These days, your average fishing boat owner probably has an outboard. And today’s outboards, be they two or four stroke models, run smoother, quieter, and more efficiently than ever before. But in order to keep them running this way, you need to treat them right. Here are five tips that … Continue reading
Category Archives: boat maintenance
Fishbox Improvement, 101: Closed-Cell Foam, Gaskets, and Pumps
If you are anything like me – and since your eyes are seeing this you probably are – fishing is the number-one mission on the agenda most of the time your boat leaves the dock, and you will be putting the fish you catch into an integrated fishbox. Some built-in fishboxes … Continue reading
Fiberglass Maintenance: What is Important, and What is Not?
With spring in the air, it’s time to do a slew of basic maintenance on your boat. One question that comes up often is fiberglass – do you really need to do all of that waxing and buffing, or is it all strictly for appearances’ sake? You’ve probably seen plenty … Continue reading
Clogged Carb? This is How You Fix It
Surely by now you’ve encountered an ethanol problem or two. Maybe your lawnmower has become finicky, your chainsaw never seems to run right or – horrors – your outboard’s carburator seems to continually become gummed up and fouled. We briefly mentioned in Duck Boat Blues and Outboard Motor Maintenance how to avoid … Continue reading
Staying Dry: How to Reduce Spray on Your Boat
No matter how big your boat may be or how well it was designed, it’s going to take some spray now and again. Most of the time this is no big deal – heck, it can even be fun – but when it’s chilly and you have a long run … Continue reading
Outboard Motor Maintenance: Back to the Future!
I spent several days last week in Virginia at Norfolk Marine, filming outboard engine how-to videos with a Yamaha Marine Master Tech. The Yamaha Master Techs are cream of the crop mechanics, and there are only four or five dozen of them in the entire country. I’d hoped to learn a bit … Continue reading
Top 3 Ways We Sink Our Boats – Don’t Do This!!!
Sinking is among the worst fears of all boaters, but surprisingly, most sinkings are easily preventable. The fact of the matter is that sinking commonly results from a few simple mistakes, which we bring upon ourselves. You want to keep your feet dry? Then don’t make any of these boating blunders. … Continue reading
Help – Why Does My VHF Radio Do This?
Recently, a friend described a problem he was having with his VHF radio and asked me if I could give him some help fixing it. Luckily, I didn’t have to lift a finger. I’ve seen this problem a dozen or more times through the years, especially on small open boats like trailered … Continue reading
Leaves, Twigs, Scuppers, and Sinking your Boat
Last Saturday I hitched up my boat, hauled it to the ramp, and set out in the pre-dawn hours with a weather forecast of sunny skies and calm winds. As usual, the forecast was off. Way off. In fact, as we cleared the river and hit the bay, the alleged five-knot … Continue reading
Duck Boat Blues
I recently prepped my duck boat for the season, and got several surprises. Unfortunately, none of them were good. In fact, the entire experience reminded me that I should have inspected the boat at least once a month through the summer, to make sure none of these things happened. In … Continue reading
