April 13, 2022
What to Check Before Casting Off for the start of Summer
Gilligan’s Island was one of the first pseudo-boating TV programs that I saw as a kid. Most of us know the premise; a three-hour tour that didn’t end well. But, they made it seem like a lot of fun.
April 6, 2022
Ask Andrew: A guided tour of your marine toilet
Nothing spoils a weekend aboard faster than a broken toilet. Its uncomfortable, inconvenient, worrisome and can lead to unpleasant odours, which affect overall enjoyment.
March 23, 2022
Ask Andrew: Fuel Economy aboard
I filled up last week at $1.90. Pundits are suggesting that prices will stay high throughout the summer. Radio and TV news have been flooded with ‘man on the street’ interviews that show the impact on the average driver.
March 9, 2022
Ask Andrew: What Story is your gelcoat telling you?
As kids we’re told ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, when teaching children about prejudice and jumping to conclusions. But what if the book’s cover told us a lot about what we’ll find inside? What if it inspires up to dig a bit deeper?
February 22, 2022
Ask Andrew: Radar Reflectors – When and how to use them
I first learned about radar reflectors when I read the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (a part of the Canada Shipping Act) some 20 years ago.
February 8, 2022
Ask Andrew: Diagnosing battery drain – Part 2 The fix
Last week we explored how to diagnose battery drain – the unexplained dead battery that ruins all boating plans. The problem rarely ends with diagnosis, however. Most of us can agree, the only thing worse than discovering a flat battery at the turn of the key, is the worry that keeps you awake during the week wondering if it will happen again!
January 26, 2022
Ask Andrew: Diagnosing Battery Drain
Nothing ruins a warm summer afternoon faster than turning the key and hearing the clicking noises that surely indicate a drained battery. At this point – all that can be done is to charge the battery enough to start the battery and still enjoy the day.
January 24, 2022
GFCI and ELCI protection
I’m often asked to take a look at a survey to complete repairs at the request of a boat owner’s insurance company. Over the years, I’ve noticed that there are some items that are considered much lower ‘risk’, than others when identified on a survey.
January 11, 2022
Ask Andrew: Connections at the battery
Rarely have I seen a boat that is bought brand new and continues to look like it rolled off the factory floor a year or two later. Upgrades and changes are inevitable. A new GPS is installed. A cooler is replaced. Lights are swapped out. The list goes on.
December 21, 2021
Ask Andrew: What is the right battery type?
Most of us are familiar with the tried-and-true 12V lead-acid batteries that have been found in marine and auto applications for decades. There have been advances over time in the current output, the amp-hours and sizes available; no one can doubt that they do the job well.
December 7, 2021
Ask Andrew: Choosing a battery charger
It can easily be argued that an engine is the heart of the boat: it is the single most important piece of equipment aboard to get you where you’re going (and to keep you safe on the way).
November 23, 2021
Ask Andrew: Cleaning the Bilge – ugh
Years ago it was a punishment. In the Royal Navy, and on merchant ships of the 19th century, the gun crews who were the quickest would receive an extra tot of rum. The crew who were slow or sloppy were tasked with cleaning out the ship’s bilge.
November 10, 2021
Ask Andrew: Acrylic and Ceramic Gelcoat Restorers – Miracle Cure or Stumpwater?
Fibreglass boats take a lot of maintenance. Their appeal, half a century ago was their ‘maintenance free’ nature when compared with wooden boats. Add in the ability to mass-produce, and the low coast of manufacturing made fiberglass and easy choice.
October 12, 2021
Ask Andrew: Mast up or Mast Down
So many decisions to make when planning for haul-out. When/how to winterize? What type of antifreeze to use? Shrink-wrap or cover?
September 22, 2021
Ask Andrew: Corrosion – How to be a good neighbor: catch strays
Before I knew about corrosion, or marine electrical (or boats in general), I would see ‘no swimming’ signs at marinas and assume that the area was off limits due to boat traffic. Now that I know a bit more; the greater risk has to do with corrosion, grounding, and stray current issues.
September 7, 2021
Ask Andrew: Corrosion – Part 2
It’s a scary thought – whether your boat is made of wood, fiberglass, aluminum or composite – it’s slowly deteriorating under you. Part of this is the nature of the marine environment: sun, moisture, waves, wind, movement and vibration all contribute to components breaking down.
August 24, 2021
Ask Andrew: Corrosion – Part 1
It’s a scary thought – but whether your boat is made of wood, fiberglass, aluminum or composite – it’s slowly deteriorating under you. Part of this is the nature of the marine environment: Sun, moisture, waves, wind, movement and vibration all contribute to components breaking down.
August 10, 2021
Ask Andrew: Hoses – Part 2
There are so many applications for hoses aboard, and each requires a specific type. There hoses for: fuel, exhaust, scuppers, engine water intake, potable water (hot and cold), waste, water heaters, bilge water, gear lube, and blowers.
July 20, 2021
Ask Andrew: A Hose is not just a hose – Part 1
I have more than once heard it said (from a cost-conscious boater), that products that have the word ‘marine’ printed on the label, is excuse for doubling the price for the same item purchased for non-marine use.
July 7, 2021
Ask Andrew: water connections and new solutions
As boats increase in size, complexity and arrangements, the systems requiring water onboard also increase. Modern boats have pumps, pressure systems, ballast systems, showers, air conditioners, water-cooled refrigeration, washdown pumps, faucets, heaters, and all of through-hulls, tanks, lines and connections necessary to support them.
