Maintenance

The Value of Rituals - Part 1

The Value of Rituals - Part 1

As the season moves into cooler weather, it is a great time to spend quality time checking and tightening everything on your boat, especially if you plan to head south for the winter.

Part I takes a first look at some things to inspect and tighten on systems.

Monday Minute - A Damn Fine Measure of Engine Durability

Monday Minute - A Damn Fine Measure of Engine Durability

Monitoring fuel consumed instead of engine hours is how Caterpillar measured its workhorse 3208 diesel engine for mean time between overhauls. That was a very sensible approach, providing a better view of how hard an engine has worked during its life. 

Monday Minute - Cleaners That Really Work

Monday Minute - Cleaners That Really Work

Doing the Loop? Been on the Tenn-Tom or Carolina ICW recently? Then you know about the dreaded mustache that forms on your boat's bow.

Now that the trip is done, or that section is behind you, how best to get your hull clean again?

Handholds Highlight Difficult Access

Handholds Highlight Difficult Access

As we get Blue Angel into the painting process, we find ways to make her better by greatly improving access to many of her systems and hardware. Improvements that will make the boat better.

Monday Minute - Time to Repaint!

Monday Minute - Time to Repaint!

When elbow-tiring, hand-rubbed compounding and waxing no longer does the job, it may be time to paint your boat. Gelcoat is not intended as a forever finish, and 11 years was perhaps waiting too long. No worries, striking beauty is only a paint job and $$$$ away. And it is the start of the effort to take this great Hunt design and make it into the great boat it should be. 

Enlightenment by a Dishwasher Repairman

Enlightenment by a Dishwasher Repairman

Sometime it takes a different perspective to connect what has been there all along. In this case, the routines of keeping ship appliances working applies just as well on shore.   

Monday Minute - Keeping Your Batteries Clean.

Monday Minute - Keeping Your Batteries Clean.

Our first Monday Minute, sharing a piece of useful information from traveling around the world, visiting boat builders and suppliers to our industry. Due to the enormous diversity of the global marine world, spanning commercial, recreational, and military segments, many of these professionals know much more than we will ever experience during our boating years.

I find their tips and comments worth considering.

Making a Good Boat Better - Part 3 - Both Power & Sail

Making a Good Boat Better - Part 3 - Both Power & Sail

Finding ways to make your trawler or sailboat better capable of traveling offshore. All of these efforts result in a better seaboat, even if you are not planning to cross oceans. And these upgrades will better familiarize you with the many systems on a cruising boat. And that brings confidence.

Making a Good Boat Better - Part 2 - Power

Making a Good Boat Better - Part 2 - Power

We continue our look at how to prepare your boat for going offshore in a powerboat or trawler, and what you should address to make sure things go as planned. The stresses of offshore travel are different from running in protected waters and preventative effort can help ensure a trouble-free passage, which is what we all aim for.

Keeping Diesel Fuel Clean

Keeping Diesel Fuel Clean

Recurring questions and inaccurate answers rule the day on the Internet when it comes to diesel fuel and delivery systems. I'm going through my notes to collect credible information gathered over many years. Ultimately I plan to assemble this into a resource of some value.

A Cruising Power Washer?

A Cruising Power Washer?

The delivery of a new Krogen 58 from Annapolis to Ft Lauderdale gives me an idea of how to wash off the inevitable salty slime that comes from rough weather offshore.