Repair & maintenance guides

Shore Power Cord Ends: How to Judge a Cord, and When to Replace the Plug or the Whole Cord

Burned blades, a hot plug or a cracked locking ring don't always mean a brand-new cord, but sometimes they do. Learn how to inspect a shore power cord and its ends, decide between a replacement end and a new cord, what a proper sealed marine connector looks like, which parts of the job are safe for an owner and when the work belongs to an ABYC-certified electrician, plus the habits that make cord ends last.

Shore Power Inlet and Cord Upgrades: Burned Plugs, Better Connectors and Safe Adapters

Why shore power plugs and boat inlets overheat and burn, how to spot an inlet that needs replacing, what newer connector designs offer, and how to choose, size and care for cords and adapters. You inspect and buy the right cord; an ABYC-certified marine electrician replaces the inlet and its wiring.

Shore Power Safety: Cords, Inlets, Burned Plugs and Electric Shock Drowning

An owner's inspection routine for your shore power cord, plugs, boat inlet, galvanic isolator and ground-fault protection, plus the right way to plug in and the facts about Electric Shock Drowning. This guide is for looking and testing only; any electrical repair belongs to an ABYC-certified marine electrician.

Switching to Lithium (LiFePO4) Boat Batteries: What Changes and When It's Worth It

What really changes when you swap lead-acid for lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries on a boat: the battery management system, charger settings, protecting the alternator with a DC-DC charger, not mixing chemistries, cold-weather charging, and which jobs (trolling, house, starting) suit lithium. House-bank conversions should be designed and installed by a qualified marine electrician.

Testing Your VHF Antenna and Coax: Radio Checks, SWR, Connectors and Mounts

Most weak or scratchy VHF radios have nothing wrong with the radio. Learn how to test the whole antenna system, from a proper radio check and a DSC test call to a multimeter and SWR meter, how to find corroded connectors and wet coax, and when to replace the cable, antenna or mount.

Underwater LED Lights: Care, Leaks, Corrosion, Wiring and the Rules

Keep underwater LED lights bright and your hull dry. Learn the difference between through-hull and surface-mount lights, how to clean growth off the lens without damaging it, what to check for leaks, wiring, fusing and bonding, when the boat has to be hauled, and why the lights should not be on while you're underway.