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For this episode of All About the Car, Rob, Bryan, and Bill joined Ray at M&J Marine, just off Highway 39 in Kronenwetter, to talk about all things boat! So why would an automotive service center and tire specialist like Schierl Tire & Service want to talk about vehicles that don’t have tires? Well first of all, it’s one of the most impressive marine stores we've ever seen. Secondly, we're going to find out more about what it takes to own, transport, maintain, and pilot your own boat in Wisconsin.

 

 

 

We grew up hearing the phrase land of 10,000 lakes when referring to our good neighbors to the West, but according to the DNR in Wisconsin, this state has 15,074 documented lakes, of which only 40% have been named. As a matter of fact, we are just second in the United States to Alaska, who claims 3 million lakes. Three million! That’s a lot of fishing.

 

We still hold our own, with spring-fed lakes like the chain of lakes in Waupaca, to the deepest inland lake, Green Lake, to musky fishing in the North woods in Vilas County, and enjoying all the amenities that meandering Wisconsin River and its backwaters have to offer.

 

If you don't float a boat, you are missing out of one of the Wisconsin's top pastimes. That means Ray is in the right business, but he tells us M&J wasn't always in the marine business. It started out with his grandfather in the 1920s, as an accountant for M&J Auto Parts and Wrecking. The two owners of the company, Max Sonnentag and Jake Libman, were the original M&J.

 

After a short while, Max wanted to get out of the business – and Ray’s grandfather immediately stepped in to buy out his share of the company. They didn’t immediately turn into a marine company, though. For many, many years, it stayed auto parts, used car sales, and a general-purpose wrecking yard. In the 30s, especially during the war years, you couldn't go buy a new part for your car. Everything was going toward a war effort.

 

If you needed a part for a car during the war years, you went to a wrecking yard. If you busted a headlight, you went to the wrecking yard. Tires? You guessed it: the wrecking yard! Ray’s grandfather was involved with this wrecking yard that he owned, which was at the site currently occupied by Wisconsin Public Service until late 50s, early 60s.

 

But as the years went by, Ray’s grandfather got more interested in boating. He bought a cabin on a lake up in Rhinelander. And his brother, who owned a car dealership and boat dealership over in Durand, Wisconsin, started feeding them boats to sell here in Wausau. At that time the popular brand was Speedliner: wooden boats with your choice of an inboard or outboard motor.

 

And then in the late 40s, Alumicraft came to be. Again, a lot of these companies that make aluminum boats were derivatives of the war effort. They had to figure out what to do with all this aluminum, and they had skilled labor that could rivet and weld, so they started making boats. It was a product of the war – prior to that, aluminum boats didn't exist. It was just wood boats.

 

And then fiberglass boats came in the 60s and 70s, though aluminum is still a staple. That's M&J’s best-selling boat today. M&J has gone through a lot of changes over the last 106 years, but three things have always been a major part of their business: taking care of the customer, offering outstanding customer service, and having the products that people want.

 

Ray’s dad and uncle owned the business before him, and they instilled his customer-based business philosophy early on. No matter what M&J were providing their customers – scrap and car parts, hardware, toys (actual children’s toys), skis – the needs of the customer came first. They’ve been exclusively boats for the past 20 years or so, and they keep their customers’ needs in mind from every angle, starting with their location.

 

You can't miss it. M&J if visible from Highway 39, so everyone heading up north to enjoy time at a lakeside cabin can stop by as easily as a stop for gas and snacks. They’re close to water so they can test their products, they’re in a great area for expansion, and they offer a wide variety of products and services, from accessories to repair.

 

Repairs are a big part of their business, especially during the transition time between seasons. Owners are more likely to notice issues when they are winterizing their boats or bringing it out of storage in the spring. And of course, M&J offers storage facilities as one of their many services, so it’s convenient for their customers who might need a minor repair done before they head up to the Northwoods.

 

Most of their storage is off-site, away from their main facility, so a lot of the boats you might see from the highway are either repairs or new deliveries. Boat manufacturers can’t keep up with demand during the summer months, so they ship year-round. That means M&J has plenty of tightly-wrapped boats just waiting for new owners.

 

Each new boat is wrapped in plastic wrap to literally keep it fresh! The wrap seals it off so things don't get inside of it during shipping – rain, snow, ice, and salt. Wrapping a boat takes some time, even with their custom built wrapping frames. The rolls of plastic are approximately about 16 feet wide. Ray and his team stretch it over and use a heat gun to seal it. Not a hair dryer, though. This one shoots out a flame from a propane tank! It takes a skilled hand to heat the wrap enough to shrink it without melting it. But once the boat is wrapped, snow just slides right off.

