Complete service records for a used boat you are considering purchasing are a good way to judge how well it has been cared for. Changing oil at the proper … [Read more...]
Salt-Neutralizing for Marine Engines: Royal Flush
June 26, 2012 By 2 Comments
Even before you buy your first boat, you know it’s essential to flush your engines after running in salt water. But even if you flush your engines religiously, … [Read more...]
Compression and Leak Down Testing: Squeeze Play
June 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment
If you're looking at a used boat with an older engine, or an engine that you think might not have been well-maintained, it makes sense to run a couple … [Read more...]
Tow Vehicles: How Big is Big Enough?
June 16, 2012 By 8 Comments
In addition to spending far too much time looking at used boats on BoatTrader.com, even though I don’t need another, I just as often look at gently used … [Read more...]
Top 10 Water Skiing and Wakeboarding Boats
June 5, 2012 By 1 Comment
Editor's Note: For a great ride, you need a great tow boat. Here (in no particular order) are the boats Brett Becker chose as the ten best tow boats available … [Read more...]
Water-Pump Impeller: Priority One
June 3, 2012 By 1 Comment
Unless you have proof in the form of a receipt or confirmation from the shop that did the work, replacing the water-pump impeller should be one of the … [Read more...]
Boat Speed vs. Fuel Economy
May 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Given the current level of fuel prices and their volatility, it’s a good idea to be aware of fuel economy when shopping for a new or used boat. Then … [Read more...]
The Boat-Tow Truck I Wish Someone Would Build
May 24, 2012 By 5 Comments
After towing a 4,200-pound boat trailer with Volkswagen’s fantastic Touareg TDI, I was amazed at the fuel economy. By keeping the cruise engaged at 60 … [Read more...]
Boat Trailer Brakes: Surge vs. Electric-over-Hydraulic
April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment
There are plenty of advantages to owning a trailerable boat as opposed to one that you keep in a slip or on a mooring. If you're shopping for such a boat, … [Read more...]
Prop Primer: A Short Course in Propeller Terminology
April 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
If you’re new to boating, or you're considering buying a boat that's unfamiliar to you, you’ll need to devote some attention to the matter of propellers … [Read more...]