You don’t need to be a seasoned skipper to spot a maverick boat operator when you see one. Spend any length of time on the shores of a lake or in a marina on a busy summer’s day and you won’t have to wait long to see someone strike a pontoon or ‘swamp’ the water behind their boat with their outboard. Suffice to say it’s well worth doing a course to learn the basic knowledge … [Read more...]
Everything You Need to Know About Sailing With or Without an Engine
Whether you’re a seasoned motor yacht skipper or are looking to make the jump from diesel to wind power, you might be wondering what type, if any, engine you’ll need to compliment your sails when the force of mother nature isn’t up to the job. In short it is prudent to have an engine fitted to any sailing vessels over about 6 foot in length, largely as a safety measure to … [Read more...]
Top 3 Easy Install Boat Air Conditioning Methods
If you’re fortunate enough to own, or consider owning, a cruiser yacht then naturally you’ll want the experience of spending time aboard your vessel to be as comfortable as possible. After all, you might choose to live on your boat for weeks or months at a time, so creature comforts are a must if the experience is going to be enjoyable. Air conditioning is one of the most … [Read more...]
Are Jet Drive Boats Any Good? What Are The Pros and Cons of Jet Drives?
Off the top of my head there are 3 ways of propelling a boat, either through the use of a conventional propeller, an impeller (or ‘jet drive’), and aircraft style propellers typically found on flat bottomed air boats used in marshlands where below waterline propulsion is impractical. For most of us the choice will come down to propellers or jet drives, with props generally … [Read more...]
What Causes an Outboard Motor to Overheat?
Without a doubt outboard motors are the most ingenious means of propulsion for boats; they’re a fully self contained power plant, they come in a range of different sizes, and they’re convenient to maintain and transport. However in some ways their supreme utility can be a curse as much as it is a blessing. People are often prone to thrashing outboards around while forgetting … [Read more...]