Browse
Articles on:
Sinking
- Bilge Pumps - Batteries - Electrical Systems -Window
Leaks - Deck Leaks - Corrosion - Fuel Tanks - Engines
- Rotten Wood Structures - Hardware Attachment - Painting
Fiberglass and More.
|
How
to Prevent Your Boat from Sinking
A
Simple Self-survey Can Prevent Big Trouble
Tens
of thousands of boats of all types and sizes sink
every year, most of them at their dock. The exact
number is not known because there is no agency that
keeps statistics. But just ask any marine insurance
company and they will tell you that the number is
far too high. In fact, sinking is the number one
cause of major marine losses, and one of the primary
reasons why marine insurance costs so much. Entire
Article |
| All
about Bilge Pumps
Those Essential Devices for Keeping Your Boat Off the
Bottom
Oh,
what a boring subject, right? Yeah, I agree, reading
about bilge pumps is not too thrilling. But this
is a subject which I've been harping on for a long
time, apparently without a lot of success based
on the continuing and overwhelmingly casual attitude
that boat owners have for their bilge pumping systems.
Entire
Article |
Battery
Basics
Tired of Replacing Batteries Every Two Years?
A better Understanding of Batteries Will Help Resolve
Your Problems. Entire
Article |
Solving
Chronic Battery Problems
The
experience of many, if not most, boat owners is that
short battery life and dead batteries are a chronic
problem. In this essay I will discuss why this is
so and what you can do to eliminate this problem.
Entire Article
|
Tips
on Electrical System Use and Maintenance
(rev. 11/02/98)
One of the most common problems that surveyors run
across in doing these surveys are electrical systems
that have either been jury-rigged by the owner, or
an owner who hired Joe-the-Electrician down the street
because Joe's work is cheap. Entire
Article |
How
to Repair Window Leaks
There
are few problems that can cause more damage and detract
from the value of your boat than window, porthole
and hatch leaks. Even well constructed boats will
eventually develop leaks simply because boats are
not totally rigid structures. In fact, they twist
and flex quite a bit, and poorly constructed boats
flex a lot, which is why we see so many entry-level
boats that more or less just strain the water before
it enters the interior. Entire
Article |
Deck
Leaks
Wet
beds, mildew, rust stains in the cabinets, water
stained and rotting paneling, stained headliners,
rotted deck cores with soft spots . . . these are
just a few of the damages caused by deck leaks.
Whether
we're talking sail or power boats, deck leaks tend
to be a pervasive problem, one which few people
give much thought to until it's too late and the
damage has been done. And as the boat building industry
keeps on turning out boats of ever decreasing quality,
the problem continues to worsen. Sometimes the leaks
can be repaired, other times not. Entire
Article |
Is Your Boat a Leaky Tiki?
If so, it's probably going to cost you big bucks if
you don't get those leaks fixed fast. Entire
Article |
Dealing
With Leaks
This article deals primarily with sailboat leak problems.
However, the principles and methods discussed here
apply equally well to power boats. Entire
Article |
Corrosion
(with 9 photos)
This essay is intended to give you a fundamental understanding
of the causes and effects of corrosion, as well as
how to identify problems and correct them before they
become severely damaging. Entire
Article |
Corrosion
in Marinas
The Hot Dock
You keep your boat in a crowded marina and there’s
a lot of talk about corrosion and bad wiring. It’s
all the marina’s fault, right? Entire
Article |
| How
to Install an Aluminum Fuel Tank
. . . . So you Don't Have to Do It Again
Many people blame aluminum as being a bad material
for fuel tanks. Actually, its not. All materials
have their strengths and weaknesses, and the problems
with aluminum tanks are problems of proper installation,
not the material itself. Properly installed, aluminum
tanks will usually outlast the life of the boat.
Entire
Article |
Myth
of Condensation in Fuel Tanks, The
Frequently we hear it said that the cause
of water in fuel tanks is due to condensation. I have
long doubted this assertion but the issue has come
up so frequently that I was finally motivated to try
prove to the point. The basis of my belief or assumption
is that: Entire
Article |
| Winter
Lay Up
This
is the not-so-pleasurable part of pleasure boating,
so we'll want to make it as easy as possible on
ourselves. Entire
Article |
Diesel
Maintenance, Or Lack of It
Our
survey customers often ask us about how they should
perform diesel maintenance. This is a very easy question
to answer. Entire
Article |
Exhaust
Risers
Whether
you're a stinkpotter or rag boater, this arcane and
disinteresting subject is of major importance to your
wallet. Entire
Article |
Maintaining
Stern Drives
If
you own a stern drive boat, it's well worth the effort
to pay attention to their condition by inspecting
them frequently, and taking care of small problems
before they become big, costly problems. Entire
Article |
| Maintenance
Fundamentals Part I : Engines
This is where the newbies and novices start to become
old salts, if they have any wits about them. A bit
of a preamble follows here just to give you an idea
of why this topic can generate so much controversy.
Entire
Article |
Propellers
Entire
Article |
Preventing
Rot in Encapsulated Wood Structures
This
is a widespread problem that occurs in large number
of boats that, when the boat gets on in years, can
result in serious degradation of the hull structures.
Entire
Article |
Attaching
Hardware to Your Boat
Taking the quick and easy way out by just ramming
in a few screws through a cored structure can and
does cause thousands of dollars of unexpected damage.
You either take the time to do it right, or pay the
price when it comes time to sell your boat. Entire
Article |
Tips
on Painting Fiberglass Boats
One
of the most frequent questions that a marine surveyor
is asked is whether it is worthwhile to paint a fiberglass
boat. Entire
Article |
Repairing
Rotary Vane Pumps
So
the cost of boating just keeps going higher and higher
(belying the notion that there's no inflation) and
you're tired of paying those ridiculous yard bills?
But you're not a do-it-yourselfer type and the idea
of attempting to repair a pump lies somewhere between
computer programming and neurosurgery? Entire
Article |
Repairing
Diaphragm Pumps
This
is our follow up to the
Repairing Rotary Vane Pumps. The repair of diaphragm
pumps is no more difficult than other types. In fact,
it's usually a bit easier. Entire
Article |
Haul Out Basics
How
to avoid unexpected damage and invisible damage that
can occur during hauling and shoring operations.
Hauling
a boat out of the water always entails some risk no matter
how it's done. Dry storage facilities have long used fork
lift trucks for this purpose, but its hard not to notice
that these machines just keep getting bigger and bigger.
Entire Article |
| From
Buying a Boat or
Yacht |
Why
Internal Hull Areas Should Be Accessible
Resolving the Problems
In most cases, resolving the problem is not
particularly difficult. All you have to do is create
some hatches for each of the concealed areas. Entire
Article |
Direct
Links to Some Chapter Contents
at www.davidpascoe.com |
| Chapter
10
The Engine Room (Mid Size Power Boats) |
| Chapter
7 Decks
& Superstructure(Mid Size Power Boats) |
| Chapter
16
Plumbing Systems (Surveying
Fiberglass Power Boats) |
| Chapter
7 Sinking
Due To Rain (Marine Investigations) |
Maintenance,
Repairs & Troubleshooting
