Repairs, Maintenance & DIY

Simple and more advanced projects, routine maintenance, quick ways to make big differences, solving nagging problems, tips and tools to make the work easier and getting help from pros.

Published on August 31, 2020; last updated on August 31, 2020 by Carolyn Shearlock

How to find the cause of a fuel problem on a boat. Symptoms and possible causes, plus step-by-step strategies for finding it. [More] Find a Fuel Problem on a Boat

DIY Fuel Polishing

Published on July 26, 2020; last updated on July 26, 2020 by Carolyn Shearlock

If your boat has been sitting for a while, you may need to polish your fuel. Here’s how with suggested tools to make it easier to accomplish DIY fuel polishing. [More] DIY Fuel Polishing

Boat Water Filtering

Published on July 20, 2020; last updated on December 28, 2020 by Carolyn Shearlock

Bad-tasting water from your boat’s tank? Filter it! Three suggested ways to do it, with the pros and cons of each. [More] Boat Water Filtering

Carburetor Troubleshooting

Published on April 11, 2020; last updated on April 7, 2020 by Carolyn Shearlock

A guide to the five most frequent signs of carburetor trouble, the underlying trouble, and how to fix each one. Most don’t require a new carb! [More] Carburetor Troubleshooting

Boat Battery Types 101

Published on January 20, 2020; last updated on June 12, 2020 by Cory Nickerson

Learn about the different types of boat batteries and figure out which ones are best for you! [More] Boat Battery Types 101

Inexpensive DIY Cockpit Enclosure

Published on October 28, 2019; last updated on June 12, 2020 by Carolyn Shearlock

How to make an affordable boat cockpit enclosure. Mine cost just $550 vs. a $10K estimate from a canvas shop! [More] Inexpensive DIY Cockpit Enclosure

Looking For Hard-to-Find Boat Parts?

Published on August 17, 2019; last updated on June 30, 2020 by Carolyn Shearlock/Doug McQuilken

Boat Used Part Search: locate hard-to-find boat parts quickly and easily — and at affordable prices — with this search tool. [More] Looking For Hard-to-Find Boat Parts?

One Careless Moment

Published on April 22, 2019; last updated on June 30, 2020 by Carolyn Shearlock

One careless moment caused a boat fire. What happened, what we did wrong and what we did right. A chilling story of an almost-disaster. [More] One Careless Moment

GPS to Wifi iPad for Aqua Map – Under $10

Published on April 15, 2019; last updated on September 8, 2020 by Carolyn Shearlock

Step-by-step how to use your phone’s GPS information on a wifi-only iPad (without GPS) with AquaMap. Cost: less than $10 vs. $100 for external GPS. [More] GPS to Wifi iPad for Aqua Map – Under $10

Switching from Ablative to Hard Bottom Paint

Published on March 25, 2019; last updated on June 12, 2020 by Carolyn Shearlock

Why we switched from ablative to hard bottom paint on our cruising sailboat, the alternative procedures for doing so and what it cost. [More] Switching from Ablative to Hard Bottom Paint

Find a Fuel Problem on a Boat