Offseason Storage for Outboard Engines
Protect your boat engine for winter storage! Follow these tips: fuel conditioner, fogging oil, gearbox maintenance, and more. Take extra care to make sure that your engine is properly protected, especially when storing. You’ll need fuel conditioner, grease, gearbox lubricant, and storage fogging oil. This is only general guidance. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and […]
Electric Heaters
Don’t risk your boat’s safety with a heater! Improper winterizing can lead to cracked engines, fires, and damage. A heater is no substitute for properly winterizing a boat! Numerous freeze claims over the years have proven that point again and again. If you’re tempted to leave your boat with a heater running this winter rather […]
How To Develop A Hurricane Prep Plan
It’s said that every minute you spend planning saves 10 minutes in execution. When it comes time, you’ll be glad you did hurricane prep. The first step in developing a preparation plan is to review your dock contract for language that may require you to take certain steps or to leave the marina when a […]
Fire Extinguisher Tests
Discover the thrill and challenge of fire extinguisher tests! Find the right extinguisher for your vessel. Overview Not much has changed since 1988, when the Foundation first tested fire extinguishers. There was quite a bit of déjà vu going around as we set up the tests in the same place that the original tests had […]
Potential Breaking Points On Your Boat
The fate of your boat’s security in a storm comes down to these essential and critical breaking points in your defense strategy. Chafe Gear Nylon stretches and absorbs shock, which is good, but this stretching under tremendous loads also works the line against chocks and other contact points. Chafe protectors are essential on all lines […]
Marine Surveyors
Ensure a comprehensive Full Condition and Value report for boats. Learn key criteria, insurance standards, and surveyor selection tips. Here’s how to get the most useful survey for your money: Let the surveyor know why you need a survey. If it’s to purchase a boat or to fulfill an insurance requirement, you need a Full […]
Prevent Line Chafe & Breakage On Your Boat
A failed line can cost you plenty if the boat breaks free. Here’s a handy graphical guide to common issues. There’s The Rub! Many of us tie up at the dock without a second thought, but those lines are the only thing holding your pride and joy in place. Sun and age will cause lines […]
Chafe Protection In Storms
Chafe protection tips to reduce mooring line failures. Don’t let a storm wash your day away by chafing your lines. Chip Del Coro, an insured BoatUS Member in Highland Springs, New Jersey, wrote us awhile ago about a near catastrophe he experienced with chafe on his 40′ sailboat’s mooring line. A gale had swept through […]
Boat Safety Checklist For Summer
Good spring prep increases safety and fun for the entire boating season. Follow these tips to help you build your own safety checklist. Check things that might have deteriorated during winter, including exterior wiring connections for navigation lights, dock lines (chafing or freeze damage), life jackets (mold, rotten threads or fabric), paper charts, pipes including […]
Don’t Be Hasty: Get A Surveyor
Hiring a professional surveyor before you buy could be the most important decision you’ll make. Don’t be hasty, get a surveyor. When it comes to boats, Peter Berman is no novice. The author of Outfitting the Offshore Cruising Sailboat, Berman has 45 years of cruising experience in nearly a dozen vessels of different types. Last fall, […]
