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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...

Text and photos © 2021 Steve D'Antonio Marine Consulting, Inc. Photo Essay: Fixed Fire Extinguisher Detail Fixed fire extinguishers perform, or are ready to perform, an...

                Photo Essay: Fan Belt Shedding Fan belts fulfill a vital role for engines; they transfer energy from the crankshaft pulley to other vital components and...

Text and photos by Steve D’Antonio Copyright © 2017 Photo Essay: Battery Lugs Reliably connecting batteries to their associated cables sounds easy.  In practice, however, it can be fraught...

Text and photos © 2019 Steve D'Antonio Marine Consulting, Inc. Photo Essay: Manual Tiller Steering Steering, along with propulsion and watertight integrity, is one of your...

Steve: I am doing a major refit of a 1986 Trawler. I've done some of the big stuff, such as a new electrical panel, all...

Photo Essay: Chafe It’s the bane of every seagoing vessel, taking its toll on everything from dock lines and wiring to sails and hoses.  Every...

Photo Essay: Leakage Current It’s an insidious, and frequently misunderstood, phenomenon; AC power leaking into water, creating an electric field around the vessel.  Under the...

Steve,  I have a 26' center console, 2 jet skis, a 13' whaler and the 58.  Additionally I have two hoists that are battery powered with solar chargers.  Basically,...

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...