Boating

A faulty engine coupler is a serious problem for any boating enthusiast. Engine couplers that are failing will not be able to turn the outdrive effectively, and thus your boat will not be able to...

Marine radio rules for recreational boaters seem intimidating, but are worth taking the time to learn. Marine radios communicate an emergency situation, navigation issues, weather and port operations.

Manatees, also called "Sea Cows," travel up and down the eastern coast of the United States. During the winter months, they migrate south and live mainly along the Florida coastline. Global...

Part of the installation of the Fishmaster Folding T-Top is lacing the cover into the canopy frame. Even if you're intimidated by ropework and marlinspike seamanship sounds like a duel with a...

Cable, also known as wire rope, isn't measured in the same way as fiber rope. Fiber rope, whether a natural fiber like manila, or a synthetic fiber like nylon, or polypropylene, is measured by...

You use caulk on your boat for the same reason you use caulk in your home. In your home, you caulk around the windows, sealing all the cracks through which heat can escape. You caulk between the...

Using a personal pontoon boat is like using any other boat in that it requires practice, use and more practice to "get it right." Fortunately, there are many parallels between driving a boat and...

A ski pole for a boat isn't the same as a ski pole for snow. The ski pole for water skiing or wakeboarding, also called a ski pylon, consists of a pole, which stands straight upright on the boat's...

A duck blind can be made for a boat for a lot less than one can be purchased. A simple, lightweight frame is all you need to support the camouflaged material that forms the blind itself. The...

Making a secure connection between your boat and the rope towing a skier can mean the difference between recreation and frustration. You need a knot that's strong, easy to tie and one that won't...

Fishing poles get banged around enough in the car just getting to the boat. Once at the boat, they should have a neat, organized place where they can stand ready for use. You can buy rod holders...

A boat's lights are far more than decoration. They tell a seasoned sailor where the boat is, how big it is and which way it's moving. The colored lights also tell you what boats to avoid and even...

If you make a repair to your boat's engine or gear box, there's a good chance you'll get grease on the exterior of your boat. If your boat has that nice, glossy gelcoat finish on its exterior, the...

Winterizing your outboard motor is an annual chore that must be done without fail to ensure that you can enjoy your boat for years to come. It's not particularly difficult to do, and you'll find...

Borateem, a borax-based cleaning and laundry compound, is safe for nearly all cleaning tasks. For cleaning boats and boat covers, the key is the water temperature: It must be less than 100 degrees F.

If you have the fish finder, the GPS and your marine VHF radio sitting in your garage, ready to install on your boat, you can wire them yourself. The marine electronics industry and National...

All states have safe boating laws that apply to rowboats. Most are based on an "ideal" version of safe boating laws created by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators,...

There are two ways to lay a vinyl floor in a boat. The first is to glue the vinyl to plywood sheets that have been cut to fit the deck space. The second is to lay the vinyl directly on the deck,...

Your marine radio is probably one of the most important electronic items aboard your boat. In the case of an emergency, your marine radio will provide communication to the Coast Guard and other...

Owning a boat is a major investment, and you'll want to protect it. You don't want to worry about all the things that might go wrong. Your boat might catch on fire. It might crash into a dock. It...

Working on your boat's wiring can be a daunting task, but if you get it done right the first time, you'll prevent a real headache down the road. Consider these guidelines outlined as a...

Stuff a PVC pipe segment with buoyant foam to create a floating buoy. Mark the location of divers, traps, and display signs using these buoyant creations. Decorate them with bright colors to make...

When any aluminum structure, like a boat lift, has extended contact with hard water--water that contains iron, calcium and magnesium ions--calcium deposits will form on its surface as the aluminum...

Pitch is "the theoretical distance a propeller would advance longitudinally in one revolution." Webster's notes that this relates to the angle of a sloped surface, representing the angle of the...

New boaters often incorrectly believe that piloting a boat is like driving a car. There are a few differences that anyone thinking about boating needs to understand before getting behind the...

Making floorboards to repair the damaged floor of a boat requires that you assess the damage, removed the damaged portion of the floorboards, and replace the damaged boards with similar planking...

Whether you've nosed up on the bank to let traffic thin or a squall blow over only to realize that a falling tide will leave the bow--the front--of your boat high and dry, or if down-flow has...

A day on the water is a great way to spend time with family and friends. More than 1,000 American households claimed that boating is one of their top three stress-relieving pastimes, according to...

Boat motor cooling systems work by drawing water into the lower unit of the motor using its impeller pump. Water is circulated through a system of ports and passages and then out the water exhaust...

Buying a boat can be a major financial as well as life changing event. I have known individuals that after buying their first boat became absolutely passionate about boating but I have also known...

So you're out on the water in your outboard powered boat, the sun is out and you're having a great time. Suddenly (or maybe after coughing and sputtering a bit), your motor stops. What can you do...

The bilge and bilge pump are vital components of any boat. Proper bilging of a boat can prevent serious damage or even the sinking of the boat.

You throw them over a cleat or a bollard on the dock and when you miss, they don't sink like nylon, they float. Dock lines or not, your polypropylene ropes need maintenance, just like the rest of...

The marine VHF radio is the one safety tool no boater should be without. These radios aren't required unless your boat is more than 65 feet (20 meters) in length or is registered as 100 gross tons...

Estimating the value of a boat is very similar to estimating the value of a car or other vehicle. Some items that affect the value of a boat include its make, model, age, condition and any...

Boat flooring imparts many benefits to a boat's hull. The supporting framing and floor can add stiffness and support to a hull. The flooring creates a dead-air space just above the hull's bottom...

You attach a rope to a boat using a fitting called a cleat, which is permanently attached to the boat. Shaped like the letter "T," the cleat is designed so that the rope may be quickly wrapped...

The Soo Locks are the largest locking system in the world. The system includes two sets of locks located on the St. Lawrence Seaway. The locking procedures for taking a boat through the Soo Locks...

The anchor rope for your boat is part of a larger system called the "anchor rode." The anchor rode includes the rope, chain--if you attach the rope to a length of chain, and the chain to the...

Chelsea clocks have been the standard for shipboard clocks for over a century. Although the materials for Chelsea clocks may vary, and the movements may be mechanical or quartz, the maintenance...

While it is not mandated by state or federal law to have boat insurance, the general wisdom is that it is necessary in every sense other than being required.

Wood is a common material for boat construction. It provides strength and rigidity to composite assemblies and can add aesthetic value to a boat when finished "bright" with stain or varnish. If...

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...