Repair & maintenance guides

Lake Engine Restrictions: Two-Stroke Bans, Horsepower Limits, Electric-Only and No-Wake Lakes

Some lakes ban older two-stroke outboards, cap horsepower, allow only electric motors, or make the whole lake no-wake. Learn the common types of rules (with dated real examples like Lake Tahoe and Ohio's lake list), how to tell what kind of engine you have, and how to check before you tow the boat three hours to a ramp you can't use.

Launch Day and Haul-Out Checklist for Trailer Boats

A step-by-step checklist for getting your boat off the trailer and back on again safely and quickly, from the drain plug and tie-downs to the blower and ramp etiquette. Following it in order prevents the classic mistakes that sink boats and back up the ramp.

Life Raft Care: Service Intervals, Hydrostatic Releases, Mounting and the Grab Bag

A life raft you can't launch or that won't inflate is worse than none, because it gives false confidence. Learn how often rafts need professional service, how to pick a service station, when to replace the hydrostatic release, where to mount a canister or stow a valise, the checks you can do yourself, and what belongs in the grab bag instead of the raft.

Lightning and Your Boat: Protection, Storm Safety and After-Strike Inspection

How lightning damages boats, what a professionally installed protection system (ABYC and NFPA 780 guidance) can and cannot do, what to do when a storm catches you on the water, and a step-by-step inspection checklist after a strike, including the haul-out, compass, electronics, through-hulls and the insurance claim.

Losing Coolant With No Visible Leak? How to Pressure Test a Closed Cooling System and Its Cap

When the coolant level keeps dropping and you can't find a drip, a simple hand-pump pressure tester can show where it's going. Learn how to test the system and the pressure cap safely on a cold engine, isolate the heat exchanger and coolant-heated appliances, and recognize the signs of a head gasket or internal leak that need a mechanic.

Loss of Power, Hesitation or Misfire - Troubleshooting Guide

Figure out why your engine bogs down, stumbles, will not reach full rpm or runs rough. Work from simple checks like trim, prop and fuel filter to ignition and engine protection modes before paying for diagnostics.

Low Oil Pressure Warning: What to Do on a Sterndrive, Inboard or Diesel

A low oil pressure alarm or a gauge that drops toward zero means the engine may be running without proper lubrication. Learn what to do in the first minute, the simple checks you can make yourself, how to tell a bad sender from a real pressure problem, and why you should never keep running on the alarm.

Low-Voltage Disconnects: Keep the Stereo and Fridge from Killing Your Battery

A low-voltage disconnect (LVD) automatically cuts non-essential loads like the stereo, fridge and cabin lights before they drain the battery you need to start the engine. Learn how these devices work, which loads belong behind one and which never do, how to pick the cut-off point for lead-acid or lithium, and how to install one safely.

Make a Fire Escape Plan for Your Boat: Exits, Extinguishers, Roles and Shutoffs

Map two ways out of every cabin, put extinguishers where you can actually reach them, assign who does what, and practice shutting off fuel and power and getting everyone off upwind. A boat fire leaves only a few minutes, so the plan has to be made and walked through before you need it.

Make Your Own Boat Wiring Diagram

Trace your boat's 12-volt circuits one wire at a time, label them so the labels last, and draw a simple diagram you keep aboard. It takes a few weekends, but it turns every future electrical problem or upgrade into a faster, cheaper job.

Man-Overboard Recovery Gear: Throwables, Lifesling, Ladders and MOB Alarms

Set up and check the gear that gets a person in the water back aboard - a throwable within reach, a floating rescue line or Lifesling-style sling, a boarding ladder someone in the water can pull down, and MOB alarms or AIS beacons - and practice the drill so it works when it counts.

Marina and Storage Liens: How Lien Sales Work, Buying a Lien-Sale Boat, and Not Losing Yours

How unpaid slip, storage or repair bills turn into a lien and then a sale, using Florida and California as examples; what an owner can do to stop it; and how a buyer checks that a lien-sale or abandoned boat comes with paperwork the state will actually title. Every state has its own process and deadlines, so confirm with your state agency.

