Repair & maintenance guides

Releasing Deep-Water Fish with Barotrauma: Descending Devices, Venting and the Federal Gear Rules

Snapper, grouper and other bottom fish reeled up from deep water often float off with bulging eyes and a swollen belly. A descending device sends them back down to where the pressure fixes the problem. Here's what federal rules require in the South Atlantic and Gulf (and what changed in 2026), how to rig and use a descender, and where venting fits.

Remote Boat Monitoring: Bilge, Battery, Shore Power and GPS Alerts on Your Phone

Choose, install and set up a system that texts you when your unattended boat is taking on water, losing battery or shore power, or moving without you. Covers cellular versus satellite, what each sensor really tells you, wiring it so it stays on, sensible alert settings and what happens to your location data.

Renaming a Boat: Paperwork, Removing the Old Name and the Optional Ceremony

Change your boat's name the right way: what a state-registered boat needs versus a Coast Guard documented boat (name change and hailing port go through the NVDC before you letter the hull), getting every trace of the old name off, lettering rules for documented boats, who else to tell (insurer, marina, MMSI, EPIRB, AIS), and the traditional renaming ceremony if you want the fun.

Renting Out Your Boat on Peer-to-Peer Apps: Insurance, Bareboat vs. Captained, State Rental Laws, Taxes and Wear

Thinking of listing your boat on a peer-to-peer rental platform to offset ownership costs? Learn why your personal policy probably won't cover it, what platform insurance does and doesn't do, the legal difference between a bareboat rental and a captained trip, state livery laws like Florida's, how rental income is taxed, and the real cost of extra hours and wear. Practical guidance, not legal, tax or insurance advice.

Replacing a Boat Trailer Axle: When You Need One and How to Order the Right Size

A bent, rusted-through or undersized axle can't be fixed with new bearings. Learn the signs, the difference between straight, drop and torsion axles, the measurements a supplier needs (hub face, spring centers), what to specify for saltwater, and why this is usually a trailer-shop job.

Replacing a Built-In Boat Fuel Tank: What's Involved and Why It's Usually a Pro Job

A leaking built-in gas tank is a fire and explosion risk that has to be fixed, not patched. Learn the signs a tank needs replacing, why foamed-in aluminum tanks corrode, what a compliant replacement tank and label look like, how access, grounding, hoses, vents and foam should be handled, and how to plan and check the work.

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.

Right-of-Way on the Water: The Navigation Rules Every Recreational Boater Should Know

There are no lanes or stop signs on the water, so the Navigation Rules decide who keeps course and who gets out of the way. Learn stand-on and give-way, meeting head-on, crossing, overtaking, sail versus power, narrow channels, big ships, safe speed and keeping a proper lookout, with the rule numbers from the U.S. Inland Navigation Rules (33 CFR Part 83).

Roadside Trailer Repairs: Carrying a Spare Hub and Changing a Hub or Tire Safely

Why a pre-greased spare hub and a real spare tire belong in every boat-trailer kit, how to pick the right ones, and how to change a failed hub or a flat on the shoulder without getting hurt: getting off the road, warning triangles, chocks, frame jack points, a lug wrench that fits, and the checks to make afterward.

Salvage and Branded Title Boats: What They Mean, the Risks, and How to Check Before You Buy

Understand boats that an insurer declared a total loss: what salvage, rebuilt and hull-damaged title brands mean, why flood and storm boats hide expensive problems, how branded titles affect insurance, financing and resale, how to dig into a boat's history, and what a survey should check. Title branding rules differ a lot by state, and some states don't brand boat titles at all.

Satellite Internet on Your Boat: Starlink Plans, Mounting, Power and Wiring

An owner's guide to putting Starlink aboard: which plans allow coastal, offshore and in-motion use (as of October 2026), how much battery it eats, 12-volt versus inverter power, where to mount the dish, and how to route and seal the cable without leaks.

Satellite Messenger vs PLB vs EPIRB: Which Emergency Device Should You Carry?

A PLB or EPIRB calls government search and rescue through the 406 MHz Cospas-Sarsat satellites with no subscription; a satellite messenger like an inReach or SPOT sends an SOS through a private network and adds texting and tracking for a monthly or yearly fee. Learn how each one alerts rescuers, what registration, subscriptions and batteries they need, what to carry for lakes, coastal and offshore boating, and how to test without causing a false alarm.

