Boating Maintenance Tip of the Day: Nothing can be more maddening than a roll of masking tape that won't unroll, but only comes off in little bits. You're ready to start your bottom or boot stripe paint job, and the tape roll just won't cooperate. Before tossing it in the trash, an ornery roll of tape can often be brought back to life with a quick blitz in the microwave. Don't overcook it: 5 to 10 seconds is often more than enough to revitalize the adhesive and return the r

It's "Maintenance Monday" and today we're addressing oil changes in all marine engines, excluding two-stroke outboard motors. Just like cars, boats need to have their oil changed. Four-stroke outboards, inboards and stern drive boats require regular oil changes. The frequency will vary by model but a good rule of thumb is to change the oil every 100 hours of operation or once a year. Unfortunately, there aren't any quick change oil shops for boats, so you either have to cha

Do you have anchor or dock lines that have stiffened or hardened during storage? Add half a cup of fabric softener to two gallons of water and soak the lines overnight. Let them dry away from the sun and they'll be as flexible as new! #Boatingtip #docklines

Anchors and chain are expensive. Extend their lives by washing your chain and anchor with fresh water after every use and, if you can, store it dry. If you don't have enough fresh water aboard, rinse it every time you return to the dock. Periodically remove all chain from the chain locker and clean salt and mud/sand from your locker with a thorough fresh-water rinse. We see too many rusted anchors and chain links on vessels, and a few extra minutes of maintenance can save hun

Cost-saving Boating Tip of the Day: The "windows" in side curtains or biminis are often damaged by the metal tubes that hold up the structure. Star brite has a product, Clear Plastic Window Savers, which are plastic guards to put around the tubes where they impact the windows. This prevents burn marks to the window material by tubes that get hot from the sun and general abrasive damage. Replacing windows usually involves replacing all the side curtain and bimini materials, wh

It's "Maintenance Monday" and today we're talking about how to make your boat's metal shine. There are many quality cleaners and sealants available for keeping the chrome and stainless steel on your boat protected, shiny and bright. After applying a light film of marine chrome or metal cleaner on your rails or metal surfaces, let sit for about 15 to 30 minutes. Then, wipe off with a clean cloth. After cleaning, you may also want to apply a quality wax sealer/protectant to cre

The time to find out if your VHF radio is working is before you leave the dock. But sometimes you get out on the water, and for one reason or another, you find that you can't transmit or hear other boaters' transmissions. Here are some band-aid temporary cures in the event that this happens to you while away from the dock: 1. Bad-Mike Fix: If the radio doesn’t transmit or you get reports from nearby boaters that they can’t hear you or that you are cutting in and out, the mi

We received a call yesterday from a Vessel Maintenance Client with an interesting, yet very pertinent, question. While many people concentrate on the major mechanical aspects of their boat, his question centered on the safety equipment that needs to be on board. Our response was followed up by a personal visit to his boat, and we completed our boating safety equipment checklist: 1. Examine and Test Your EPIRBs and PLBs Your EPIRB (emergency position-indicating radio beacon)

Many jobs on the boat can leave your hands filthy. For a fast-and-effective hand cleaner that's good at removing grease and grime, pour a little olive oil on your hands along with a sprinkling of sugar. Wipe with a paper towel, then wash your hands with soap and water.

It's "Maintenance Monday" and today we're talking about your boat's propeller(s). If you have an outboard or stern drive boat you should always visually check the propeller as part of your pre-trip routine. Use a deep well socket to remove the propeller several times during the season to make sure discarded fishing line hasn't become wrapped around the propeller shaft. If it has, have your boat maintenance person inspect the gear case because fishing line can cause gear case