 

Ray says they wrap a LOT of pontoon boats, but they also do oversized wrapping as a service, as long as the object isn't too large. Some of the other things they wrap include machinery and other loads for shipping.

 

When we mentioned the boats on-site at M&J are mostly new and some repairs, some of those boats undergoing repairs are used boats that they refurbish during the winter months. They’ll start refurbishing boats that they’ve purchased, usually during December and January, and by February they’re ready for sale. By then, most people are done dealing with winter, and they’re ready for spring. They’ll start planning their next boat trip, and sometimes, their next boat.

 

Their best sales month for used boats is February, and those boats go fast because they are one-of-a-kind. It also helps that they’re cheaper than buying new! Ray said customers should consider their needs, what they want from their boat, as well as their budget. If your needs outpace your budget, then it's either a used boat or no boat at all.

 

Ray says a lot of customers only buy used, which is a great bet at M&J. Every boat is gone through, inspected, and everything that needs to be done on it is taken care of by professionals so they don't have a bad experience.

 

If a boat owner wants to upgrade their gadgets, M&J has that covered as well. They carry everything from fish finders to GPS units, trolling motors, power anchors, bumpers, life jackets, water toys, propellers and so much more. They used to sell docks, but now they partner with Lakeside Marine in Minocqua and they’ve been really happy with that partnership.

 

Ray says one of their biggest selling accessories is spare propellers. The most common repair issue comes from underwater debris. Since boaters can’t see an obstacle, they are more likely to hit it, and the propeller usually sustains the damage. Since the cost between repairing and replacing a modern propeller is about the same (depending on the material, with stainless steel being more resilient but also more expensive), most people will buy a spare. It’s like keeping a spare tire in your car, and they’re easy to change out if you run into an issue. Or a rock.

 

The biggest boat accessory they deal with might also be the most invisible: trailers. Ray says a week doesn’t go by that they don’t have a trailer brought in by a tow truck with blown tires or seized bearings. If your boat has been in storage all winter, especially if it’s outside, always inspect your trailer and its tires before you take it on the road!

 

Just being outside can cause a number of issues – animals chewing on wires, UV damage to tires, tire pressure loss, and more. On a boat trailer, tire pressure is critical because every pound of pressure the tires are down will impact its load capacity. If your trailer is perfectly matched to your boat, losing a pound of pressure can mean a loss of tens of pounds of carrying capacity, which can cause performance issues and premature tire wear.

 

Ray mentions that a lot of people take great care of their boats, but don’t pay attention to their trailer, even when it’s the trailer doing the literal heavy lifting! The heavy pulling, though, is up to your vehicle. And that’s where Schierl Tire comes in!

 

There's certain things that boat owners need to do as a pre-flight inspection to make sure their vehicle is up to the challenge: the hitch is not rusted through or rusted out, the proper lighting wiring is installed and functional, tow chains are attached, mirrors can safely see around the boat, and the vehicle’s tire pressure is correct for the job. One thing going wrong can ruin your whole weekend, or more.

 

Apart from your vehicle’s fitness, you may need to make some adjustments to how you drive when towing a large boat and trailer. The load has to be balanced so your trailer doesn’t fishtail at higher speeds. You may need to drive a little slower, since you won’t have the same stopping power you’re used to. You can’t change lanes often, since you’re twice as long. Not only that, but you’re going to have to learn how to maneuver around tight spots, not to mention backing your new boat into the water at a boat landing!

 

Ray’s advice for that last one is to practice in a parking lot for at least half an hour. Back the trailer up, try to get it into a specific area, then reset and try again. Get yourself used to how the trailer behaves and what your space limitations might be.

 

One of the first things M&J’s sales team asks is, “Do you have a truck or car that’s rated for this kind of towing job?” That can dictate your boat options pretty quickly! You may want a 25-foot Bennington with a 400 horsepower motor, but it's 6,000 pounds and your minivan is rated at 3,000 pounds.

 

Apart from larger mirrors so you can see behind the boat, you might need a different hitch to get the new trailer running level, distribute the extra weight better, and put as little stress on your vehicle as possible. Bryan says a lot of the time when a truck owner comes in with tire issues, it’s wear brought on by the wrong tow angle and balance. You need to strike a balance between keeping the full weight of your load off just the back tires, but not too light so the trailer sways back and forth on the road.

 

M&J’s team is very good at explaining all these requirements to new boat owners, because they’ve seen it all!

