ed’s boat tips

The photo below, which is a close-up view of the back side of a stainless steel gimballed stove that is fueled by LPG tells a story about something that not too many folks think of, but that needs to get shared as it could be a big problem if not attended too. What you see in the photo is a heat shield / deflector that is installed on the back of most of the popular gimballed stove sets we see on modern boats. The unit is fueled by LPG that gets delivered to the stove via the rubber hose …

It is with great pride that I announce the publication of a new book that I and one of my good friends and longtime editors Tim Murphy have just  published through the ABYC. This whole project came about as part of a grant from the Kathy and Jerry Woods foundation and has been on-going for several years now. For those of you not familiar with Kathy and Jerry, they were the founders of the Annapolis Boat Shows and the Annapolis Sailing School. Their foundation centers on helping to educate …

OK, I’ll admit it, I was sceptical about the upcomiing America’s Cup World series event just held in Newport, RI over the past weekend. I still have lingering memories of the last go around and all the rather annoying courtroom activity. Sailboat racing gone bad, rich dudes whining…. it all just turned me off to the whole thing. But, I have had a change of heart after watching the event from the water this past weekend. Check out one of the Oracle boats here: These new boats are cool! Who …

One of the never ending battles I deal with working within the marine industry is trying to explain to employers, most of whom complain to me on a regular basis about how hard it is to find good help, that they need to be proactive. With that in mind, each year I serve as a judge at the Skills USA nationals in Kansas City, MO in the marine service technology competition. I want to try and do my part to help the future service technicians out there. The shot below is from this year’s …

A few days back I was asked to do an inspection on a new boat that I will politely say “has issues”. One of the items I discovered is fairly common, especially on boats coming into the US from other countries. In reviewing the CE standards that apply to AC electrical systems, actually ISO Standard 13297 I can see that there is really no mention of the need to install AC switches and outlet receptacles into approved boxes to protect the high-voltage terminals from coming into contact with …

Nice panel, but its as far out as I can get it. (Not the Robalo) Another example of a no service loop install. A panel with a service loop. Notice how you can swing the panel all the way down to access the wiring and terminals on the back. Nice, and the way things should be. OK, today I’m whining. Just finished a project on my new Robalo R-180 and I’m sharing one of the major frustrations that occur on a lot of boats I’m afraid, so yes the folks at Robalo should listen in here, but …

First my apologies! I’ve been traveling for the last several weeks, picking up and trailering my new boat up the East Coast. So, now you know why I haven’t updated in a couple of weeks. I’ll share more on the new ride as the month progresses. Anyhow, I’m back in action here at the blog site and a few new things flew in over the transom this morning that are worth sharing and need pointing out. One of them is an an announcement from our friends at Perko that talks about something they do that …

Fly Zone is off to a new home! They say that the happiest day in a boater’s life is the day they get their new boat. They also say the second happiest day is the day they sell it. Well I don’t necessarily agree. You see last week I sold my beloved Fly Zone. Yes, I’m replacing my Amesbury skiff with a larger boat a week from today. Not too much larger mind you, but large enough so that my family and I can zip around Narragansett bay a bit more quickly and shoot out to the islands off the …

Although not new technology, I just got my hands on a new Sperry Volt Sensor model VD 6504. Ruggedly made and it works like a charm. A quick search found them available at Amazon.com for $15. If you work on electricity around the house or on the dock or your boat equipped with shore power, you want this inexpensive tool. It works just as shown in the photo here by plugging the plastic tip into an AC socket and looking for the red glowing light and hearing a rather obnoxious chirping sound …

I received a good question from one of our readers yeaterday that needs to be shared because I’ll bet a few of you out there are trying to do the same thing. Garry writes: My new fishing boat has a merc 60 hp 4 stroke efi outboard with 18 amps of alternator output.Can I safely connect the starter battery and deep cycle trolling motor battery in series, to charge the deep cycle with the outboard engine? Of course I would install a switch to isolate the deep cycle when in use to avoid draining …

Annual Maintenance and Regular Inspections Will Insure Top Performance And Long Life But few of us think to look a just a little bit forward and check out the hydraulic steering system. In fact, when asked, most boat owners said they had no idea there was anything they should do, or could do, to maintain their hydraulic systems. As a result, this vital control system receives little or no attention, and small problems resulting from normal wear and tear are left to become major headaches – …