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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: Livewell Pump Installation Raw water plumbing fittings, particularly those below the waterline, must be rugged and reliable.  ABYC Standards dictate that, “A seacock...

Photo Essay: Steering Gear Wear Steering gear falls into the category of a ‘key system’.  Without it you are not only dead in the water,...

Photo Essay: Fuel Tank (no) Support Structural failures of fuel tanks are nearly always traceable to either installation or construction flaws, with the former being...

Photo Essay: Fuel Filter "Seaweed" Primary fuel filters are the first line of defense against a range of contaminants including sediment, asphaltene, and water.  Most...

Photo Essay: Motor Mount Installation Motor mounts play a vital role in the propulsion system scheme; they represent the only link between the thrust created...

Photo Essay: Wiring Lithium-Ion Battery Systems Fires aboard vessels equipped with lithium-ion batteries quickly capture the attention of the boat building and cruising communities, and...

Photo Essay: Generator AC Wiring Of all the defects I encounter on generator installations, poor wire routing and support are among the most common.  Generators...

Photo Essay: Seacock Appendages It’s a scenario I encounter all too often, a “Christmas tree” of hard plumbing, T’s, nipples and other fittings, connected directly...

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)...