Boat storm damage can be minor or catastrophic – here’s how you can inspect your boat and systems for the severity of damage after a storm After a severe storm, your boat might not be as ready to hit the open water as it was before the tempest struck. Making certain your boat is in...
Category: Boat Maintenance
A Step-by-Step Guide to Protecting Your Boat’s Surfaces
Pro tips for long-lasting paint and gelcoat surface protection from the elements using PROTEC 1 Our outdoor toys are our passions. We want to protect our motorcycles, boats, and cars to the best of our abilities, which is why we spent years developing our PROTEC System. In the world of surface protection, PROTEC 1 is...
A Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Your Boat’s Teak
Pro tips for teak cleaning & brightening using Teak Magic as a- safe, eco-friendly way to transform teak boat decks and furniture Teak Magic is not just a teak cleaner and brightener; it's a revolutionary two-part teak cleaning system designed to transform your teak surfaces, from your boat decks to outdoor furniture, while being environmentally...
Shakedown Cruise Your First Boat Ride of the Season
Your first boat ride of the season is a shakedown cruise that gives you a chance to make sure there are no problems before bigger boat trips Ready to go on your first big boat trip of boating season? You better make sure you have a shakedown cruise first! What is a shakedown cruise? Your...
10 Spring Boat Prep Steps We Do to Get Our Boat Ready to Launch
What’s our spring boat checklist? The main steps we follow to get our boat ready to launch in the spring It’s been a long winter and it’s finally time to start getting the boat ready for spring launch and start our BOATING SEASON! We boat in Maryland so our season usually runs from May to...
Reducing Boat Ownership Friction
Marine industry pro aims to connect boater owners with the boating providers they need for service and maintenance with SHIPSHAPE.PRO Anchors Aweigh is a podcast for all boaters, from aspiring to experienced. Featuring in-depth conversations with boating experts and industry leaders, and packed full of tips, tricks, gear, and industry info, boaters of all levels will...
Locating Hard-to-Find Boat Parts Keep Dreams on the Water
Boat Used Part Search (BUPS) helps boaters find what their boat needs and get it back on the water as soon as possible Nothing feels worse than having your dream sit under a tarp on the driveway. Several weeks before, the boat owner stood at the helm, master of his craft, and in control of...
Boat A/C Not Working – How to Troubleshoot & Fix Marine Air Conditioner Problems
Troubleshooting potential boat A/C problems – and how to fix them – if your with your marine air conditioner stops working right on your boat If you’re like us, you spend most of your weekends on your boat throughout the summer season and rely on your marine A/C to keep cool. Spending the night on...
Spring Boat Prep – Removing Shrink Wrap & Installing Canvas
Taking down the winter shrink wrap and putting up the boat canvas is a big spring prep job! [Includes video] There’s a lot to do in the spring to get your boat ready for launch. One of the most satisfying spring boat prep jobs is taking off that winter shrink wrap and putting up the...
Replacing the Anchor Rode and Splicing Line to Anchor Chain on a Boat
Is it time to replace your anchor rode? Follow this step-by-step how-to for splicing line to anchor chain [Includes Video] It’s off-season and time for seasonal maintenance and repairs. The work actually begins during the sailing season by noting issues that need attention. In my case, I noticed that the chain in my anchor rode...
How to Winterize a Boat – End of Boating Season Winterizing Checklist
How we winterize our boat every year – a checklist for our end of boating season winterizing plans [with how-to VIDEOS] We boat on the upper Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, so our boating season ends around mid-October. While there are definitely some die hard boaters that keep their boat in year round, we winterize our...
Stuck Boat Steering Wheel – Removal & Replacement with New Wheel
How to remove a stuck boat steering wheel 2 different ways on a Sea Ray to replace it with a new wheel [includes video!] Our 2002 Sea Ray 410 Sundancer has been starting to show her age in recent years so we’ve been updating or replacing parts as needed to keep her looking good. In...
Best Boat Vinyl Cleaner for Mildew Removal
This cleaner is the best boat vinyl mildew remover we have found in over 20 years of boating – before & after cleaning demo! Like most boaters, we have been struggling for years with mildew on our boat vinyl. With a boat, its inevitable you’ll get some mildew on your boat – especially after its...
Wax On, Wax Off – Our Boat Waxing & Cleaning Process Before Launch
Our process for basic cleaning and waxing the boat, and some final spring prep reminders before we launch the boat for the season. [includes VIDEO!] Spring boat prep can be a lot of work, but after 20 years we definitely learning a few techniques that can help save some time and effort. Our spring prep...