Posted: May 1, 2013
Regular oil changes are arguably the most important thing a boat owner can do to increase an engines service life. As with most preventive maintenance, however, the easier the process, the more likely it will happen. Heres a look at how to make your oil-changing routine as painless as possible.
Posted: May 1, 2013
Boat owners who take pride in the appearance of their boat try to prevent the minor, but unsightly, marring caused by chafing and abrasion. Such marring can happen to painted or varnished wood finishes, polished chrome and stainless metal hardware, and smooth fiberglass and gelcoat finishes.
Posted: April 1, 2013
I cant overstress the importance of good ground tackle and its maintenance. On Easy Goin, we inspect the ground tackle annually as a part of our spring commissioning.
Posted: April 1, 2013
Water heaters crash for a variety of reasons. A failed heating element can often be repaired by replacing the defective parts. More serious is failure from freeze damage, which can split the water tank when the water in it expands. Often, water heaters are located in out-of-the-way places in the boat, and the damp environment can cause corrosion, rust and eventual failure as well.
Posted: March 1, 2013
Boaters considering upgrading or replacing a battery bank will find, after doing a bit of research, there are major changes taking place in battery technology.
Posted: March 1, 2013
The belts that provide life support to your engines accessories the alternator, auxiliary alternator, raw-water pump and circulator pump will typically provide reliable, trouble-free service, provided they are properly maintained and replaced on a regular schedule.
Posted: February 1, 2013
To begin, lets give credit where credit is due: No other device has facilitated navigation and exploration more than the humble magnetic compass. Although a magnetic compass remains as relevant today as during the time of Columbus its still the only piece of gear that can point the way home in the event of a complete power failure...
Posted: January 2, 2013
Here is what our dictionary says about a gadget: a mechanical contrivance or device; any ingenious article. I have a list of eight gadgets we find very helpful on the boat, and they may even be ingenious.
Posted: January 2, 2013
Many boat owners spend hours making sure their vessel shines with pride of ownership, washing, buffing and waxing their yacht to polished perfection. Little do they know that beneath that gleaming exterior in the seldom-thought-of depths of their bilge resides another oft-neglected item that also needs polishing. Of course, were talking about fuel.
Posted: December 1, 2012
When the topic of sinking comes up, most sailors think of ferocious gales, uncharted reefs or fog-shrouded collisions at sea. The less- sensational truth is that more boats slip quietly beneath the water at their own dock than anywhere else.
Posted: December 1, 2012
We cruise in the winter. It makes the investment in our boat more justifiable. Did I say investment? Justifiable? Well that is a subject for another day.
Posted: December 1, 2012
The transmission in your boat is the vital link between the engine and the prop, yet many boat owners never pay attention to their transmission until its too late.
Posted: November 1, 2012
Keeping your cool can be difficult when your engine temperature starts to rise. Fortunately, most overheating problems can be avoided by carrying out a few preemptive maintenance checks and procedures.
Posted: October 1, 2012
Beep, beep, beep. Life is full of alarms. So why would I install more alarms on our Krogen 42? Because there are three things that, if they are happening, I need to know about:
Posted: October 1, 2012
Hydraulic steering systems tend to exist in the background and dont show up on many maintenance lists.
Posted: October 1, 2012
While its often said the two best days of a boat owners life are when buying and selling, theres a third happy time that ranks right up there the day that ancient, temperamental marine toilet gets replaced with a modern, efficient unit.
Posted: September 1, 2012
Technology changes, innovation presses on and advancements are made. Eventually the-way-weve-always-done-it becomes antiquated, replaced by new ways, new recommendations and new rules. During times of change, confusion creates misunderstanding and misinformation. Myths somehow become common knowledge even when the common knowledge is wrong.
Posted: September 1, 2012
Since the year 2000, most new boats have come equipped with shaft seals that require no packing, but inboard-powered boats built before then have traditional stuffing boxes with packing. All stuffing boxes work on the same basic principle...
Posted: September 1, 2012
Marine batteries come in three chemical types: flooded, gel and AGM. The amount of attention you should give your batteries to maintain them in top condition depends on which type you have.
Posted: August 1, 2012
Youve been cruising hard for a couple of months now, and like it or not, the season is past the halfway point for most boaters. But that doesnt mean you cant get another month (or two) of on-water action.
Posted: August 1, 2012
When we had our full-displacement trawler, one of the issues we faced was how the boat handled in various sea conditions, including following seas, and how effectively the autopilot controlled the boat. Our experiences, and input from other full-displacement boat owners, have led me to a few conclusions.
Posted: July 1, 2012
Theres nothing more satisfying than capping a long day on the water with a good meal, be it burgers and dogs on the grill or a culinary extravaganza whipped up by the galley wizard. Gas appliances and system components are engineered to provide long service and include many often -redundant safety features. But like any complex system, they require regular maintenance to deliver the heat their designers intended.
Posted: July 1, 2012
Whether it is at the bottom of a chain locker or on the floor of a body of water, the anchor system is an essential part of your boats equipment. It generally consists of an anchor, a length of line and/or chain, and connection hardware. All components of your ground tackle should be regularly inspected and maintained.
Posted: July 1, 2012
BoatU.S. has a Consumer Protection Bureau, so it hears about the disagreements between boaters and repair facilities. Over the years, those disagreements have given the organization the information it needed to create this list of 10 tips for getting repairs done right.