Marina Slip and Storage Contracts: What to Read Before You Sign

Walk through a slip, mooring or winter storage contract clause by clause: insurance and additional-insured requirements, hold-harmless and waiver-of-subrogation language, liveaboard and work rules, DIY and outside-contractor limits, storms, termination, refunds and lien rights, plus the questions to ask the marina and your insurer. Practical guidance, not legal advice.

Marine Battery Care: Test, Charge and Store for Winter

Check your boat battery's health, charge it the right way for its type (flooded, AGM or lithium), and store it so it is ready in spring. Most "boat won't start" calls start with a neglected battery.

Marine Diesel Service: Oil Change, Fuel Filters and Bleeding Air

Change the oil and oil filter, replace the primary and secondary fuel filters, and bleed air from the fuel system on a Yanmar, Volvo Penta, Beta, Cummins or similar marine diesel. These three skills cover most routine diesel care and can get you out of trouble when the engine dies on a passage.

Marine Diesel Won't Start: Troubleshooting From Battery to Fuel

Work through the usual reasons a Yanmar, Volvo Penta, Westerbeke, Beta or similar marine diesel won't crank, or cranks but won't fire, starting with the free and simple checks. Most no-starts come down to the battery, preheat, air in the fuel or a fuel shutoff solenoid.

Marine Generator Routine Maintenance and CO Safety

Keep an Onan, Kohler/Rehlko, Northern Lights, Westerbeke or similar marine generator reliable with regular checks of oil, raw-water cooling, fuel, exhaust and the start battery, plus a monthly run under load. Generator exhaust is a leading source of carbon monoxide on boats, so safety checks come first.

Marine Generator Won't Start or Keeps Shutting Down

A step-by-step troubleshooting guide for a boat generator (genset) that won't crank, cranks but won't start, starts and then dies, or runs without making power. Work from switches, battery and fuel to the safety shutdowns for low oil, high temperature and lost raw-water flow, without flooding the engine or risking carbon monoxide.

Marine Head and Holding Tank Care: Odors, Clogs, Pump-Outs and Winterizing

Keep your boat's toilet and holding tank working and odor-free, clear common clogs, pump out the right way, and winterize the system. Also covers the Y-valve and the federal no-discharge rules every owner with a head needs to follow.

Marine Sealants Explained: 5200, 4200, 4000UV, Polysulfide, Silicone and Butyl Tape

Pick the right sealant before you bed a cleat, a through-hull, a window or a transducer. The wrong goo either leaks in a year or glues a part on so hard you damage the boat getting it off.

Marine Stereo Troubleshooting: No Power, Lost Settings, No Sound or Bluetooth Trouble

Track down a boat stereo that won't turn on, forgets its presets, resets when the engine cranks, plays no sound or won't keep a Bluetooth connection. Work from the free checks (switches, resets, fuses) to voltage tests, speaker wiring, water damage and software updates before you buy a new unit.

Marine Vinyl Stain Removal: Ink, Sunscreen, Grease, Mildew and Pink Stain

A stain-by-stain plan for boat seat vinyl that follows your vinyl maker's own cleaning list, starts with the mildest method, and keeps you away from the products that strip the protective top coat, rot the stitching or crack the vinyl.

Marine Water Heater Care: No Hot Water, Relief Valve, Anode and Winter Draining

Most boat water heaters warm up two ways: a 120-volt electric element at the dock and a coil that borrows hot coolant from the engine underway. Learn the safe owner checks when the hot water quits, what a dripping relief valve means, and how to drain and bypass the tank for winter.

Milky Engine Oil or Water in the Oil - What It Means and What to Do

Milky, creamy or rising engine oil usually means water is getting into the engine. Learn why you should stop running it right away, how to tell harmless condensation from a real leak, and which parts are the usual suspects: head gaskets, exhaust risers and manifolds, intake manifold gaskets, oil coolers and freeze cracks.