Repair & maintenance guides

Boater Education Cards: Who Needs One, How to Get It and When It Works in Other States

Most states require some boat operators to complete an approved boating safety course and carry proof. Learn how to find your state's rule (age, horsepower, boat type), pick a NASBLA-approved course, get the card, use it when you visit other states, and what rental and other exemptions usually look like. Practical guidance, not legal advice.

Boating Accident Reports: When You Must File and What to Collect

Know when federal rules require a written boating accident report, how fast it is due, who to send it to and what details and photos to gather at the scene, so you meet the deadline and your insurance claim goes smoothly. Practical help, not legal advice.

Boating at Night: Lights, Speed, Night Vision and Reading Other Boats

Get ready for a safe run after dark, from checking your navigation lights and dimming the helm to slowing down, reading other boats' lights and buoys, keeping life jackets on and leaving the alcohol ashore.

Boating in Fog: When to Stay In, Sound Signals, Safe Speed and Using Your Electronics

Fog can roll in on any lake, bay or coast. Learn when to stay at the dock, the fog signals the Coast Guard rules require, how slow is slow enough, how to use radar, AIS and your chartplotter without trusting them blindly, and when to simply anchor and wait it out.

Boating Under the Influence (BUI): The Law, the Limits and How to Plan a Sober Skipper

Operating a boat drunk or high is illegal in every state and under federal law, with a 0.08 BAC standard for recreational boats under 33 CFR Part 95. Learn why the sun, wind, noise and motion make alcohol hit harder on the water, what happens at a boarding (field sobriety tests, chemical tests and implied consent), the penalties, and how to plan a designated skipper. Practical guidance, not legal advice.

Boats With No HIN: State-Assigned Hull Numbers for Homebuilt, Pre-1972 and Damaged-HIN Boats

What to do when a boat has no hull identification number, a homemade or kit boat needs one, an older boat predates the 1972 rule, or the number has been damaged or altered: the federal rules, how a state assigns a HIN, the inspection, the proof of ownership and build receipts to bring, how to fix the number to the hull, and the red flags that mean walk away. Practical help, not legal advice; every state runs its own process.

Bottom Paint (Antifouling): Do You Need It, Which Type, and How to Repaint

Learn whether your boat needs antifouling bottom paint, how ablative and hard paints differ, and how to prep and roll on a fresh coat safely, without poisoning yourself or the water and without ruining an aluminum hull.

Buying a Boat at Auction: Insurance Salvage, Impound and Lien-Sale Boats Without Nasty Surprises

How insurance salvage, impound, lien-sale and government boat auctions work, what kind of title you'll actually get, why the engine warranty may not follow the boat, how to inspect when you can't sea trial, and how to budget for liens, fees and getting the boat home. General information, not legal advice.

Buying a Boat in Another State: Survey, Paperwork, Taxes, Registration and Getting It Home

A step-by-step plan for buying a boat that is hundreds of miles away: checking it remotely with a local surveyor, matching the HIN and VIN to the title, avoiding long-distance scams, paying the right sales or use tax, registering in your home state, the trailer's own paperwork, temporary permits, and legal towing or professional transport for wide boats. Rules vary by state, so confirm each step with the agencies involved.

Buying a Boat That Sat Outside for Years: What Fails, How to Inspect It and What It Really Costs

A boat that sat in a yard for years can be a bargain or a money pit. Learn what usually fails (fuel system, waterlogged foam, stringers and transom, wiring, upholstery, trailer), how to inspect and weigh it, when to pay for a survey, and how to price the repairs before you make an offer.

Capsized or Swamped: What to Do in the Water, and How to Keep It from Happening

Most capsizes and swampings happen to small boats, fast, often on ordinary days. Learn the first moves that keep everyone alive (stay with the boat, count heads, life jackets, get out of the water, signal for help), how small sailboats are righted, why the cold-water "1-10-1" rule is a best case, and how loading, the drain plug and following seas cause most of these accidents.

Carbon Monoxide on Boats: Where It Comes From, CO Alarms and Warning Signs

Carbon monoxide can build up in cabins, under canvas and around the swim platform, and its first symptoms look like seasickness. Learn the danger zones, where to mount marine CO alarms, how to test and replace them, and exactly what to do if an alarm sounds or someone feels sick.