 

One thing you may have seen driving down the highway is a trail of life preservers, maybe a cooler, a camp chair, and more. Ray says when people head up north for the weekend, the boat literally becomes a trailer as people load beach supplies and more. Be careful doing this! Apart from making sure your load is secure so it doesn’t fly out on the highway, double check your trailer’s capacity so you’re not overloading it. Your trailer probably has a little leeway as far as its weight capacity goes, but if you’re on a long trip out of state or in Canada, you may have to bring more equipment, extra gas, drinking water, and – since this is Wisconsin after all – beer.

 

You can quickly surpass your trailer’s weight rating, eat up that extra carrying capacity, and dip into dangerous waters. The tiny little boat trailer tires can’t take it, especially on a longer trip. Hit one pothole, and your vacation is over.

 

Of course, not everyone is looking for a small yacht. Ray says a major part of M&J Marine’s business is the traditional aluminum fishing boat. They sell a variety of brands, as well as watercraft that range from deluxe and small fishing boats to pontoon boats, jet boats, and personal watercraft known as jet skis.

 

 

All right, well, let's get back to Cronan Wetter, Wisconsin, and MJ Marine, and let's dig in a little deeper in this thing we call boating. Ray, what type of boats are you involved with? Just about anything that floats? Well, no, we're a little bit more limited as far as scope. But what we carry are aluminum fishing type boats are a major part of our business.

 

We carry the Lund brand and the Alumacraft brand. And then we also carry Bennington pontoon boats and we carry Yamaha jet boats, which is more of a runabout. And then we carry the Yamaha WaveRunner, which is a personal watercraft.

 

So is that a new name for a jet ski? Well, jet ski is like the name Band-Aid, you know, has a very generic meaning. But Sea-Doo makes their models, which are called Sea-Doo's. Kawasaki was the one that really created the word jet ski for their brand.

 

The biggest boats they sell are a 28-foot-long, 8 1/2 -foot-wide pontoon boats (the most popular size is a more modest 22-foot boat). Pontoon boats (and tri-toon boats, with a third float) are gaining popularity as a lot of older people own lakefront property and want something that’s easier to get on and off of, spend the day touring, fish from and you can even waterski with them. As people downsize, they will go from a speedboat to a pontoon, which offers a lot of flexibility for water-based activities.

 

With all this talk about boats and afternoons on the lake, Rob was in the mood to get the boats out. Ray says he’ll have to wait until about mid-April, but up north it might be until late May before the waterways are ready for boat traffic. Plenty of for de-winterizing your boat!

 

Step one: charge your battery! Since most batteries are in the marine industry are 100 amp batteries, if you have a two amp charger on it, it could take 50 hours to get the full charge. Ray says there’s some math involved. Look at what the amperage of your battery is, what the amperage of your charger is. Amperage is measured in hours, so a one-amp charger will charge an amp per hour.

 

While your battery is charging, inspect the engine. Make sure there are no fluid levels that have dropped over the winter months. Things like that could indicate a seal has gone out. When M&J winterizes your boat, they check everything, including the seals. It’s always a good idea to check for any other damage, though. Rodent damage is a big one if you store it yourself, especially if it spends the winter up north at a cabin. Fabric, electrical wires, ropes – nothing is safe!

 

When you store your boat, make sure the tank is relatively full, especially if you have a metal gas tank that could develop corrosion. In the spring, top off your tank with fresh fuel. Check your trailer to make sure the tires and bearing are good, the wiring is intact, and the lights are all functional.

 

Make sure your trailer tires are at the proper pressure! Even if they are, they may have developed flat spot from sitting over the winter. When you first hit the road, drive slowly to let them warm up and get back in shape. Wheel bearings may need maintenance – Ray recommends a repack every couple years to prevent damage from grease seeping out, possible rust from water exposure, and more.

 

Tandem axle trailers for bigger boats may have their own braking system, which will need inspection and maintenance like any other braking system. Make sure the flued levels are correct, and inspect for rust. Remember, this is something you’re dipping in the water and then bringing home to sit. And rust.

 

Not all rust is an emergency – if you pull the trailer out of storage and it squeaks a little, just drive it a few miles and the squeaking will go away. If it doesn’t, you might need some maintenance.

 

 

Question lighting round for Ray!

 

What type of boat do you own?

 

Ray: I own many boats, actually. So I live on Lake DuBay, and I'm fortunate I have a Centurion ski boat, which is a brand that we used to sell that I absolutely love. I'm a water skier, and I love that. I have two wave runners. They get a lot of use.

