Boating

Stained rope provides decorative possibilities for your wheelhouse, including whistle cords, coverings for railings, flat or twisted sennit for upholstery covers, or even flat-turned turksheads...

Also known as "sea anchors" or "drift anchors," drift socks are essentially brakes for sailboats. Thrown overboard behind the vessel, drift socks create a strong drag force that counters the...

Every boater, regardless of his vessel or where he uses it, must be prepared to cope with emergencies. In any boating emergency, knowing what to do, how to do it and when to do it might determine...

Pontoon boats can give a boater many hours of enjoyable recreation. These boats can be used for sightseeing, fishing, cruising or as swim platforms. Their open floor plans allow an owner to carry...

Boat covers often have highly-stressed places that get straight-line tears or small holes. A small tear or two --even a few, if they are not too close together--does not mean the whole cover has...

Unlike your car, your boat doesn't need to change gears while on the move. This allows for a much more simple transmission system than the one in your automobile. An outboard motor only has three...

Before the invention of the outboard engine, small boats had only two means of propulsion--wind power and oars. Boats that had an engine had an inboard engine, which was centrally located in the...

Boat trailers are designed for rugged use. They are regularly backed into water and driven over rough terrain. The lighting system on trailers gets equally rugged use. This system consists of...

If you need a block and tackle to move something aboard your boat, or if you need to whip up a vang to steady the gaff on your mast, you need to know what size block and, more particularly, what...

It is a federal law that any metallic component of the fuel fill system or fuel tank on a boat must be statically grounded, according to the U.S Coast Guard's Boating Safety Resource website. In...

If you're installing a new bilge pump in your boat, you know what the discharge capacity of the pump is from the plate on the pump. If you want to determine the flow of water through a discharge...

Take a U.S. Coast Guard Certified Safe Boating Course to earn 10%(or more) off of your boat insurance. This can really add up.

Stern-mounted trim tabs can be a captain's best friend. These hydraulically operated metal plates work by offering resistance to the water on either or both sides of the stern as the boat moves,...

Power steering on a boat uses hydraulic rams--a hydraulic cylinder and piston--to move the rudder, which steers the boat. The size of the hydraulic cylinder will determine how quickly the rudder...

Whether you're building a boat or have an older boat that's looking a bit worn out, the paint job is what the world sees first. With a little care you can do a first-rate job yourself.

Unfortunately, mildew loves the moist conditions and close quarters found on a boat. Add in sunscreen, sweat, humid air and even soap residue, and mold and mildew have an ideal environment in...

Life Vests save lives. The U.S. Coast Guard categorizes life vests into three types: * Type III vests, designed for boating in calm water where quick rescue is available. * Type II vests, designed...

The interior of a boat is subjected to dirty water, suntan oil, beverages and fish droppings. Mold and mildew can easily form in a wet environment, and become hard to remove without damaging the...

Building a boat is a great pastime for people who enjoy working in their own shop. Homemade boats can be built from kits or they can be cut and built based on boat plans you order online. Wooden...

Lexan boat windows sometimes retain water as a surface film; the water doesn't run down the window like glass or Plexiglas. Normally, this isn't a problem; but if you're bringing your boat into a...

"Ferrocement" isn't a type of cement or concrete. Ferrocement refers to a method of construction used in boat building. Sometimes called a concrete boat, a ferrocement boat hull is made by forming...

Oakum has been used as a principle caulking material aboard wooden sailing ships for years and, because of that "very nautical" association, is frequently used to add authenticity to a teak deck...

Salvage at sea or the recovery of boat wrecks and related items is an age-old practice. Moreover, it can be a very lucrative activity. For example, the discovery of the Titanic has produced...

Caulking seals the seams between all the boards and planks that make up the hull of a wooden boat. It also seals the seams where cabin roofs and corners are exposed to weather, to keep your boat's...

Coal tar epoxies are epoxies that contain coal tar pitch, as an added defense against rust on steel surfaces. Used as a hull interior paint on steel and aluminum hull vessels during construction,...

