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A boat's hull absorbs heavy abuse. Constant contact with water, whether it's salt or fresh, leads to corrosion and the growth of undesirable elements like algae and barnacles. Keeping your boat's...
Boating is great fun, but you want to protect your boat when you are not using it. Use a boat cover to protect your boat's interior and to protect it from damaging UV rays, extreme weather...
Learning to dock a boat is something that takes hands-on practice. These tips are just guidelines to help you start. As you practice bringing your boat to dock, you can hopefully perfect a style...
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...
The amount of fuel you need to carry for your trip depends on the design of the boat and how you are going to use it. If it's a sailboat, a 50 gallon tank of fuel with a 25 horsepower engine...
A boat's hull absorbs heavy abuse. Constant contact with water, whether it's salt or fresh, leads to corrosion and the growth of undesirable elements like algae and barnacles. Keeping your boat's...
The monkey fist might be the most popular boat knot to tie, not just because of its usefulness for throwing heaving lines but also for its decorative appearance. The small rope ball is known to...
A lift boat is a different type of vessel than a lifeboat and a boat lift. Lift boats are used to perform various different jobs on the water and must meet certain specifications in order to...
Lighting problems on a boat can send many of us running to the nearest marina mechanic. Boat manufacturers are very good at hiding wiring and other merely functional parts of a craft. This is...
Proper maintenance will eliminate the need for a lot of repairs on your boat. Keeping the boat fit includes seasonal requirements as well as things that should be done after each use. But even if...
The vinyl seats on your boats are one of the first things anyone sees when they come aboard; and if they're in poor condition, they make a bad impression. There's a "trick" to redoing the vinyl on...
Some boats sink, some boats run aground and sustain damage that can't be repaired, some just get fragile with age and exposure to the sea. Depending on the hull material and how extensive your...
The end of the boating season means the beginning of the boater's winter work. Usually, that work begins with lifting the 635 pound outboard motor off of your boat's transom. Since the motor is...
Boat safety training should be undertaken by anyone who owns a boat or anyone who goes boating or wants to go boating. Boat safety training will cover boating basics such as the use of life...
An AIS (Automatic Information System) receiver provides tracking and location information for vessels at sea. The technology uses VHF radio signals to transmit a ship's location as well as the...
There are two ways to wire 12-volt batteries, either through a series connection or through a parallel connection. The series connection will add up the voltages of the batteries. In other words,...
Lutron is an electrical and electronics manufacturer that also produces deep cycle marine batteries. Deep cycle batteries are specially made for providing electrical power to devices, and not for...
Most large boat trailers come equipped with trailer brakes, since they are required by law. Adding brakes to smaller trailers is a good idea, allowing quicker stops and less wear on the brakes of...
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) protects life and property on domestic waterways by insuring safe practices in commercial and recreational boating. Safety is achieved through enforcement of...
Though many boaters still call the clear material used in flexible boat windows "isinglass," it really isn't. The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary defines isinglass as "Mica especially when...
A starboard engine is the main engine that propels a boat through the water. The engine is on the starboard side or right side of the boat. The additional weight of the engine on the starboard...
If you're ready to get rid of that old moldy carpet in your Tracker, you can--literally--lift the flooring out to make the change, then replace it with new carpet. The only problem you might face...
Wiring your boat for an electric starter requires only that you make a connection between the battery used to turn the starter motor, the starting switch and the starter, as well as a connection...
Boat cover snaps consist of four parts: the "dome," the finished part of the snap that sits on top of the cover has a hollow post that fits down through the material; the "bottom" of the dome is...
Modifying a boat trailer that you already own to work with a boat that you just bought is a matter of adjusting the trailer's bunks, rollers and the winch to keep your boat cradled, as if it were...
A spin-on fuel filter works by allowing the fuel to pass through the fuel filter element (called the service unit) in much the same way that oil passes around and through your car's oil filter....
Many people get confused as to which side of a boat is "port" and which is "starboard". The irony is that saying port and starboard evolved precisely to avoid the confusion of one person yelling...
When considering buying a boat, whether to purchase a new or used model is always a difficult decision. Buying new assures a certain degree of reliability and usually a dealer or manufacturer's...
Winterizing the 5.7 liter Mercruiser is much like winterizing other Mercruiser models. The Mercruiser is actually two units working together to provide propulsion for the boat. The engine, which...
Swivel seats on a boat can be both a blessing, since you can turn around easily and maintain a watch with a greater ease, or they can be troublesome, since they can impose uneven loading on decks...
As you prepare for the beginning of boating season in the spring, you may realize that most modern boat motors are too heavy for one or two persons to lift, much less carry, lift and mount on the...
Adding a second battery to your boat to provide power for your electronic toys and the other "household" needs is a smart move. Your starting battery can be used for starting only. With the turn...
If you own a boat registered in Louisiana and you change your address within the state--whether you move or simply decide to receive your mail at a post office box--you will need to notify the...
The trim setting of an outboard-powered boat determines how quickly it can get up to speed and how fast and comfortable the boat will cruise. Most large boats with high-powered outboards come with...
Used boats generally have some form of ownership history, be it how the boat was initially financed or whether there are any outstanding claims against it. If a boat has an outstanding claim,...
A bilge pump can mean the difference between a great season on the water--or a boat (yours) sitting on the bottom, underwater. Various pump designs have advantages and drawbacks and need logical...
If you've purchased a new boat but kept your old trailer, you may need to configure your boat trailer to support the new boat's hull. The key word is "support." The bunks and rollers are the...
Bunkboards, or bunks, support the weight of a boat. Typically made of wood, bunks are bolted to the trailer with bunk mounts. The bunkboard is made from a 1-1/2 inch thick piece of treated lumber...
Keelboats require special, purpose built trailers in order to be hauled across land. The keel, which is fixed to the bottom of the boat and can be several feet long, makes using generic boat...
Most states don't require a registration sticker for rubber rafts not powered by a motor. For boaters in states where inflatable rafts require registration, a registration holder offers a base to...
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) isn't involved in the trailer registration procedure, saying that TPWD "...does not have the legal authority to process trailer registration. Boat...
Time spent maintaining your boat trailer means fewer problems getting the boat to the water. The wheel bearings on a boat trailer enable the wheels to turn without friction. Newer trailers are...
Marine engines require frequent oil changes due to the harshness of the environment and poor fuel quality. Water can enter the oil supply and corrode engine parts and saltwater is especially...