The Ships Logg

It is that time of year again.   As boaters, we are excitedly looking towards what this boating season is going to bring.   I am fortunate enough to be able to use my boat year round but there are still some things that I do in the spring to prep things for a great boating season.   One of them is to renew my membership with TowBoatUS.   I have been lucky enough where I have only needed them twice in my boating career and one of those times was when I had an issue with my tow vehicle while on the road. Regardless of what type of boating you enjoy, I highly recommend a membership with TowBoatUS or Sea Tow because you never know when you may need it.   That being said, you still want to avoid having to make that call if you can.   Here are some of the most common reasons that boaters have to call for a tow and ways you can avoid the same issues. Engine Overheating I actually had someone ask me how a boat engine could possibly overheat when there i...

For years, buyers of boats in the 35 foot and over range had a decision to make when buying a boat; gasoline powered or diesel powered.   If you were buying a smaller boat, you pretty much had one option (with a few exceptions) and that was gasoline, especially if the boat you were looking at had an outboard engine.   Now, things are beginning to change.   Several manufacturers, including Oxe, Cox, and Mercury Racing have announced new diesel powered outboards that rival some of the best-selling gas powered outboards on the market today.      I’m not talking about the 16 HP Yanmar that is on your neighbor’s sailboat.   These are serious outboards in the 200 to 300 HP range.   On top of that, they are quiet and smoke free. When comparing diesel outboards to gasoline outboards, there are similar comparisons when doing the same with inboards.   Diesels are more expensive and heavier but they are also more efficient and will typ...

Over the past several years, ethanol has gotten a real bad rap with recreational boaters.   Stories of engine damage and getting stranded out on the water have been told time and time again.   One group says that boaters should stay away from it while another group says it is perfectly fine to use.   Who is telling the truth?   Well, it depends.   Let’s take a look at how we got here and what is really going on. In 2005, the Renewable Fuel Standard Act was passed that required a certain amount of renewable fuel to be used along with the fossil fuels that we had already been using.   This was done to reduce the amount of pollution that fossil fuels create.   Ethanol was chosen because it can be made from a renewable resource that is readily available in the US.   Gasoline powered cars and trucks had no problem with the switch at all, but we cannot say the same thing for the boats.   To understand this, let’s take a look at some of th...

Most of us own cars and we know that maintenance is a part of owning one.   We are constantly bombarded with advertisements that tout a better or more cost effective way to keep them in good running condition.   Boats require maintenance also, but since we are not constantly reminded of it, it seems that some of us forget to maintain our boats the way we really need to.   In addition, some of the maintenance items on a boat may be a bit different than what is required for a car.   Here are some things that you need to do to keep your vessel running smoothly. Engine and Propulsion Systems Let’s start with one of the more obvious areas and one that is similar to your car.   First and foremost, if you have a new boat, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for engine maintenance.   You don’t want to do anything to void your warranty. 1.          Change your oil – This should be the most obvious one...

The Volvo Penta 5.7 Engine after the finished rebuild in 2015 A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about hydrolock.   In the article, I mentioned that I had experienced hydrolock on a previous boat and that it caused damage to the engine.   To be more precise, it took the engine out.   Here is how I handled that situation. In July of 2014, I experienced something that no boater wants to experience.   I great day out on the lake turned ugly all of a sudden when my engine went down hard.   At the time, I did not know exactly what the issue was but based on the sound that it made, I knew that it was not a simple fix.   Earlier in the day, my engine had ingested water, something that I had experienced before.   I knew how to handle it though.   I pulled the plugs out, yanked the kill switch cord and cranked the engine over several times, allowing the water to be expelled from the cylinders.   After drying the plugs, putting them ba...