Carbon Monoxide Outside the Boat: Teak Surfing, Swim Platforms, Generators and Raft-Ups

Carbon monoxide doesn't only build up in cabins. People die in open air behind the boat: teak surfing, sitting on the swim platform with the engine idling, swimming near a running generator, or rafted next to someone else's exhaust. Learn where the gas collects, what the law says in states that ban teak surfing, and the simple rules that keep everyone safe.

Ceramic and Polymer Coatings for Boats: What They Do and How to Apply Them

Understand what ceramic and polymer coatings really do compared with wax, how to prep gelcoat so a coating bonds, how to apply a DIY coating, and how long you can realistically expect it to last.

Charging a 24V or 36V Trolling Motor Bank: Onboard Chargers, Charging While You Run, and Solar

A 24- or 36-volt trolling motor bank only lasts if every battery in it gets fully charged. Learn how multi-bank onboard chargers handle series banks, how alternator and DC-to-DC chargers top up the bank from the outboard, where solar fits, what changes with lithium, and the wiring habits that keep it all safe.

Checking a Used Boat's History by HIN: Decoding, State Records, Coast Guard Search and History Reports

Use the hull identification number to check a used boat before you buy: find and decode the HIN, confirm the builder and model year, look for recalls, check state title and lien records and the Coast Guard documentation database, decide whether a paid history report is worth it, and learn what none of these checks can tell you.

Choosing How to Store Your Boat: Trailer at Home, Dry Stack, Lift, Wet Slip, Mooring or Indoors

Compare the main ways to keep a boat in season and over winter: on a trailer at home or in a lot, in a dry stack, on a lift, in a wet slip, on a mooring or indoors. See what each costs, how it affects growth, corrosion, UV and upkeep, what to check about insurance, HOA rules and security, and how winter changes the choice.

Clean, Drain, Dry: Stopping Zebra and Quagga Mussels and Other Invasive Species

What Clean, Drain, Dry means in practice for your boat, trailer and motor, what to drain before you leave the ramp, what happens at a watercraft inspection or decontamination station, and examples of state rules you may run into when you trailer between lakes.

Cold-Weather Boating: Cold Water Safety, Gear and Engine Care in Late Fall and Winter

Boating after the crowds leave can be beautiful, but cold water changes the risks. Learn why cold shock is the first danger, why the popular 1-10-1 rule needs caution, what to wear, how to plan, and how to care for the engine, battery and anything that holds water between trips.

Coming Back to the US by Boat: Reporting to CBP with the ROAM App, the User Fee Decal and the Penalties

Every boat returning from a foreign port (the Bahamas, Canada, Mexico or anywhere else) must report its arrival to US Customs and Border Protection right away. Learn who has to report, how to use the free CBP ROAM app or the phone line, when you still have to show up in person, the annual user fee decal for boats 30 feet and longer, and what happens if you skip it. General information, not legal advice.

Composting Toilets on Boats: How They Work, the Rules, Emptying and Winter Care

A composting (dry, urine-separating) head can replace a smelly holding tank, but it has its own routine. Learn how these toilets work, how they fit the Coast Guard's sanitation rules, how to prepare the medium, empty the liquids bottle and solids bin legally, keep odors away and handle cold weather and winter layup.

Crossing Inlets and Bars Safely: Tide Timing, Coast Guard Bar Restrictions and When Not to Go

Inlets and river bars are where calm-looking days turn deadly. Learn why an ebb tide against an ocean swell builds breaking waves, how to check bar reports and Coast Guard restrictions, how to read the inlet before you commit, how to run it with life jackets on, and when to wait or go somewhere else.

Docking in Wind and Current: Read the Conditions, Use Spring Lines and Know When to Go Around

Wind and current decide most docking jobs. Learn to watch your drift before you commit, approach into the stronger force, set fenders and lines with a clear crew plan, use a spring line to pin the boat to the dock, handle single and twin engines, and back out to try again before it turns into a collision.

Dogs and Pets Aboard: A Safety Checklist for Boat Owners

Set your boat and your dog up for a safe day on the water, from a well-fitted pet life jacket with a handle to shade, fresh water, safe boarding and a plan for getting a dog back aboard if it goes over the side.