Ask Steve

After a fall boat show hiatus, the SDMC Newsletter is back on watch. Text and photos copyright © 2017 Steve D'Antonio Marine Consulting, Inc. Photo Essay: Exhaust Back...

Ask Steve: Electric Tea Kettles, Fire, and AC Electricity By Steve D'Antonio Photos by Steve D'Antonio   On boats with both a powerful inverter and a generator on...

Photo Essay: Exhaust Injection Angle Water-cooled, often referred to as “wet” exhaust systems, enable otherwise extremely hot gasses to be safely conveyed through a vessel,...

Text and photos by Steve D’Antonio Copyright © 2016 Photo Essay: Generator Wiring Today, generators are commonplace aboard cruising power and sailing vessels, providing near-limitless AC electricity for refrigeration,...

Photo Essay: Battery Installation   It’s an all-too-common occurrence; while conducting an inspection I reach the area where batteries (often for starting but occasionally house as...

Photo Essay: Seacock Installation While it’s self-evident that seacocks play a vital role in a vessel’s watertight integrity, I continue to encounter improperly installed examples...

Photo Essay: The Perils of an Unvented Loop Vented loops, also known as anti-siphon valves or siphon-breaks, have served mariners for many years.  Their mission...

Photo Essay: Closed Cooling System Hose Failure While both must be reliable and robust, hoses used for conveying coolant (often incorrectly referred to as anti-freeze)...

Photo Essay: Not a Cord Grip These are small, inexpensive, and readily available parts, and they are critically important; without them the worst-case result can...

Text and Photos By Steve D'Antonio  Copyright June 2014      From the Editor Earlier this month I shared with subscribers my decision to resign my position as Technical Editor...