Proper and regular maintenance is the key to reliable vessel operation. Knowing what that maintenance is, and when and how it should be carried out, can present the cruising vessel owner with a challenge.
Even if you don’t carry out all of your own service and repair work, it’s desirable, even necessary, to know if those who are carrying it out are doing so correctly.
Running gear diagnosis and repair can often prove vexing, even for experienced professionals, and by its very nature this work must nearly always be carried out by boat yard personnel who possess a specialized skill set.
Few would argue with the importance of proper fuel system design, installation, maintenance and repair; statistically most diesel engine problems are fuel-related. Unfortunately, opportunities exist to make mistakes in nearly every step of this process.
The electrical system is among the most important, and frequently least well understood, of all systems aboard cruising vessels. Errors in equipment selection, as well as installation of components and wiring, are all too common.
Fiberglass, gelcoat and core repair problems are, to one degree or another, inevitable on vessels built using these materials. Correctly assessing the cause of the failure is a critical component of the repair process.
