Boat maintenance Archives - Safe Skipper Boating & Safety Afloat Apps for phones & tablets

Pre-start engine checks

by Simon Jollands | Boat Maintenance, Preparation, Yacht ownership

According to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) almost one third of emergency call outs at sea are caused by mechanical failure. Many engine breakdowns are avoidable. The best way to avoid a breakdown is to carry out pre-start checks before heading out to...

Boat maintenance – what does it involve?

by Simon Jollands | Boat Maintenance, Preparation, Yacht ownership

Maintenance involves keeping something in good condition, as close to its manufactured state as possible. The maintenance of a boat involves things like cleaning, varnishing, painting, polishing, antifouling, servicing the engine, servicing the seacocks, and...

Engine failure at sea – keeping the boat safe

by Simon Jollands | Boat Maintenance, Preparation, Yacht ownership

If the engine stops when you are underway, or your have to shut it down when a warning buzzer sounds, you also need to make sure the boat remains safe. This is no problem if you’re in open water with no dangers nearby, at least for the short term. However, this is not...

Engine failure at sea – common causes and how to avoid them

by Simon Jollands | Boat Maintenance, Preparation, Yacht ownership

Providing they are regularly serviced and maintained, modern marine diesel engines tend to be very reliable. However, they are by no means infallible and a large percentage of lifeboat rescues are to leisure vessels with engine failure. Fortunately, a handful of...

Boat interior varnishing

by Simon Jollands | Boat Maintenance, Preparation, Yacht ownership

Boat interiors on the whole are pretty resilient but over time bulkheads, doors, the cabin sole and surfaces become scuffed, stained and suffer general wear and tear due to the marine environment. In an ideal world, the best location to undertake such a project is...