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Text and photos by Steve D'Antonio Copyright © 2017 Photo Essay: Direct-Bearing Terminals Shipboard electrical connections face a host of challenges, vibration, stress, extremes of temperature, and humidity or...

SDMC Special Offer The SDMC Marine Systems Excellence E-zine readers are being offered a special 15% discount on their Top Shelf Marine Products purchase.  Please...

From the Masthead Let me begin by apologizing to Marine Systems Excellence readers for our hiatus.  As most boat owners, and virtually anyone who is...

Steve, Congratulations on your latest professional move.  It leaves me a bit disappointed with PassageMaker in not supporting your independent writing. I have a Holland 38...

Photo Essay: Through Deck Fittings Properly securing deck hardware can present a variety of challenges.  Cored composite decks represent perhaps the greatest challenge; the core...

Text and photos copyright © 2018 Steve D’Antonio Marine Consulting, Inc. Photo Essay: Check Valves Check valves are ubiquitous; they are used in everything from fuel systems...

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: 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 © 2021 Steve D'Antonio Marine Consulting, Inc. Photo Essay: Wire Design It’s a question that occasionally comes up among boat buyers or forum...

Photo Essay: Shaft Coupling Fasteners The average small vessel may have anywhere from hundreds to several thousand, fasteners aboard, used in everything from joinerwork to...