Repair & maintenance guides

How to Remove and Apply Boat Names, Graphics and Registration Decals

Take off old vinyl names and graphics without scratching the gelcoat, clean up the glue and the "ghost" outline, then apply new lettering straight and bubble-free, and display your registration numbers the way federal rules require.

How to Repair or Repaint Worn and Cracked Non-Skid Decks

Bring back grip where the molded non-skid is chipped, cracked, patched or worn smooth. Choose between a molded patch that copies the original pattern, non-skid paint with grit, or textured gelcoat, fix the cracks and soft spots underneath first, and mask for clean, safe edges.

How to Repair or Replace Vinyl Flooring on a Pontoon or Bowrider

Fix small tears, lifted seams and bubbles in marine vinyl or woven vinyl flooring with the right adhesive, tell when a soft spot means the plywood underneath is rotting, and understand what a full floor replacement involves. Structural deck and stringer repairs are pro work.

How to Repair or Replace Your Boat's Rub Rail

Replace a torn rub rail insert or the whole rail, reseal the hull-to-deck joint and its fasteners while the rail is off, and stop the deck-joint leaks that often hide behind a worn rail.

How to Repair Small Gelcoat Chips and Scratches

Fill and blend small chips, dings and scratches in your boat's gelcoat with a repair kit so they stop letting water into the fiberglass and look close to new. Also learn to spot damage that is structural and needs a pro.

How to Repair Torn-Out Canvas Snaps, Fasteners and Zippers

Fix snaps that have pulled out of your bimini, cover or enclosure, reinforce the torn fabric, choose the right snap metal and setting tool, free stuck snaps, replace Lift-the-Dot and twist fasteners, and swap a worn zipper slider.

How to Replace Cleats, Eyes and Brackets on a Riveted Aluminum Boat

Swap or add cleats, tie-down eyes, rod holders and accessory brackets on an aluminum boat without starting corrosion or new leaks. The keys are isolating stainless from aluminum, picking the right rivet or bolt, and spreading the load.

How to Replace Folding Boat Seat Hinges and Fix Back-to-Back Seats

Fix flip-up seats, fold-down fishing seats and back-to-back lounge seats that sag, jam or rip loose. Replace rusted or bent hinges with stainless hardware, rebuild a rotten plywood base so the new screws actually hold, and adjust the latches so the seat stays put.

How to Replace Gas Struts on Boat Hatches, Seats and Consoles

Measure, buy and fit the right gas struts (lift supports) so hatches, seat lids and console doors stay open safely instead of dropping on your head or fingers.

How to Replace or Re-Cover a Bimini Top

Decide whether you need new canvas or a whole new top, measure your frame the right way, pick a fabric that will last in the sun, check the frame and hardware, and swap the canvas yourself or brief a canvas shop.

How to Replace the Carpet on a Pontoon Boat

Strip worn pontoon carpet and old glue, check the plywood underneath for rot before it gets covered again, choose between marine carpet, snap-in carpet and vinyl, then glue, trim and finish the new floor so it lasts. Most owners need a few dry weekends; soft or rotten decking is a bigger job.

How to Spot and Prevent Corrosion on an Aluminum Boat

Aluminum hulls and pontoon tubes are tough, but they lose almost every fight with other metals. Learn the warning signs of galvanic and stray current corrosion, keep copper and loose metal away from the hull, choose the right anodes, touch up paint with the proper primer and know when a repair needs a welder.

How to Tell if Your Boat's Flotation Foam Is Waterlogged

Learn the signs that the foam under the floor or seats of a small boat has soaked up water, how to check without tearing the boat apart, what the Coast Guard flotation rules mean for you, and why replacing foam is usually a big job for a pro.

How to Test and Clean Your Bilge Pump and Float Switch

Make sure your bilge pump actually moves water overboard, both on the manual switch and automatically through the float switch. A working bilge pump is one of the most important safety systems on any boat that stays in the water.

How to Touch Up Paint and Corrosion on an Outboard or Sterndrive

Bare aluminum on a lower unit or sterndrive corrodes fast, especially in salt water. Learn how to find the cause, clean off corrosion, prime and repaint with the right products, and what must never be painted, such as anodes and sensors.

How to Use a Pump-Out Station: Finding One, Hooking Up and Rinsing the Tank

Find a pump-out near you with state maps and free apps, hook up to the deck fitting without spills, rinse the holding tank, leave the station clean for the next boat and know the rules for no-discharge zones and mobile pump-out boats.

Hull Blisters (Osmosis): How to Tell Cosmetic Pimples From Serious Pox

Learn what osmotic blisters are, how to inspect a fiberglass bottom at haul-out, which blisters you can fix yourself with epoxy, what moisture meter readings can and can't tell you, and when to hire an independent surveyor.

Hull Potential Survey: Checking Corrosion Protection with a Reference Electrode

A silver/silver-chloride reference electrode and an ordinary multimeter show whether your underwater metals are really protected by their anodes, whether every fitting is bonded, and whether shore power or the slip is upsetting things. Learn how to take the readings, what under- and over-protection mean in plain terms, and when to call a marine electrician or corrosion specialist.

Hydraulic Steering: Check Fluid, Bleed Air and Fix Stiff or Loose Steering

Check the fluid in your hydraulic steering helm, bleed out the air that makes steering spongy, and track down the usual causes of stiff, loose or noisy steering. Includes notes for boats with mechanical cable steering.

Ice Makers and Drinking-Water Dispensers on Boats: Cleaning, Filters and Winterizing

Keep onboard ice and drinking water clean and tasting good. Sanitize and descale the ice maker, change filters, keep the condenser breathing, fix common faults, and drain and bypass everything before freezing weather.

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.

Inboard and Sterndrive Engine Mounts: Signs of Failure and How to Inspect Them

The rubber mounts under an inboard or sterndrive engine soak up vibration and hold the engine in line with the drive. Learn the warning signs of a failing mount, how to inspect all of them in under an hour, and why a mount replacement always ends with an alignment check.

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.