Boating Tip of the Day Keep a few pieces of blackboard chalk in with your tools on board. Chalk absorbs moisture and keeps rust away. Chalk is also obviously good for temporary markings. #chalk #rust #maintenance

Boating Tip of the Day - Had a call last week from a boat owner who swears that his boat's engine oil level has been getting progressively higher over the past month, and he hasn't added any oil to the crankcase. If the oil level in your engine keeps getting higher, it might mean that water is getting into it. If the oil is turning a foamy milky brown, it's a definite. If you have any questions regarding your boat's engine oil levels or condition, call us today at#Mariner

It's "Maintenance Monday", and today we're talking about the maintenance and testing of the Personal Flotation Devices (PFD's) on your boat. PFD's are very often neglected in the maintenance area of the equipment on your boat, but are just as important as navigation equipment and the engine(s). There are two types of PFD's: Inherently Buoyant PFD's and Inflatable PFD's. Start by examining the nylon fabric for rot or holes, and inspect the strapping for the same. If there

Boating Tip of the Day Try using sheets of dryer fabric softeners to get hard water and mineral stains off windshields and clear plastic panels in tops. You'll be surprised at how easy the stains vanish! #stains #windshields #maintenanc

Boating Tip of the Day Your fiberglass boat shows up as a weak-to-nonexistent blob on another ship's radar screen. If you're going to regularly run in either fog or heavy rain (summer months in Southwest Florida), keep an octohedral radar reflector on board, and place it on the highest point of the boat in adverse weather conditions. #radar #octohedralradar

It's "Maintenance Monday", and with the alarming frequency of boat fires in our Southwest Florida region lately, we're talking about marine battery chargers. The size of battery-charging equipment has grown to keep pace with larger and more sophisticated batteries. As charger output current has risen, cable sizes have increased in order to limit voltage drops or overheated conductors. This has led to direct-current cabling, which carries the charging current, and is much larg

Boating Tip of the Day Dock lines should have 1⁄8" of diameter for every 9' of LOA (length overall). In other words, a 36-foot boat should have 1⁄2" diameter dock lines. #docklines #safety

It's "Maintenance Monday" and today we're talking about a problem that's grown to alarming proportions in Southwest Florida, and that's the theft of boats, motors and trailers from storage yards. A starting point in theft deterrent is locks, locks, and more locks. Lock the engine to the vessel, lock a chain around the tires and wheels, lock the cabin, and under no circumstances store the keys in the boat. You may think you have a clever hiding place for your keys. Trust me, f