Repair & maintenance guides

How to Check and Test a Gasoline Vapor (Fume) Detector

A gasoline vapor detector sniffs the bilge all the time and sounds an alarm long before fumes can explode. Learn how these detectors work, where the sensor belongs, how to test the system the way its maker says, what causes false alarms, what to do when it goes off, and why it never replaces the blower and your own sniff test.

How to Check, Mount and Replace Boat Fire Extinguishers

A monthly five-minute check of every fire extinguisher aboard, plus how the 2022 Coast Guard rule changes affect you, where to mount them, and when to recharge or replace. A boat fire spreads in seconds, and an extinguisher with a dead gauge, missing pin or expired date will not help you or pass a boarding.

How to Choose and Fit Life Jackets for Children and Babies

Pick the right Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each child by weight, check the fit so it can't slip off, look for head support and a crotch strap on little ones, and learn the federal and state wear rules. Inflatables are not for kids, and a life jacket never replaces an adult watching.

How to Inspect and Clean a Backfire Flame Arrestor

Every gasoline inboard and sterndrive engine must have a backfire flame arrestor to stop a backfire from setting the engine compartment on fire. Learn what the rules require, how to spot a clogged or damaged arrestor, how to clean it the way your engine maker allows, and why you must never run the engine without it.

How to Inspect and Replace Boat Fuel Fill and Vent Hoses

Old fill and vent hoses crack, go soft and leak gasoline into the bilge, often where you can't see them. Learn the signs of aging, which USCG hose types (A1, A2, B1, B2) belong on fill and vent lines, why fill hoses need two clamps at each end, how to check the vent fitting, flame arrester and anti-spill devices, and how a careful replacement is done.

How to Inspect Your Boat's Fuel Tank, Fill, Vent and Hoses

A leaking gas tank is one of the most dangerous problems a boat can have, and it usually starts out of sight. Learn how to inspect portable and built-in tanks, spot aluminum tanks corroding from below, know the ethanol risk for old fiberglass tanks, and check the fill, vent, hoses, clamps and sender, plus why tank replacement is a job for a pro.

How to Install a Backup Bilge Pump and High-Water Alarm

Add a second, larger automatic bilge pump mounted above the primary, with its own overboard discharge and a loud high-water alarm wired so it works even with the battery switch off, then test it every month so it buys you real time if the boat starts taking on water.

How to Load Your Boat Safely: Capacity Plate, Balance and Stability

Too much weight, or the right weight in the wrong place, is behind most small-boat capsizes and swampings. Learn to read the capacity plate (persons, weight and horsepower), add up your real load, balance it side to side and fore and aft, and adjust for rough water, water aboard and towing riders.

How to Prepare for a Free Vessel Safety Check

Volunteers from the Coast Guard Auxiliary and America's Boating Club will inspect your boat's safety gear for free, with no ticket if something is missing. Learn how to request a Vessel Safety Check, what the examiner looks at, how to get your boat ready and what to do with the fix list.

How to Prepare Your Boat for a Hurricane or Tropical Storm

Make a written storm plan before the season, then haul out or secure the boat with doubled lines and chafe gear, strip off everything that catches wind, and check it safely after the storm. Never ride out a hurricane aboard.

How to Protect Your Boat, Motor and Trailer From Theft

Practical, layered security for boat owners: outboard locks, trailer coupler and wheel locks, disabling the boat, GPS trackers, engraving and marking, photo and serial number records, safer storage, and exactly what to report (HIN and serial numbers) if your boat is stolen.

How to Refuel a Boat Safely (Gas Dock, Gas Station and Portable Tanks)

A step-by-step fueling routine that keeps gasoline vapor out of your bilge and fuel out of the water: shut everything down, close up, keep the nozzle in contact, stop short of full, ventilate, run the blower and sniff before you start. Includes portable tanks, personal watercraft and what to do about a spill.

