Just a lover of boating, writing about what he loves. Stop by for interesting articles on everything from buying a boat, boating adventures and engine maintenance.
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One of my favorite views when cruising on The Bear's Den II. Just have to make sure I don't look this way for too long!
If you have ever experienced hydrolock on your boat engine, you may already know that it can turn a great day on the water into a really bad day in a hurry. What is hydrolock? To put it simply, it is when water gets into your engine cylinders. While this can also happen to car and truck engines, it is more likely to happen with marine engines because of the environment that boats operate in and it is more likely to happen on boats that have exhaust systems that release exhaust under the water’s surface. First, let’s talk about how the typical 4 stroke gasoline engine works. There are four steps (hence the term four stroke) that a cylinder goes through for each combustion cycle: 1. First the intake valve opens and the piston moves down which sucks air and fuel into the cylinder. 2. The intake valve closes and the cylinder moves up which compresses the air-fuel mixture. 3. The spark plug fires, igniting the fuel-air mixture, thus pushing the
Maintenance on you boat is important. We all know that. Sometimes, we don’t know all of the items that we need to take care of though. Even a non-boater can tell you that you need to change the oil, but do they know about impellers or outdrives? Here are some important maintenance items that are commonly ignored on boats, what they do and why you should pay attention to them. Impellers What they do: They are responsible for drawing water into the engine’s cooling system to keep the engine operating within proper temperature range. Depending on your boat’s propulsion system, they can be located in the outdrive, on the front of the engine or in a separate housing. Maintenance: They should be replaced every two years. If you use your boat extensively, you may need to replace them every year. Don’t forget that if your boat has a generator, it will have an impeller also. What happens if you ignore them: Engine overheating due to lack of water flow. Fins
Anchoring your boat is pretty easy if done the right way but can also be difficult if you are not using the right technique or the right anchor. In this article, we will discuss how to choose the right anchor for your boat and proper anchoring technique. First of all, know that it is advised to have an anchor and rode on your boat even if spending time on the hook isn’t one of your chosen ways to pass the time out on the water. I have talked to many boaters who claim that they do not need an anchor because all of their time spent on their boat is either at a dock or underway. My question to them is always the same: What if you are underway and you have engine problems or, in the case of a sailboat, you rip a sail? Are you comfortable drifting around at the whim of the wind and current? If your boat does not have an anchor, get one. Ground Tackle An anchoring system (or ground tackle) for your boat is comprised of three components: 1. The anchor – The
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