Repair & maintenance guides

Synthetic Teak Decking: Choosing, Installing and Caring for PVC Teak

PVC "teak" such as Flexiteek, PlasDECK and Permateek gives you the teak look without oiling or recaulking, but it is glued down for good and it gets hot in the sun. Learn how it compares with real teak and foam, what a pro or DIY install involves, and how to clean, repair and keep the warranty valid.

Teak Deck and Trim Care: Clean, Oil, Seal or Leave It Natural

Keep teak decks, rails and trim looking good without wearing them away. Choose between a natural gray look, oil, sealer or varnish, and learn how to clean teak gently so you don't destroy it with harsh cleaners or a pressure washer.

Type I and II Treatment Systems (Electroscan, Purasan, Lectra/San): Care, Salt, Tablets and Winter

A flow-through treatment system lets a boat discharge treated waste where the law allows, but only if it works and only outside no-discharge zones. Learn how these units work, why salt and tablets matter, how to keep electrodes and dispensers clean, how to lock the system in a no-discharge zone, and how to lay it up dry for winter.

Vinyl Hull Wraps: Pros, Cons, Prep, Care and Removal

Find out whether a vinyl wrap makes sense instead of paint for your hull, how to prep for it, when to hire an installer, how to wash it without ruining it, and why wraps stop at the waterline.

Wake Boat Ballast Systems - Care, Troubleshooting, Weight Limits and Winterizing

Keep your wake boat's ballast tanks, bags and pumps working: fill and drain them the right way, stay under the boat's weight capacity, fix tanks that won't fill or empty, change the pump impellers, stop invasive species from riding along, and protect the system from freezing.

Watermaker Care: Pre-Filters, Flushing, Pickling and Production Checks

Keep a reverse osmosis watermaker making good water for years by changing pre-filters on time, flushing or pickling the membrane whenever it sits, staying out of dirty harbor water and checking every batch with a TDS meter before it goes in the tank.

Wet Exhaust and Waterlift Mufflers: Stop Water Flooding the Engine and Catch Leaks Early

On most sailboats and many power boats, cooling water is sprayed into the exhaust and pushed out through a waterlift muffler. Learn how the system works, why long cranking can flood the engine with seawater (and when to close the seacock), and how to inspect the muffler, hoses, clamps and siphon break, including the scorch marks that tell you the exhaust once ran dry.