Seasickness: How to Prevent It and Care for Seasick Crew and Guests

Almost anyone can get seasick in the right conditions, but a few habits make a big difference. Learn why it happens, where to sit, what to eat and drink, how over-the-counter remedies fit in (and why the person running the boat must be careful with drowsy ones), how to look after someone who's sick, and when it might be something more serious. General information only, not medical advice.

Selling Your Boat: Broker, Private Sale, Consignment or Dealer Trade-In

Compare the four ways to sell a used boat (yacht broker, selling it yourself, dealer consignment and trade-in) on cost, effort, speed and risk, then handle the listing agreement, buyer scams, sea trial and survey etiquette, deposit and closing the right way. Practical help, not legal or financial advice.

Set Up Your VHF Radio: MMSI, DSC, GPS Hookup and Radio Checks

Get a free or low-cost MMSI number, program it into your DSC radio, connect your GPS so a distress alert sends your exact position, check the antenna, and learn the Channel 16 rules and the right way to do a radio check.

Shallow-Water Anchor Care: Power-Pole, Minn Kota Talon and Raptor Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Keep a shallow-water anchor deploying and holding: rinse it the way its maker recommends, inspect the spike and pivot bolts, check hydraulic fluid on pump models, keep the fuse, wiring and pump dry, update the software, know how to stow it by hand and get it ready for winter. Internal pump, circuit board and cylinder repairs go to an authorized service center.

Sharing a Boat: Co-Ownership Agreements, Partnerships and Boat Club Alternatives

How to share a boat without losing a friend: choosing a partner, what a written agreement should cover (shares, costs, scheduling, maintenance standards, insurance, title, decisions and the exit), how to handle the inevitable disagreements, and when a boat club, rental or peer-to-peer option makes more sense. Practical guidance, not legal or tax advice.

Shipping a Boat with a Professional Transporter: Quotes, Vetting, Prep and Claims

Most boat shipments go fine, but when they don't, the owner who checked the carrier's authority and insurance, prepped the boat properly and documented everything at pickup and delivery is the one who gets paid. Here's how to hire a transporter, prepare the boat and handle damage.

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.

Shore Power Adapters and Y-Splitters: When a 30A or 50A Adapter Is Safe, and When It Isn't

Pigtail adapters and Y-splitters let a boat plug into a pedestal that doesn't match its inlet, but the wrong one, or the right one used carelessly, can overheat, trip the marina's ground-fault protection or start a fire. Learn the difference between 30A 125V, 50A 125V and 50A 125/250V, which adapters are reasonable, how to keep loads safe, and how to check connections for heat.

Shore Power Cord Ends: How to Judge a Cord, and When to Replace the Plug or the Whole Cord

Burned blades, a hot plug or a cracked locking ring don't always mean a brand-new cord, but sometimes they do. Learn how to inspect a shore power cord and its ends, decide between a replacement end and a new cord, what a proper sealed marine connector looks like, which parts of the job are safe for an owner and when the work belongs to an ABYC-certified electrician, plus the habits that make cord ends last.

Shore Power Inlet and Cord Upgrades: Burned Plugs, Better Connectors and Safe Adapters

Why shore power plugs and boat inlets overheat and burn, how to spot an inlet that needs replacing, what newer connector designs offer, and how to choose, size and care for cords and adapters. You inspect and buy the right cord; an ABYC-certified marine electrician replaces the inlet and its wiring.

Shore Power Safety: Cords, Inlets, Burned Plugs and Electric Shock Drowning

An owner's inspection routine for your shore power cord, plugs, boat inlet, galvanic isolator and ground-fault protection, plus the right way to plug in and the facts about Electric Shock Drowning. This guide is for looking and testing only; any electrical repair belongs to an ABYC-certified marine electrician.

Smoke and Heat Detectors on a Boat: Where They Make Sense, What to Buy and How to Test

A fire in a closed cabin, engine room or lazarette can grow for minutes before anyone notices. Learn where smoke alarms and heat detectors make sense aboard, why boats are hard on household alarms, how to power and test them, how they fit with CO alarms, and how automatic engine-room extinguishers and engine shutdown tie in.