Maintenance

How To Get Ready: Spring Commissioning Checklist from BoatUS

By Peter Janssen on March 3, 2020 Cruising Life, Maintenance

It’s that time of year again. With spring approaching, it’s time to get the boat ready for the new season. Here’s a great checklist from BoatUS about what to do now: SPRINGFIELD, Va., March 3, 2020 – Getting the boat ready for the summer boating season is an exciting time for America’s nearly 12 million recreational boaters. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has a Spring Commissioning Checklist to help boaters start the season right, along with a new YouTube Spring Fitting Out video library that shows you how to do some basic tasks, from changing the outdrive…

13 Secrets To Winterizing Your Boat from BoatUS

By Peter Janssen on October 1, 2019 Maintenance

SPRINGFIELD, Va., Sept. 30, 2019 – Boaters across the country are getting ready to put their boats to bed for a long winter’s nap, but not every boat owner knows all the secrets of winterizing a recreational boat. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) shares some quick tips to ensure safe storage until next season. 1. California, Florida and Texas have the most engine winterizing claims. Boaters in northern climates know to winterize but all it takes is one deep freeze in a normally balmy state to cause major damage to your boat. Unless you’re in an area…

New Weego Power Packs Supply More Jump Starts for Your Boat

By Peter Janssen on October 6, 2018 Cruising Life, Gear, Maintenance

If you want to jump start your boat, or your upcoming holiday shopping, take a look at the new Weego power packs. The Weego 44 and Weego 66 Power Packs are compact, rugged devices that have more power and features to make sure your vessel can start every time. They make a useful piece of gear for your boat at any time, and they also could be a much-appreciated addition to a holiday gift list for your favorite boat owner. Both Weegos have 10 percent more cranking amps of power, with the Weego 66 (pictured above) providing 660 cranking amps,…

Yamaha, Raymarine, Awlgrip and Ten Others Win IBEX Innovation Awards

By Peter Janssen on October 4, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics, Engine Room, Gear, Maintenance

Yamaha, Raymarine and Awlgrip were among the winners of the 2018 Innovation Awards at the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference in Tampa. The awards, made in 13 categories, were managed by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and judged by eight members of Boating Writers International. “This year’s entries were very focused on improving the boating experience,” said Alan Wendt, chairman of the judging panel. “From solving simple issues with canvas to more complex engineering challenges with hardware and composites, there is ample evidence of innovation underway in a thriving industry.” Yamaha won the outboard category for its new V-8, XTO…

The Hamiltons Get a New Prop Shaft After 9,500 Hours on Their Nordhavn 52. Then They Get a Vibration. A Blow-by-Blow Account

By Peter Janssen on April 10, 2018 Cruising Life, Maintenance

Back in December, James and Jennifer Hamilton, the globe-circling, high-tech cruising couple from Seattle, passed the 9,500-hour mark on the single 265-hp John Deere engine that drives their Nordhavn 52. That was in the North Atlantic. Since then they cruised to Ireland and then England, where, starting on Jan. 9, they decided to replace the cutlass bearings on the rudder shaft and on the wing and main prop shafts as well. They were at Saxon Wharf in Southampton. Hamilton gives a blow-by-blow account of what happened next, with pictures, all on their website (mvdirona.com). Here’s the short version: They loosened…

This Checklist from BoatUS Makes Spring Commissioning Easy. Take Heed

By Peter Janssen on March 27, 2018 Cruising Life, Maintenance

It’s that time of the year again, and cruisers in northern climes are starting to get their boats ready for the water again. You probably already have your spring commissioning tasks down pat; at least you probably have a routine that works for you and your boat that you follow year after year. But it never hurts to have a checklist to follow. Here’s a thorough, easy-to-do spring commissioning checklist from BoatUS that will help you get your boat ready for a full and safe season ahead. SPRING COMMISSIONING CHECKLIST Before You Launch: Hose clamps should be inspected and replaced…

How To Keep Your Batteries Alive and Well This Winter

By Peter Janssen on January 23, 2018 Cruising Life, Maintenance

Will your boat’s batteries survive the winter? You certainly don’t want to wait for spring to find the answer to that question. If your batteries are in fact dead when you try to start the season, they can be brought back to life; it’s not the end of the world. But it’s definitely a hassle you don’t want to have. Here’s some advice from Practical Sailor (for these purposes, batteries work the same way on powerboats and sailboats) about steps you can take to help your batteries last until warm weather. If you’ve removed the batteries from the boat, store…

How To Care for Your Seacocks: Ignore Them at Your Peril

By Peter Janssen on December 13, 2017 Cruising Life, Engine Room, Gear, Maintenance

Nothing is more vital to the integrity of your boat than its seacocks. Have a problem with one of them, and you literally could be sunk. Depending on the size and type of your boat, you could have a few, or quite a few, down in your bilge, but you’ll certainly have them for your engine(s), genset, head(s) and other equipment. It’s also a good idea to have a mallet and tapered plugs, sized to fit, ready to go in case one of them totally fails. Here’s a good story from Sea about how to care for seacocks and how…

How To Repair and Restore the Non-Skid Deck on Your Boat. An Easy Guide

By Peter Janssen on November 20, 2017 Cruising Life, Maintenance

All good things do come to an end, as the saying goes, and that certainly applies to the non-skid on your boat’s deck. Sooner or later, it will require more than a hard washing to make it look good again. And the problem is that old or cracking or worn-down non-skid is more than just a matter of looks. It’s also a matter of safety, of helping you keep your footing as you move around the boat. Repairing non-skid, however, is a big job. Here’s some great advice from Practical Sailor about to do it right, so it not only…

The Care and Feeding (and UItimate Replacement) of Teak Decks: Advice from a Pro

By Peter Janssen on July 11, 2017 Cruising Life, Maintenance

There’s nothing quite as elegant, or as salty, as a teak deck. Whether on a brand new yacht or an ancient trawler, teak decks are a statement. You can look at them, and walk on them, with pride. Until…The problem is that teak decks do not just take care of themselves. (I know; I used to have a Grand Banks with enough teak to duplicate a Malaysian rain forest.) The normal care and feeding of teak, the slight sanding, the varnishing, the repeat sanding, the repeat varnishing, is well known. But there does come a time in the life of…

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