June 8, 2021
Ask Andrew: Engine/gasoline fires and other scares
Boats aren’t inherently combustible. They aren’t firetraps, and they aren’t any more or less dangerous with respect to fire breaking out than an RV, trailer, car or airplane.
May 11, 2021
Ask Andrew: Replacing and Installing Transducers
A Transducer is a device that is installed below the waterline that provides underwater data to a display at the helm. This data is usually in the form of depth and speed – but in more advanced systems can also provide sonar, fish-finding and side or forward views.
April 29, 2021
Add A Shade – Cool comfort with convenience
For most of us, the thrill of being aboard is associated with the motion of the water, wind in our hair, the laughter of friends, the speed and fresh air.
April 21, 2021
Ask Andrew: Steering system maintenance
An important, but often overlooked maintenance item on any type of boat is it’s steering system. Most are relatively safe and secure, and are generally bulletproof – requiring very little maintenance to operate well. That said, it’s important to perform at minimum an annual inspection before launch to avoid looming failures and potentially costly repairs.
March 24, 2021
Ask Andrew: Spring 2021 Checklist
Before you launch: Inspect all around the hose clamps for rust and replace as necessary. Double clamp fuel lines and exhaust hoses with marine-rated stainless steel hose clamps. While not technically required, it’s wise to double clamp whenever possible on all hoses − especially those below the waterline.
March 9, 2021
Ask Andrew – Off-Season checks for Bilge pump system
One of the items that gets taken for granted during the spring prep work is the bilge pumping system; it’s one of those on-board features that many of us assume is in working order….until something goes wrong.
February 23, 2021
Ask Andrew: Below-the-water inspections in the off season for power and sail
When the boat is in the water, It’s easy to take for granted the parts of the boat that are under the water. It’s also simple to think ‘everything worked well last year, so I won’t worry about it this year.’
February 9, 2021
Ask Andrew: ELCI’s – protecting the boat’s Shore-power grounding connection
Two weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised by the reaction from the article published on the importance of GFCI outlets. I received many more emails than usual in response to this topic, most of them echoing the importance of this type of protection aboard.
January 27, 2021
Ask Andrew: GFCI protection
I’m often asked to take a look at a survey to complete repairs at the request on a boat owner’s insurance company. Over the years, I’ve noticed that there are some items that are considered much less ‘risk’, than others when identified on a survey.
January 13, 2021
Ask Andrew: Propeller selection
Styles, shapes, pitch and diameter of props are widely discussed on online boating forums, YouTube videos and in boatyard scrimmages. The pros and cons aren’t always debated well – so lets take a look at some of the terms, options and choices to allow you to make some educated decisions.
December 15, 2020
Ask Andrew – December 17, 2020
‘‘Twas the night before Christmas and all ‘cross the land, boats were left to slumber, exactly as planned. Engines were winterized and tarps were tied tight, but batteries – and what to do – give many a fright.
November 17, 2020
Ask Andrew: Boat ventilation
I passed by a person doing some shrink-wrap work recently, and as he installed a vent in the shrink-wrap he was completing, he muttered satisfactorily to himself ‘Air flow isn’t just for sail boats.
November 4, 2020
Ask Andrew: Will we make it? Fuel gauge troubleshooting
There’s nothing worse than wondering how much fuel you have on board. You’re left wondering how long you can motor for. As well, you have no idea how much more fuel you can take on at the marina pump. You’re forced to resort to using a combination of dipsticks and jerry cans to compensate for not knowing the tank level.
October 21, 2020
Ask Andrew: Protecting your boat for the winter
As the cold approaches, shrink-wrapping is a hot topic, and I’ve heard more than a few debates at marinas and yacht clubs about the merits and disadvantages of winter covers, tarps and wraps.
October 13, 2020
Winterization Isn’t Like Your Dad Did It: Modern Methods For Modern Boats
“They don’t make ‘em like they used to”, is a phrase that many of us are familiar with. Most of the time it is in reference to a bygone era of better, and it’s used to lament the sorry state of what we have today. It is a phrase that can be applied to many areas of our lives: architecture, art, furniture, tools.
October 7, 2020
Ask Andrew: Boat electricity – a look inside
I’m on many different types of boats, with many configurations. Some have a single ‘automotive-type’ battery on board. Others have shore power, coupled with multiple battery banks, generators and inverters. Often the complexity of the systems, dictates the type of power needed to support them.
September 22, 2020
Ask Andrew – Yikes! Autumn means haulout
Labour Day weekend tends to be the ‘last hurrah’ on many fronts: the last long weekend of the summer, and (for many of us) the last time to enjoy the family boat for the season before other work/school/tasks/life take precedence.
September 9, 2020
Ask Andrew: Blowing Smoke
My Dad is not a mechanical guy. He is educated and well-read, and handy around the house – but not mechanical. When I was 12, I joined a trip to the local mechanic to get our family car fixed.
August 25, 2020
Ask Andrew – The Bucket
I was cleaning up my workbench the other day. My eyes then scanned across my workbench and fell on ‘the bucket’. Everyone has a one. On a boat, it’s usually in a cockpit lazarette. It’s full of old paint cans and half-used tubes of caulking. There might be some white grease, painters tape or epoxy in there, too.