 

I also have two Walt Disney World. They're called Mickey boats. They're very small ten footers with 20 horsepower Mercury outboards on the back. Disney World doesn't do them anymore because of an accident they had with alligators, I think, in their water a few years back. A lot of these boats came out on the market, and I bought a couple of them three years before to take my grandkids out. And I think my wife and I enjoy them more than anybody. They're just fun. And then I have a Beddington pontoon with a 400 horse on it so I can go fast if I need to.

 

I also have a couple of Hobie kayaks. That was a brand that we used to sell years ago. And during the pandemic, they wanted dealers that sold just kayaks that weren't going to work for me. So, fantastic product, works well. We did step away from the kayak business.

 

Like some people collect antique cars, I collect antique boats. I have a couple old Malibus. These are fiberglass like ones a 1987 Malibu. It's dear to my heart because it was the first ski boat I owned. I have one of those. And then I have another Malibu, a 2001 that I let my family members use, my sisters and stuff. And then I have some really old antique boats that I don't use. I have an old Evenrude boat that Evenrude made back in the 60s. No wood boats. Wood boats are just too much work.

 

Even though I'm 62, my kids and their grandchildren are starting to get into it a little bit, too. We’re going to go skiing. We're going to pull the tubes. We're going to go kneeboarding, whatever it might be. We get lots of visitors during the summer, which is fantastic.

 

What is one safety recommendation you have?

 

Ray: Have a life jacket that fits everybody. And for especially the kids. I grew up going to a lake in Rhinelander. If we were going to go on the dock, if we were going to go on a boat, we had to put a life jacket on. If we were going to go swimming or something in the lake, that was one thing in the shallows. But I've taken that with my kids growing up on the water. They always had life jackets on.

 

It is the law. You need to have a wearable life jacket on board for every person on that boat of the appropriate size. If you have an infant on, you have to have an infant life jacket. Doesn't necessarily have to be on them, but it has to be in your boat.

 

And it's kind of funny, even though my daughters are married and they're in their mid-30s, a lot of times I see them, if they step onto the dock, they're putting a life jacket on. So it's kind of a habit. With the little ones, they know if they go in the boat, they're putting a life jacket on it because all it takes is one odd thing to happen.

 

We have a little dog and he does very well. Can he swim? Sure. Does he like to? Not really, but he'll wade in the water. But if we're going to take him out on the wave runner, for example, we put a life jacket on him. Because again, all it takes is one bad bump. Something happens and that pet’s in the water.

 

And just making sure that you stay inside the rails of a boat, be it the gunnels, side rails, don't be hanging over the edge while the boat's under your power. I think we've all been to the boat landing or at a lake and I'll see people sitting on the front of a pontoon boat with their legs dangling while the motor's going forward and it's like, I know that really sounds appealing to have your feet in the water, but all it takes is one bump, you fall underneath. It could be catastrophic.

 

Get your kids used to wearing life jackets early and then it becomes habit for them. Just like most of us get into a car. First thing we do is what? We put our safety belt on.

 

Big thanks to Ray for the solid safety advice, and for hosting our team at M&J Sports in Kronenwetter! Even though boats don’t have tires, we learned a lot chatting with Ray, and we hope we’ll get an invitation to join him on the lake this summer. With our life jackets on, of course.

 

Road trip: The Apostle Islands!

 

With all the talk about water, we decided to head all the way up to the top west corner of Wisconsin, to the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior – 21 islands to be specific. Rob says he hasn’t been there…yet! Since they’re islands, you need a boat to get there. Bill said he always got there by sailboat.

 

One of the big attractions is the caves, a federal reserve area, one of the few in the nation, where the park itself is completely water. Ray says that kayaking in those caves is fantastic, with sunlight that reflects through the clear water to light up the cave. Visitors can Kayak a couple hundred feet into the caves for a breathtaking view.

 

If you’re not into kayaking or sailing, the Madeline Island Ferry can get you where you’re going…in the summer. During the winter, when all the boats are tightly wrapped until spring, it’s a different story.

 

That would be the time to visit the caves, with amazing sheets of icicles and ice formations coming off the rocks. Weather permitting, you can reach Madeline Island via one of the few ice highways on the continent.

 

Ray says he has been out to the islands in the summer, but the water can get choppy. He said the first time he was out there with friends, they were camping on one of the islands and walking along the beach. They all looked at each other when they realized the sand was making noise. They got back and researched it, and they found that the phenomenon is called the singing sands. The shape of the sand is such that when it moves, it makes noise.

 

Where else can you go on vacation and have the beach serenade you? We can’t wait to head up to the Bayfield area and catch the first ferry out to the isl.ands!