Category: boat maintenance
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How to Maintain Your Boat’s Hydraulic Steering
How to Maintain Your Boat’s Hydraulic Steering SeaStar hydraulic steering systems are superbly reliable. Regular inspections and maintenance help keep them that way. Courtesy Dometic Hydraulic steering systems are so super reliable that boaters may forget about them. But if you were to lose steering, you’d be put in a dangerous—perhaps life-threatening—situation. For this reason,…
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How to Replace an Outboard Water Pump
How to Replace an Outboard Water Pump An outboard engine’s water pump is driven by the driveshaft. Here the author is shown sliding the water-pump housing into place. John Tiger Salt, sand, and debris take their toll on your outboard’s water-pump impeller, housing, and related parts. Despite many “I’ve never replaced the water pump” stories,…
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Top Protective Coatings for Boats
Top Protective Coatings for Boats To achieve a good result with graphene, ceramic or wax, perfect surface preparation is essential. Hedgehog94/Adobe Stock If you’ve had a great season so far, chances are that the spit and polish you put on your boat’s gelcoat finish this past spring is losing some its luster. Boating Lab has…
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Midseason Inboard-Engine Maintenance Tips
Midseason Inboard-Engine Maintenance Tips A midseason checkup will ensure your inboard keeps running smoothly. Courtesy Pleasurecraft Marine Your tow-sports inboard—or any inboard—requires regular maintenance if it is to deliver long life and good performance. Seasoned boat owners know to make recurring assessments part of their routine. Here are several excellent midseason checkups you should make…
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Your Prescription for the Biggest Headache in Boating
Your Prescription for the Biggest Headache in Boating Boat Planet: Where boaters go to find trusted local pros. Courtesy Boat Planet We’ve all been there. Load the boat with gear, prep the tackle, store the food and drinks, everyone is excited about enjoying a day on the water, turn the key to start the motor—and…
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How to Create Custom Boat Trim
How to Create Custom Boat Trim Fashioning pieces of fitted trim can enhance the good looks of your boat. Jim Hatch After 30 years of saltwater use, the intricately curved anodized-aluminum trim along the cap of the open transom of my outboard-powered 21-foot center-console fishing boat was falling apart. Corrosion had eaten away at the…
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How to Protect Your Boat’s Vinyl From Mold and Mildew
How to Protect Your Boat’s Vinyl From Mold and Mildew Mold prevention is more effective than mold removal. But once mold has appeared, some derivative of bleach is most effective at killing it. The remover must be cleansed from the vinyl or it will break down the fabric and threads. Courtesy Xanigo Marine New-boat vinyl…