Ask Steve

Dear Steve: I recently looked at a new boat at a boat show.  I noticed something that caught my attention and I wondered if you...

Text and photos copyright © SDMC, Inc. 2016 Ask Steve: June 2016 Steve, Thanks for the fire extinguisher comments.  Safety is a passion of mine and 18 months...

Photo Essay     Life Cell, a Better Ditch Kit   Ditch bags are an invaluable accessory no blue water passagemaking vessel should be without.  They are also nothing...

Text and photos © 2020 Steve D'Antonio Marine Consulting, Inc. Photo Essay: Stuffing Box Hose Clamps Conventional stuffing boxes leak, they are supposed to, it’s how...

Copyright © 2014 SDMC Inc.   Steve, I have read your articles in Cruising World for years and have found them very informative. Recently I notice that the...

Text and photos by Steve D'Antonio Photo Essay: (Not) Painting Aluminum It’s a phenomenon I encounter on a near-weekly basis; virtually every vessel I’m aboard suffers,...

Photo Essay: The Perils of Double Grounding It is ubiquitous, various disparate onboard equipment, to which green bonding wires are attached.  While not necessarily providing...

Photo Essay: Lifeline Corrosion While plastic coated wire lifelines are a ubiquitous aspect of small boat safety, they aren’t without their shortcomings.  Long ago, while...

Photo Essay: Core Closeout It’s a subject that comes up time and time again when I’m working with boat builders and boat yards, core close...

Photo Essay: Fixed Fire Extinguisher Manual Discharge Fixed engine room firefighting systems are an invaluable safety option for virtually every inboard powered vessel.  These familiar...