and dive safely all season long. The only thing that really changes is your limit of catch. Legal Limit during the regular lobster season is 6 lobsters per person per day vs. 12 during mini-season.
If you need a boat trailer for rent in Miami or have questions about the 2015 lobster season in South Florida call us at (786) 728-9988. Also, don’t forget to stop by our sister company Northbeach Marina this season to launch your boat and fill up on supplies before head out on the water.
How to Keep Your Boat Trailer Safe During a Hurricane
How to Keep Your Boat Trailer Safe During a Hurricane in Florida
Happy Trailer Rentals Miami would like to remind boaters that just because we’re halfway through the 2014 Hurricane Season doesn’t mean we’re out of the choppy waters yet. Hurricane Season runs from June 1st through November 30th with most of the activity happening in the month of September.
In the last few decades, South Floridians have seen our share of storms, from Hurricane Andrew to Hurricane Wilma and every Hurricane, Tropical Storm and Depression in between. There has been major damage and sometimes just inconveniences, but we all know that no matter what Mother Nature throws at us, it’s best to be prepared.
During Hurricane Season, you stock up on canned food, bottled water, batteries, flashlights, and other supplies to keep you and your home safe, but, what about your boat? How will your boat weather a storm?
Hurricanes are inevitable when you live in South Florida but there are strategies to help mitigate the damage caused to your boat during a hurricane. Below we have compiled a list of tips that can help you protect your boat this Hurricane Season and also included some resources for more thorough information.
Small Boat Trailer Storage Tips for Hurricane Season:
If you have a smaller boat, under 35’ feet, it is safest for the boat (and for your mental well-being) to get it out of the water completely. Whether the boat is on a trailer next to your house or at a dry storage marina, the boats that are stored dry typically see less damage than those left in the water during a hurricane.
- Leave the cover off of the boat, especially if it is expensive or custom made. The cover on the boat will collect rainwater and strain the cover, tearing it in the process. If the cover comes loose during a storm, it will fall victim to the wind, and more than likely get ruined. Your boat was made to get wet, so let it, leave it uncovered during a storm.
- We recommend that you take anything off the boat that’s not supposed to get wet, or that is light enough to fly away in a heavy wind. This includes (but is definitely not limited to) cushions, dock lines, flags, Bimini tops, and GPS/Radios. Make sure to secure anything else that cannot be removed from the boat.
- Seal all openings on the boat to keep it watertight (hatches, cabinets, doors, etc.). To help keep things secure during a storm, use duct tape for an easy remedy.
- Keeping the drain plugs out of your boat is also a good idea. If the boat fills up with water, the added weight can negatively affect the way it sits on your trailer or dry-rack. Marinas typically keep the drain plugs out, however, if your boat is on a trailer, it’s a good practice to keep the drain plug out. Just remember to put the plug back in before using the boat next!
Keeping Your Boat in the Water
If you have no choice but to leave your boat in the water during a hurricane, try to find a safe harbor to anchor. Once you find a safe place, hopefully, off of the wide water, look around. Are there rocks? Are you near a seawall? Is your boat anchored on a sandy bottom or a rocky ledge? What obstacles can the boat come into contact with during violent winds, storm surges, or in the event that the boat breaks loose from its anchor?
Final Tips For Keeping Your Boat and Trailer Safe During Hurricane Season
Finally, it is wise to make sure that you have all of your boat documents in an easily accessible location and that the insurance is up to date. Also, to help with insurance claims, keep receipts and take photos or video of your boat and trailer.
You can take all the precautions in the world to secure your boat, however, Mother Nature sometimes gets the best of us. Make sure you are prepared and stay safe.
Important Hurricane Resources for Boaters:
To learn more about hurricane preparedness tips for boats and dry boat storage in Miami, Florida call us at 786-728-9988.
How to Choose the Right Boat Trailer
Learn How to choose the right style of boat trailer for your boating needs in South Florida
How can you tell what is the best style of the boat trailer to rent that will fit your boating needs for South Florida?
Boat trailers are not difficult to understand. These three styles of the boat trailer to rent: Bunk, Roller and Combination Bunk-Roller.
-
- Bunk Trailer: the trailer’s float-on, the float-off configuration is an ideal trailer for those who frequently load and unload in deep water. You will need to back the trailer fairly far into the water. Bunk trailers are typically the least expensive trailer option
- Roller Trailer: preferred if you mostly load and unload in shallow water. The drive-on, drive-off configuration makes it unnecessary to back deep into the water.
- Combination Bunk-Roller Trailer: combines the best of both technologies.
Wash the boat trailer with fresh water after every use to extend its life. With proper maintenance, a boat trailer can last a long time. However, there are many external elements like the sun, salt and crazy hurricanes that can affect the life of a boat trailer, especially in South Florida. In order to avoid wasting money on repair bills and storage, we suggest you rent a boat trailer.
When it comes to renting a boat trailer in Miami there is no better place than Happy Trailer Rentals. We carry a wide selection of boat trailers for rent at the lowest prices in town.
Have questions about which style of boat trailer is best for your boating needs? Call us at 786-728-9988 or email at [email protected].
Welcome to Happy Trailer Storage
Happy Trailer Rentals
Boat and trailer storage Miami, Florida
Thank you for visiting the Happy Trailer Storage website. Are you looking to store your boat or trailer in Miami, Florida? Look no further. We offer monthly and yearly dry-storage at the lowest rates in town.
Call us today 786-728-9988.