Ignition-Protected Parts: Why Car Starters and Alternators Don't Belong in a Gas Boat

On a boat with a gasoline inboard, sterndrive or generator, every spark-producing part in the engine space must be ignition protected so it can't set off fuel vapors. Learn what the term means under 33 CFR 183.410, which parts need it, how to read the markings, why cheaper automotive parts are dangerous, and how to check what's already in your engine compartment.

Inflatable Life Jacket Care: Inspect, Test and Rearm

An inflatable life jacket only saves a life if the cylinder is full, the inflator is armed and the bladder holds air. Learn the quick check before every trip, the overnight leak test, how to read replacement dates and how to rearm it after it fires.

Launch Day and Haul-Out Checklist for Trailer Boats

A step-by-step checklist for getting your boat off the trailer and back on again safely and quickly, from the drain plug and tie-downs to the blower and ramp etiquette. Following it in order prevents the classic mistakes that sink boats and back up the ramp.

Life Raft Care: Service Intervals, Hydrostatic Releases, Mounting and the Grab Bag

A life raft you can't launch or that won't inflate is worse than none, because it gives false confidence. Learn how often rafts need professional service, how to pick a service station, when to replace the hydrostatic release, where to mount a canister or stow a valise, the checks you can do yourself, and what belongs in the grab bag instead of the raft.

Lightning and Your Boat: Protection, Storm Safety and After-Strike Inspection

How lightning damages boats, what a professionally installed protection system (ABYC and NFPA 780 guidance) can and cannot do, what to do when a storm catches you on the water, and a step-by-step inspection checklist after a strike, including the haul-out, compass, electronics, through-hulls and the insurance claim.

Make a Fire Escape Plan for Your Boat: Exits, Extinguishers, Roles and Shutoffs

Map two ways out of every cabin, put extinguishers where you can actually reach them, assign who does what, and practice shutting off fuel and power and getting everyone off upwind. A boat fire leaves only a few minutes, so the plan has to be made and walked through before you need it.

Man-Overboard Recovery Gear: Throwables, Lifesling, Ladders and MOB Alarms

Set up and check the gear that gets a person in the water back aboard - a throwable within reach, a floating rescue line or Lifesling-style sling, a boarding ladder someone in the water can pull down, and MOB alarms or AIS beacons - and practice the drill so it works when it counts.

Missing or Faded Capacity Plate: How to Read It and Get a Proper Replacement

The capacity plate tells you how many people, how much weight and how much horsepower your boat can safely handle. Learn what each line means, which boats must have one under 33 CFR 183, how to order a replacement from the builder, what to do if the builder is gone, and why homemade numbers are a bad idea.

Portable Gas Cans and Fuel Storage: Filling, Storing at Home and Aboard, and Getting Rid of Old Gas

Gas cans and portable boat tanks are handy and dangerous in equal measure. Learn what makes a modern can compliant, why you always fill it on the ground, how to store gasoline at home and on the boat, how long ethanol fuel really lasts, and how to dispose of old gas legally.

Powered Winch and Windlass Safety: Keep Fingers Clear and Power Within Reach

Electric and hydraulic winches and anchor windlasses can crush hands and pull a person into the drum in seconds. Learn where switches and the emergency power cutoff belong, how to keep hands and lines safe, why the windlass should never hold the boat, and how to brief your crew.

Propane (LPG) Safety on Boats - Locker, Solenoid, Sniffer and Leak Test

Learn why leaking propane sinks into the bilge, how to inspect the locker, cylinders, hoses, solenoid and gas alarm, and how to run a simple leak test. Repairs to a propane system belong to a qualified marine technician.

Reading Your Boat's Capacity Label (Old and New 2026 Format) and What It Means for a Repower

Learn to read every line of your boat's capacity plate, including the new ABYC S-7 label the Coast Guard accepted in July 2026 with its maximum outboard motor running weight, and use it to check a load or a repower before you spend money. Practical guidance, not legal advice.