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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...

Hi Steve, You often see shore cords in the water for a few feet between the pedestal and the boat.  Sometimes it is difficult...

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...

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: 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: 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: 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: Below the Waterline Welded Stainless Steel; Does it Make Sense? I’ve written about stainless steel; its strengths and weaknesses, on many occasions, in the...

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...

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)...