Sometimes it’s easy to believe everything was better back in the “good ole’ days.” That certainly seems to be the case with our boat’s bottom paint. There was a sense the antifouling coating we applied to our boat’s underwater surfaces, performed better when they contained a witch’s brew of environmental toxins. Contrary to our fear Read More
Captain's Tips
Ask the Captain Categories
Tips on Maintaining Clean and Healthy Waterways
This issue of Smart Boater is devoted to helping keep our waterways clean and healthy for all of us to enjoy. Let’s face it, nobody enjoys boating, fishing or swimming in dirty water. Boaters are best suited to be guardians of our water because we are closer to it and enjoy it more than the Read More
Thru-Hulls to Sea Water Strainers
Properly maintaining a boat can be a daunting task, yet most boat owners keep up with the major items fairly well. It’s the small less obvious items that tend to get overlooked. One particular small item left unattended can have disastrous consequences — the thru-hull, seacock, sea water strainer assembly. For as long as boat Read More
Chemistry Class on Your Boat
Liquids on board to keep you running smoothly A walk down the aisles of any marine store will present a boater with more chemicals for cleaning, protecting and lubricating than one could ever imagine. Many of these products work well, and many are as worthless as snake oil with their exaggerated claims. It is also Read More
Spare Parts to Keep You Boating
If you’re MacGyver, all you need to keep your boat running is a Swiss Army Knife, some wire and duct tape, but lacking that resourcefulness, it is best to keep a good set of spare parts aboard the boat. Like so many things in boating, how a boat will be used drives many of the Read More
Thinking of Wet Storing Your Boat This Winter?
There can be some real advantages to wintering your boat at a marina that invites in-water winter storage. In-water storage may provide access to the boat for socializing or working below decks without climbing up and down precarious ladders, and in and out of storage buildings. Structurally, boats are designed to be in the water Read More
Neutral Safety Switch
Many boats have reductions gears (transmissions) equipped with a start-in-neutral safety switch. The advantage may be obvious but sometimes it can become a headache when the engine refuses to start, or actually, the starter refuses to engage or make any electrical noise at all. Now what do you do? Let’s start down in the engine Read More
Electronic Throttle and Gear Shifters
Welcome to the new world of electronics. While electronics themselves are far from a new concept, new features and designs of propulsion engines and reduction gears continue to be introduced to the pleasure boating market. Everyone can now enjoy easy to move electronic throttles and shifters, even if you own a vintage model boat! Those Read More
Circuit Breakers vs On/Off Switch
Do you remember your parent’s old screw-in fuses? You know the kind that blew on Friday night when everyone was home creating lots of electrical demand. But because they did not have a spare replacement, maybe some folks used a penny to complete the circuit, bypassing any protection that a fuse was designed to offer….well, Read More
Bottom Painting
Environmentally friendly spring commissioning Written by Captain Chuck Baier Being an active boater for decades, I’ve been able to see firsthand how things we do on and around the water affect the environment. Today, many of us make a concerted effort to use only green, eco-friendly products for cleaning and maintenance projects. There are a Read More