Category: Tips

Keeping it fresh

We have installed many watermakers on boats over the years. Why would you want one? Most people who install watermakers are long-distance cruisers. If you are a boater who just cruises from one marina to…

Power to the people!

One of the annoyances of boating is dealing with shore power cords. They get lost, they get dirty, they get tangled and are just a hassle in general. One way to avoid all of these…

The icing on the cake

If you have teak on your boat, there is only one really good solution to a finish – varnish. I’ve seen boats that let the teak weather. That may be fine for the die-hard sailor…

A Hot Topic

We had our local fire extinguisher technician in the other day to tag some fire extinguishers. He made the comment that the half million dollar boat that had these extinguishers was being protected by a…

What's the weather?

Did you know you can now view the weather in real time on your GPS? The Garmin GDL 30/30A can do just that. The GDL 30 receives XM WX Satellite Weather data, including animated NEXRAD…

Do you need a bow thruster?

The short answer to this question is no. People have used boats for centuries without them. But on the other hand, do you need electric lights – no, you don’t. There are alternatives, but if…

Selecting a bottom paint

One of the most frequently asked questions we get here at the marina is which is the right bottom paint to use. It is also one of the hardest to answer because the proper material…

Stuffing Boxes

The stuffing box is the last line of defense between the water and your engine room. It allows the shaft to be in two places at once – inside the boat and outside the boat…

Prop Coatings

The bane of boaters is fouled running gear. We have seen owners who use bottom paint to try to fight this, but always with limited results. Over the last couple of years, we have experimented…