Seaworthy Magazine: Highlights from the April 2008 Issue

Keeping Your Engine Humming, Part 1, Outboards
Outboard engines are the most popular type of propulsion for boats and for good reason. Outboards are the only engines that are built from the water up specifically for boats and the range of sizes and power is unmatched by any other propulsion types. But as with all things marine, there are some things you can do to keep your outboard healthy and happy and extend its useful life.

Marine Surveyors
Finding a competent surveyor may be the last step in a boat purchase, but it could easily be the most important and should never be taken lightly. Anyone can call himself a marine surveyor; there are no licenses or exams required. One long standing joke among surveyors is that all it takes to become a “professional” is a business card, a cell phone and somebody to believe you.

Carbon Monoxide
Though reports of CO poisonings may have slowed, they haven’t stopped. The accidents are typically attributed to two causes—missing, defective, or disconnected CO alarms, or exposure to CO on the exterior of the boat.

Spring and Hypothermia
It isn’t unusual in early spring for the water to be mid-winter frigid while the air feels as warm as summer. It verges on false advertising. But cold water is dangerous, whether it is in the Chesapeake Bay or the coast of Washington State.

Captains Locator Service
There are times when the word “professional” can have an especially nice ring to it. This past January, BoatUS launched the Captains Locator Service, a national network of professionals, all of whom have passed the Coast Guard’s rigorous testing requirements to obtain a captains license.

   

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