Christy Steinman-Crawford Donnelly herded a fleet of 30 recreational powerboats on a 1,000-nautical-mile voyage down to Mexico, as communications director for the 2019 Cruise Underway to Baja Rally (CUBAR), a bi-annual cruise from San Diego to La Paz, Baja…
A few years ago, I was carrying out a sea trial aboard a single screw trawler that a client of mine was considering for purchase. Part of the process involves running the vessel at full or wide-open throttle, what…
During a recent over-the-phone troubleshooting session, a client and I were trying to determine the source, as well as the rate, of an oil leak. I asked, “was it there the last time you did an engine room check,…
I’m often asked by my power voyaging clients, “What do I need to know about making good crimp connections?” Fortunately, not very much. Material selection High quality solderless or “crimp” connectors start with high quality materials. When a connector…
Have you been paying attention to the warning signs on your boat? My guess is that you, like me, have been looking right past several important reminders. I’d like to encourage you to notice, stop and think. RTFM is…
Southport, Conn. – Boat Fix, the 24/7 marine customer service company, announced today it has signed an agreement with Vision Marine Technologies (VMT) to deliver a custom, white-labeled telematics solution to be included with…
Dana Point, CA – (January 14, 2021) – Pacific Asian Enterprises, Inc. (PAE) is excited to announce a brand new design, the Nordhavn 51, which will follow closely in the wake of its smaller sistership, the N41. Inspired by the…
In my more than 30 years as a boat builder/yacht broker, I have enjoyed visiting hundreds of pilothouses. From 30 feet to 100 feet, tiny to opulent, at boat shows for a quick walkthrough and underway for days on…
With all of the savvy technology that exists on boats today, it is easy to overlook that the most reliable communication tool on your…
As most of us know, good clean fuel is important to any diesel engine.
For centuries, mariners have depended on a compass to provide direction.
I once read an article in a major boating magazine entitled “Oil Analysis Made Simple.” It caught my attention because, as a trained oil analyst, I know from experience as well as formal training that oil or fluid analysis is complex and fraught with both opportunity for sampling errors and misinterpretation of reports.
A concerned seller who could not attend the survey and sea trial of his trawler called me, his voice laden with concern: “Jeff, I keep getting text messages that the bilge pump is going off. Are you guys sinking?”
Nearly all marine engines are designed to be adjustable, to a point, relative to the propeller shaft by using adjustment or jacking nuts on their motor mounts.
Most of the more experienced power voyagers I work with have a system and a plan to look after just about every aspect involved in the management of their boats.
We’ve had three pendants fail on our Steelhead Marine crane aboard our Nordhavn 52 Dirona over the last nine years.
When you have a mess to clean up, sometimes the best solution is to take matters into your own hands and suck it up.
Watch-standing is a shared responsibility with all who take the helm.
“One if by land, two if by sea.” We have all heard that phrase before. It’s a rallying call more than 150 years old, and I believe it also applies to distance cruisers heading offshore.
The engine faltered, and with that a cloud of dense, white smoke erupted from under the small runabout’s dashboard, enveloping the cockpit and its occupants … I vividly recall my first encounter with overcurrent protection, or more accurately the lack thereof.
How much do you know about your trawler’s manual bilge pump?
You could argue that there are many “most important” systems on your trawler: diesel fuel delivery systems, firefighting systems, head and holding tank systems, electrical systems, etc.
