Repair & maintenance guides

How to Find and Fix Leaking Deck Hardware (Rebedding Cleats, Stanchions and Tracks)

Track down the cleat, stanchion base or track that is dripping into the cabin, then remove it, seal the deck core and bed it again with the right sealant so the leak stops for years instead of weeks. Catching it early protects the deck core from rot.

How to Find and Seal Hull-to-Deck Joint Leaks

Track down water that sneaks in where the deck meets the hull, prove it with a careful hose test, and reseal the joint with or without pulling the rub rail. Fixing it early protects lockers, wiring and the deck core.

How to Find Soft Spots and Wet Core in a Fiberglass Deck

Tap, press and meter your deck to find wet or rotting core before it spreads, track down the leaking hardware that let the water in, and decide whether a small DIY injection repair will do or the deck needs a pro to recore it.

How to Fit, Support, Clean and Store a Boat Cover

Make your mooring or storage cover last for years by getting the fit right, supporting and venting it so water never pools, using a cover that's rated for the highway, cleaning and re-waterproofing it the right way, and fixing small tears before they grow.

How to Fix a Loose Boat Seat Pedestal, Base or Leaning Post

Find out why seat pedestals and leaning posts work loose, through-bolt the base with a proper backing plate, deal with soft or rotten floor under it, and keep swivels and slides working smoothly so your helm seat stays solid in rough water.

How to Inspect and Clear Cockpit Scuppers and Deck Drains

Most boats that sink at the dock fill up from the top, through clogged scuppers, cracked drain hoses and leaky hatches during a heavy rain. Learn how to trace every drain, clear clogs, check flappers, hoses and clamps, flood-test the cockpit and keep drains working in freezing weather.

How to Inspect and Exercise Seacocks, Through-Hulls and Hose Clamps

Check every hole in your hull below the waterline, work each seacock open and closed, and inspect the hoses and clamps attached to them. A single failed fitting or hose is one of the most common reasons boats sink at the dock.

How to Inspect and Maintain a Boat Lift (Cables, Pulleys, Motor, Bunks and Storm Prep)

Inspect the cables, pulleys, motor, wiring and bunks on your boat lift, center the boat correctly, and prepare the lift and boat for storms and winter. Cable failures and overloading from rainwater or snow are the most common ways lifts drop boats.

How to Inspect and Troubleshoot Hydraulic and Electric Trim Tabs

Keep your trim tabs working with a simple seasonal check of the blades, anodes, fluid, lines and wiring, and track down the usual faults when a tab won't move, only one side works, or the tabs stay stuck down.

How to Inspect Sterndrive Bellows, Gimbal Bearing, U-Joints and Shift Cable

Learn to spot a cracked sterndrive bellows before it lets water into the boat, and to recognize the warning signs of a worn gimbal bearing, U-joints and shift cable. A failed bellows is one of the top reasons boats sink at the dock, and a 20-minute inspection can catch it.

How to Inspect Wakeboard Tower, T-Top and Bimini Hardware

Towers, T-tops and biminis carry tow ropes, speakers, boards, electronics and wind loads, all on a handful of bolts. Learn how to check the welds, bases, backing plates, bolts, folding hinges and accessory loads before a crack or a loose bolt becomes an accident.

How to Inspect, Clean and Replace Vented Loops (Anti-Siphon Valves)

A vented loop is a small, easy-to-forget fitting that stops seawater from siphoning into your engine or through your head and into the boat. Learn where they live, why they must sit well above the waterline, how to clean a sticky or clogged valve, when to replace it, and how to spot the hydrolock damage a failed one can cause.

How to Install (and Remove) a Keel Guard on a Trailer Boat

An adhesive keel guard protects the bow and keel line of a trailer or beaching boat from sand, rocks and ramps. Learn when it's worth it, how to prep and apply one the way the maker intends, and how to take it off later.

How to Install an Inspection Port (Deck Plate) in a Deck or Bulkhead

Add a screw-out or pry-out deck plate so you can reach hidden nuts, wiring, hoses and through-hulls, or check a deck core for rot. Learn where it is safe to cut, how to pick and size the port, how to seal a cored deck with epoxy, and how to bed the ring so it never leaks.

How to Install EVA Foam Decking (SeaDek-Style Pads) on Your Boat

Closed-cell foam decking makes a hard fiberglass deck grippy and comfortable underfoot. Learn when a peel-and-stick DIY job makes sense, how to template, cut and prep, the temperature and gap rules, how to lay pads without trapped air, and how to clean, repair and eventually remove them.

How to Match Gelcoat Color for Small Repairs

Get a chip or screw-hole repair to blend in with your hull instead of standing out as a bright patch. Learn to polish first so you see the real color, find your builder's color code or a matched gelcoat, tint by tiny steps, test cured samples in daylight, and allow for sun fading.

How to Mount or Re-Tighten an Outboard on the Transom

A loose outboard can steer badly, crack the transom or fall off the boat. Learn how to center the motor, check engine height, tighten clamp screws, seal and bolt through the transom with backing plates, add a safety cable on small motors and spot transom flex before it becomes a costly repair.

How to Mount Rod Holders, Fish Finders, Cleats and Antennas Without Causing Leaks

Add accessories to your boat the right way, with through-bolts, backing plates, sealed core and proper wire pass-throughs, so every new hole stays dry and strong. Also learn where you should never drill.

How to Paint a Boat Bilge (Prep, Paint Choice and What to Leave Bare)

A freshly painted bilge is easier to keep clean and makes small fuel, oil, coolant and water leaks easy to spot. Learn how to degrease and sand, pick between alkyd bilge paint and epoxy coatings, ventilate safely, and keep paint off the parts that must stay bare.

How to Paint Your Boat's Topsides (Roll and Tip)

When the gelcoat above the waterline is too chalky or crazed to polish back, a one-part or two-part polyurethane paint can bring back the shine. This guide covers choosing the paint, prep, weather windows, roll-and-tip technique and the safety gear two-part paints demand.

How to Prevent and Remove Mold and Mildew on Your Boat

Stop the musty smell and black spots before they start. Find and fix the water source, keep air moving, control humidity safely, and clean mold off gelcoat, vinyl and cabin surfaces with products that won't damage them.

How to Re-Cover Boat Cushions and Seats (DIY Sewing vs. Upholstery Shop)

Cracked, faded or split cushion covers can be replaced without buying new seats. Learn how to choose marine vinyl or acrylic fabric, which thread survives the sun, how to use the old cover as a pattern, where zippers and drain vents go, and when a walking-foot machine at home makes sense versus paying an upholstery shop.

How to Remove and Apply Boat Names, Graphics and Registration Decals

Take off old vinyl names and graphics without scratching the gelcoat, clean up the glue and the "ghost" outline, then apply new lettering straight and bubble-free, and display your registration numbers the way federal rules require.

How to Repair or Repaint Worn and Cracked Non-Skid Decks

Bring back grip where the molded non-skid is chipped, cracked, patched or worn smooth. Choose between a molded patch that copies the original pattern, non-skid paint with grit, or textured gelcoat, fix the cracks and soft spots underneath first, and mask for clean, safe edges.