October 25, 2022
Ask Andrew: Fall means haul-out and boat storage; I get a lot of questions about best-practices.
Boaters tend to be hands-on and active. Many (most?) like to launch and trailer our boats on our own. We are hands on during launch and haul-out… But boat yards and launch ramps also tend to contain a collection of ‘this is what I do’, and not always ‘this is ideal, and I do it for this reason’.
October 17, 2022
Cruising with a Captain – It’s easier than you think
Never chartered? No problem. Here’s how to plan, execute and enjoy a vacation on a charter yacht where life is easy and the sunsets can’t be beat.
October 12, 2022
Ask Andrew: End of Season boating
Most boaters are thinking about the end of the season at this time of year: prepping for haul-out, arranging for winterization and shrink-wrapping, prepping tarps and removing supplies.
September 20, 2022
Ask Andrew: The Last Hurrah
As Thanksgiving heads our way, it tends to be the ‘last hurrah’ on many fronts: the last long weekend before snowflakes, 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 6, 2022
Ask Andrew: Gelcoat cleaning
As the busy season starts to wind down, many boaters turn to the maintenance that has been neglected or pushed aside for trips and activities aboard. Why now?
August 23, 2022
Ask Andrew: Trimming – it’s just plane sense. Part 2: Trim Tabs
Last time, we looked at outboard and stern drive tweaking to get the boat planing. Further to that we look at trim tabs as an additional means. The larger the boat, the more difficult this becomes through raising/lowering the outboard or sterndrive on its own.
August 10, 2022
Ask Andrew: Trimming – it’s just plane sense. Part 1
Unlike a car that moves (and requires control) left and right (and perhaps, if you’re an adventurous type, up and down steep grades), and boat has significantly more range of motion.
July 19, 2022
Ask Andrew: Sikflex 291 Kit review
Chatting at the club bar last week, the subject of current boat projects popped up. One boater described his window-replacement project, and the tone from the get-go was one of dismay.
July 6, 2022
Ask Andrew: The three-year tune-up
Our boats are now on the water after a couple of really unusual years – if we did get out it was checkered with restrictions, lockdowns etc etc and etc.
July 6, 2022
4 Steps to Control Vessel Flooding
Every year the Coast Guard reports thousands of boating incidents, many which involve collisions with objects or equipment failures. While most boaters have safety gear on board that is legally required, many do not have the tools and materials on-hand to make a critical repair in case of an emergency.
June 21, 2022
Stay and shroud tension: Not just for sailing performance!
I was recently reading a number of Facebook posts from sailboat owners’ groups, wondering why their cabin doors and cupboards were no longer opening properly.
June 7, 2022
Ask Andrew: The great bilge oil discharge conundrum
I’ve always thought that where safety is concerned aboard, it should be the same whether the boat is a commercial, passenger-carrying vessel or a privately owned sail or power boat.
June 2, 2022
Thrusters can make docking easier
Corners like it’s on rails. You can almost see it. A car with a low centre of gravity takes a curve. The driver shifts through the gears and exits the bend with speed and grace. Stops on a dime. That same vehicle smoothly downshifts and comes to a complete stop as though hitting an invisible barrier.
May 24, 2022
Ask Andrew: Bogging? What’s that?
Mechanics use a lot of strange terms when describing problems aboard. An engine may be skipping or stuttering. It could cough or belch. It may ‘rev up’ to fast, or may run lean or rich.
May 11, 2022
Seamanship: Avoiding mishaps by understanding how your boat handles
Full disclosure and confession: I enjoy watching boat failures and crashes on YouTube! As long as no one gets hurt, it’s a lot of fun and very entertaining.
May 11, 2022
Ask Andrew – Straight talk: Engine and shaft alignment
As I write this, boat yards are checking over systems, and re-familiarizing themselves with the boat they haven’t seen since the fall. Some of these checks can be itemized on a list; others are more intuitive: did the engine make this sound last year?
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?
March 8, 2022
7 Smart Safety Suggestions for Spring
I remember with fondness, our opening days at the cottage when my two sons were young. They couldn’t wait to get into their bathing suits and would go charging down the dock to leap into the lake, only to come charging out seconds later howling from the shock of hitting the cold water.
March 7, 2022
Safety: Man overboard procedures
Most of this information is taken from the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons (CPS-ECP) BOATING 4 – Seamanship course which I have updated and edited.
February 23, 2022
Keven on sails: PHRF racing primer
Most sailboat racing occurs at local sailing clubs, and usually after work hours on weekday evenings. It doesn’t sound as exotic as Voiles St Barth’s, Sardinia or the famous Sydney to Hobart race, but thousands of boats and crews are competing on weeknights against their arch nemesis on the end of Dock C.
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
Boat ownership: Let’s talk insurance
With the boating season getting ever closer, it’s important that you understand the language of your insurance policy. When shopping for marine insurance this season here are a few insurance terms you may want to become familiar with to ensure that you are not purchasing and insurance policy that will fall short when a claim occurs.
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 24, 2021
Keven Talks Sails: Crosscut VS Triradial Sail Cutting
Over the last decade, sailcloth weaving equipment has evolved and allowed the production of low crimp warp oriented woven cloth of medium to heavy weights. We have had light weight warp wovens of 200g/m2 (4oz) or lighter for much longer than that, but the finer denier weaves of light sailcloth allowed that with older looms and setups.
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
Choosing the right PFD
Finding the right PFD can seem like a daunting task and extends beyond finding one that fits and floats. After all, not all vests work for all people, and no one vest works well for all activities.
October 12, 2021
Bareboat chartering for first timers (Part 3)
If chartering is something you’ve been dreaming about, this series is really for you. BUT be forewarned…it can be addictive!
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.