Running Gear Alignment
Tips on adjusting the engine, bearings, and shaft for maximum efficiency Many consider running-gear alignment to be a black art. At a yard I once managed, I clearly recall watching… Read more »
Systems
Wide-Open Throttle
A few years ago I was carrying out a sea trial aboard a single-screw trawler that a client was considering for purchase. Part of the process involves running the vessel… Read more »
Offshore Passage Prep: Hydraulics
Since my first bluewater passage aboard the 120′ (36.5m) steel schooner R/V Westward nearly 25 years ago as a student, I’ve developed a strong appreciation for what’s involved in maintaining… Read more »
Steering-System Angularity
Steering system faults can range from sloppiness in the helm, vague handling, and increased fuel consumption, to catastrophic binding and complete failure. The potentially crippling errors illustrated below were made… Read more »
Fuel Fills
Granted, diesel fuel is less volatile than gasoline. Still, plumbing systems for delivering either type of fuel to its tank must be installed so as to prevent leaks and minimize… Read more »
Reducing Shore-Power Risks
A survey conducted a few years ago indicated that 55% of all fires aboard recreational vessels are electrical in nature, and 11% of those begin in AC shore-power wiring and… Read more »
The Standards for Seacocks
There’s a right way and a wrong way to go about any task. You really don’t want to choose the wrong way when installing a seacock. Think of it like… Read more »
Strapping It Down
Heavy batteries and fuel tanks are systems components that you definitely don’t want coming adrift and slamming around in a boat on a rough day. Yet their attachments often range… Read more »
Risk of Engine Drowning
When the yard I managed became the dealer for a 30′ (9.1m) production powerboat, a colleague and I embarked on a passage from Chesapeake Bay to Bermuda to emphasize the… Read more »
Wave Power
Engineers wielding pumps, dams, and turbines have long pursued the potential of “free” energy harnessed from kinetic ocean forces, such as tides and waves. Indeed, France and Canada have built… Read more »
