Repair & maintenance guides

Impressed Current Corrosion Protection on Yachts: How It Works and How to Keep an Eye on It

Larger aluminum and steel yachts often use an impressed current system instead of, or alongside, sacrificial anodes. Learn what the control panel, anodes and reference electrodes do, how to log and double-check the readings with a portable reference cell, why over-protection can strip paint and attack aluminum, what to do at haul-out, and when to call a corrosion specialist.

Inflatable Boat and Dinghy Care: Cleaning, UV Protection, Leaks and Storage

Keep your inflatable or RIB tender holding air for years. Rinse and clean it the right way, protect the tubes from sun, check pressure with a gauge, find slow leaks with soapy water, service the valves, patch small holes with the correct glue for PVC or Hypalon, and store it clean and dry.

Livewell, Baitwell and Washdown Pumps - Clean, Troubleshoot and Winterize

Find out why a livewell or washdown pump runs but moves no water, from a closed valve or clogged pickup to an airlock, then clean the system and winterize both sides of every pump so nothing cracks over the winter.

Marine Head and Holding Tank Care: Odors, Clogs, Pump-Outs and Winterizing

Keep your boat's toilet and holding tank working and odor-free, clear common clogs, pump out the right way, and winterize the system. Also covers the Y-valve and the federal no-discharge rules every owner with a head needs to follow.

Marine Sealants Explained: 5200, 4200, 4000UV, Polysulfide, Silicone and Butyl Tape

Pick the right sealant before you bed a cleat, a through-hull, a window or a transducer. The wrong goo either leaks in a year or glues a part on so hard you damage the boat getting it off.

Marine Vinyl Stain Removal: Ink, Sunscreen, Grease, Mildew and Pink Stain

A stain-by-stain plan for boat seat vinyl that follows your vinyl maker's own cleaning list, starts with the mildest method, and keeps you away from the products that strip the protective top coat, rot the stitching or crack the vinyl.

Marine Water Heater Care: No Hot Water, Relief Valve, Anode and Winter Draining

Most boat water heaters warm up two ways: a 120-volt electric element at the dock and a coil that borrows hot coolant from the engine underway. Learn the safe owner checks when the hot water quits, what a dripping relief valve means, and how to drain and bypass the tank for winter.

Mounting Hardware Where You Can't Reach Behind: Blind Fasteners

Learn how to mount light accessories on a boat when you can't get a hand behind the panel, using blind rivets, rivet nuts, well nuts, toggle anchors and bonded studs, when to cut an inspection port instead, and what must never be held by a blind fastener.

Oil or Fuel in the Bilge: Safe, Legal Cleanup

What to do when you find oil, diesel or gasoline in your bilge. Soak it up with oil-only absorbents, keep it from being pumped overboard, dispose of it properly, report any sheen on the water to the National Response Center, and find the leak so it does not happen again.

Outboard Hydrofoil Fins: Do They Help, and How to Install One Safely

Learn when a bolt-on hydrofoil (the fin that mounts on the anti-ventilation plate) can help a boat plane sooner or stop porpoising, what it can cost you in top speed and handling, and how to mount one without drilling into an anode, trim tab or speed pickup.

Outrigger Care: Poles, Halyards, Release Clips and Bases

Keep your outriggers strong and working by rinsing them after every trip, checking poles, halyards, pulleys, release clips and through-bolted bases for wear and corrosion, storing them down and secured, and handling them safely under way and near power lines.

Power-Lift Kicker Brackets: Wiring, Waterproofing and Actuator Care

An electric kicker lift raises and lowers your trolling motor at the push of a button, but its actuator, relay and wiring live in the wettest spot on the boat. Learn how to check the load rating, wire and fuse it properly, keep water out of the actuator, grease and fog it the way the maker says, and what to do when it won't move.

Protecting a Docked Boat: Mooring Whips, Bumpers, Fender Boards and Chafe Gear

Set up your dock or slip so wakes, wind and tides don't grind your hull against it, using mooring whips, dock bumpers, fender boards, spring lines and chafe gear, and know what these can and can't do in a storm.

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.

Roller Furler Care: Inspection, Drum and Swivel Service, and Halyard Wrap

Keep your headsail roller furler turning easily with a yearly unroll-and-inspect, fresh-water rinses of the drum and swivel, a correct halyard angle and a clean furling line lead. A neglected furler can jam with the sail half out, and a halyard wrap can damage the forestay.

Rudder, Rudder Bearings and Steering Gear Inspection (Sailboats and Inboards)

Check your rudder for play, water inside the blade and stock corrosion, inspect the rudder tube and its seal, and go over cables, sheaves, quadrant and stops so the steering does not fail when you need it. Includes how to find, fit and practice with the emergency tiller.

Running Rigging Care: Inspecting Halyards, Sheets and Dyneema Lines

Check your halyards, sheets and control lines for chafe, sun damage, glazing and cover slip, wash them the right way, end-for-end them to spread the wear, and know when a line has to go. A halyard that parts drops a sail; a sheet that parts in a gust can be worse.

Sail Care and Winter Storage: Rinse, Dry, Inspect, Fold and Store

Keep your sails out of the sun, rinse and dry them before they go away, catch small tears and rotten stitching early, and fold and store them so they come back in spring without mildew or hard creases. Good habits can add years to an expensive set of sails.

Sailboat Keel Bolts and the Keel-Hull Joint: Signs of Trouble and What to Do

Learn to spot the warning signs at your keel joint and keel bolts, from a "smile" crack and rust weeps to wet bilges and loose nuts, and what to check after any grounding. Explains why re-torquing, pulling bolts and dropping the keel are jobs for a surveyor and a yard.

Sailboat Wheel Steering Cables and Conduit - Service, Tension and Replacement

Keep a sailboat's wheel steering from failing: lubricate the chain, bearings and cables with what the maker specifies, set cable tension, check sheaves, idlers and conduit for wear and chafe, and replace worn cables or conduit before they part. Includes a dockside emergency tiller 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.

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.

Single-Line Reefing: Converting Slab Reefing and Leading Reef Lines to the Cockpit

Decide between two-line and single-line reefing, plan the blocks, clutches and line lengths, keep friction low enough that one person can actually pull the reef in, and test the new setup at the dock before you need it in a blow.