How To Install A Dripless Shaft Seal

The bilge of his boat was constantly wet, until he installed a dripless shaft seal by himself. Here’s how he did it. https://youtu.be/s9_K7EnH1wY Just about every boat fitted with a conventional inboard engine has what is known as a “stuffing box” or “shaft seal.” This seemingly inconsequential piece of equipment allows the prop shaft both […]

Chartplotter Update

Preseason means boat maintenance and upgrades, but updating chartplotter software is often overlooked in the rush to get back on the water. It’s pretty hard to find a boat these days without some form of electronic charting available on a helm display. Older displays were simply chartplotters, because that’s all they did — integrate GPS […]

Marine Lubricants

The array of engine and drive lubricants, oils, sprays, and fuel treatments at your local marine parts store or dealer can be intimidating. Engine Oil Obviously for four-stroke engines or inboards, this goes in the engine crankcase to lubricate the inner workings (crankshaft, pistons, rings, bearings, and camshaft). In a two-stroke outboard, it’s either poured […]

Bad Vibrations

Vibrations can come from various causes, but usually they come from problems that can be small to potentially catastrophic. Here are a few. Those of you who remember the song “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys may have some warm and fuzzies. But with boats it’s different. Most vibrations are bad … at least the […]

Choosing The Correct Boat Hose

There can be many types of boat hose and they all have specific jobs. Here’s how to tell them apart and which ones to use where. There is no such thing as an all-purpose hose on a boat. No single hose type can withstand engine exhaust, bring freshwater to the galley, safely transport gasoline to […]

Boat Winterizing Basics

Unless you’re in the sunny South, Florida, or Hawaii, you’ll almost certainly have to do at least some winterizing. The bad news about winterizing your boat is that if you forget something critical or you do something incorrectly, you may be faced with expensive repair bills and a long delay to get back on the […]

Avoid Winterization Mistakes

We all know we have to winterize the engine. But what else can go wrong? Protect your boat by avoiding these winterization mistakes. Over the years, we at BoatUS have seen thousands of winterizing claims, and we’re still surprised at how ice and cold weather can take a toll on boats. If we had to […]

Is Your Boat Ready For Winter?

Winter will be here before you know it. Here’s what you should be thinking about before putting your boat to bed for its long winter’s nap. Taking a few moments now to think about how you’ll put your boat to bed for the off season, as the days grow shorter and the ducks fly south, […]

Keeping Your Boat Safe This Winter

You know how boats are; little problems compound quickly into big ones. Be mindful of your boat during the winter. You know how boats are. Little problems compound quickly into big ones. If we had to give only one piece of advice this winter, it’s this: Visit your boat. Snow, ice, wind, rain, and damp […]

Boat Winter Checklist

Fight the winter blues by visiting your boat and ensuring all is well. Whether it’s stored ashore or in water, you may stall spring problems. This is the time of year when you can’t help wondering if winter will ever end. The days don’t seem to be getting any longer, and the sun barely climbs […]