Safety on the water is the most important thing you can consider when hitting the waves. Wearing the right life vest for the activity you are engaged in is essential for safety. While each...

When you install a bilge pump, you also need a means to get the water off your boat. Usually, this calls for a special fitting called a through-hull fitting (through your boat's hull) and a valve...

The moist, warm conditions on most pleasure boats provide a perfect growing environment for mold and mildew. When returning to the boat the following weekend, most boaters face a real cleanup...

Every boat has a bilge, where condensation from inside the hull is contained, and where those random splashes of water eventually end up. Installing a bilge pump in your sailboat will help prevent...

Standley Lake in Westminster, Colorado, is a popular spot for water sports and has two boat ramps to accommodate watercraft. But boaters are required to follow permitting, registration and...

Whether the grab rail is attached to the overhead (ceiling) of a cabin or wheelhouse to keep you upright in rough seas, or attached to the bulkhead (wall) adjacent to a ladder (a set of steps or...

Fiberglass is a composite material. It is made up of spun glass fibers anchored in an epoxy resin. When people talk about applying fiberglass to wood, they're actually talking about applying that...

Feel overworked and stressed out? Take a break and give yourself a daily vacation. Vacations help people reconnect, increase productivity and creativity, reduce stress, and improve the quality of...

A canvas deck is easy to maintain, "moves with the boat" without cracking, is easily repaired and can be painted any color your heart desires. Marine canvas comes in bolts that are 60 inches wide,...

If you own a boat and enjoy going out on the water, it is important to use as much material that floats as possible. This is where marine foam comes into play. Marine foam is crafted to float, so...

Whether your sailboat is leaning because of a beam sea or a beam wind, you might reach for a grab rail to stay on your feet. The grab rails on your sailboat become loose and unstable either...

Most boat owners have damaged a propeller at least once. Most props on newer outboards or inboard/outboard engines have a break-away rubber hub built into the body of the prop to absorb shock and...

To keep your boat performing its best, it is important to choose a propeller that is the right size and fit. If the diameter of your prop is an inch or two off, you could experience sluggish...

Most boat covers are not made for trailer travel, and can be damaged or blow off at higher speeds. Store vinyl tops securely before trailering the boat to avoid damage from wind resistance....

That vinyl boat cover is great for keeping the rain out, but if you leave it out in the sun, the ultraviolet radiation can cause it to fall apart. Those windows, too, suffer from exposure to the...

This is the proper method of "Winterizing" a 2 Stroke Outboard Motor. The term "Winterizing" is used when an Outboard Motor is put into storage for the season or is not in use...

Water in your diesel fuel will cause your engine to run as if starving for fuel, even with a full tank. Fortunately, modern diesel engines routinely come equipped with fuel-water separators that...

You've been out fishing all day, have quite a catch, and the evening is drawing near. As you get ready to pick up the anchor, engine troubles cause a delay that will mean you will be coming back...

Gelcoat is the thin, glossy surface on your fiberglass boat's hull. Gelcoat is the first surface into the mold when a fiberglass boat is being built. It is sprayed in to form a layer only a bit...

Installing new flooring in your boat is usually simpler than it sounds. You begin by removing the old flooring, laying the old flooring atop the new to serve as a pattern, then cutting the new...

Teak brightwork--the unpainted teak woodwork on a boat--makes a gorgeous accent or even an attractive deck on the right boat, but untreated teak stains easily. When a guest spills a drink on your...

Teak is a hardy wood, often used for the unpainted wooden accents on boats. Unpainted wood on a boat is called "brightwork," and teak is chosen for boats' brightwork because it resists moisture...

Bombardier, makers of the Sea Doo, introduced the 787 engine in the 1996 Sea Doo XP. The maintenance schedule for the 787 engine calls for the inspection and adjustment of the oil injection pump...

The Clean Water Act of 1973 didn't forbid boats from pumping their holding tanks "over the side," but the Clean Vessel Act of 1992 did. This meant that pump out stations were established in...

Whether you're installing a new engine that's more fuel efficient, or simply re-powering your boat for increased performance, removing and installing an engine can be handled smoothly and with...