Repair & maintenance guides

Replacing a Seacock or Through-Hull Fitting

When a seacock is frozen, corroded or really a gate valve, it has to be replaced with the boat out of the water. Learn what a proper seacock is, bronze vs Marelon, why the through-hull and backing block usually get replaced too, how the job is done, and when to hand it to a yard.

Shock-Absorbing Boat Seats and Pedestals: Choosing, Installing and Adjusting

Pounding through chop hurts backs and necks, and hard wave impacts can fracture a spine, especially up front. Learn the difference between a shock-absorbing pedestal and a suspension seat base, how to mount one solidly, how to set it for the rider's weight, and the simple care that keeps it working, plus the seating and driving habits that matter just as much.

Spiders, Wasps and Insects on Your Boat: Prevention and Safe Cleanup

Why boats attract spiders, mud daubers, wasps and swarming lake insects, how to clean webs and droppings without harming gelcoat or canvas, and how to keep nests out of the vents, telltales and fittings your boat needs to breathe.

Sterndrive Corrosion: Paint Blisters, Anodes, MerCathode and Galvanic Isolators

Learn to spot the early signs of corrosion on an aluminum sterndrive, check the anodes and the MerCathode or Volvo Penta ACP system, and understand when a galvanic isolator or a hull potential test is needed. Caught early, corrosion costs a few anodes; caught late, it can cost the whole drive.

Sterndrive Power Steering Hoses and Fluid Cooler: Inspection and When to Replace

Learn to spot the early signs of a failing power steering hose or fluid cooler on a MerCruiser, Volvo Penta or similar sterndrive or inboard, from rusty crimped hose ends and red fluid in the bilge to a cooler that leaks fluid overboard or lets water into the system. Inspection is an owner job; replacement is usually for a pro.

Stiff or Seized Mechanical Steering - Lubricate, Inspect and Replace the Steering Cable

Fix hard, notchy or loose cable steering on an outboard boat. Find out whether the engine, the tilt tube, the cable or the helm is the problem, clean and grease what can be serviced, and measure and install a new cable correctly when the old one is done.

Stress and Spider Cracks in Fiberglass, Cosmetic or Structural?

Learn what causes spider, stress and hairline cracks in your boat's gelcoat, how to tell cosmetic crazing from a structural problem with a simple tap and flex check, and when a gelcoat repair is enough or a pro is needed.

Stripping Old Bottom Paint: Chemical Strippers, Blasting and Sanding

Learn when old bottom paint has to come off, how chemical strippers, soda or media blasting and sanding compare, how to protect yourself and the water from toxic dust, and why a bare hull needs primer or a barrier coat before new antifouling.

Synthetic Teak Decking: Choosing, Installing and Caring for PVC Teak

PVC "teak" such as Flexiteek, PlasDECK and Permateek gives you the teak look without oiling or recaulking, but it is glued down for good and it gets hot in the sun. Learn how it compares with real teak and foam, what a pro or DIY install involves, and how to clean, repair and keep the warranty valid.

Teak Deck and Trim Care: Clean, Oil, Seal or Leave It Natural

Keep teak decks, rails and trim looking good without wearing them away. Choose between a natural gray look, oil, sealer or varnish, and learn how to clean teak gently so you don't destroy it with harsh cleaners or a pressure washer.

Vinyl Hull Wraps: Pros, Cons, Prep, Care and Removal

Find out whether a vinyl wrap makes sense instead of paint for your hull, how to prep for it, when to hire an installer, how to wash it without ruining it, and why wraps stop at the waterline.

Wake Boat Ballast Systems - Care, Troubleshooting, Weight Limits and Winterizing

Keep your wake boat's ballast tanks, bags and pumps working: fill and drain them the right way, stay under the boat's weight capacity, fix tanks that won't fill or empty, change the pump impellers, stop invasive species from riding along, and protect the system from freezing.

Wet Exhaust and Waterlift Mufflers: Stop Water Flooding the Engine and Catch Leaks Early

On most sailboats and many power boats, cooling water is sprayed into the exhaust and pushed out through a waterlift muffler. Learn how the system works, why long cranking can flood the engine with seawater (and when to close the seacock), and how to inspect the muffler, hoses, clamps and siphon break, including the scorch marks that tell you the exhaust once ran dry.