June 2025 Newsletter – Fan Belt Shedding
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...
June 2019 Newsletter
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...
Ask Steve – October 2014
Hi Steve, You often see shore cords in the water for a few feet between the pedestal and the boat. Sometimes it is difficult...
April 2023 Newsletter: Fuel Filter “Seaweed”
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...
Ask Steve – April 2015
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...
July 2018 Newsletter
Photo Essay: Bonding Systems Part II; Maintenance
In last month’s Photo Essay I reviewed the subject of unnecessary bonding. This month I’ll cover bonding system...
March 2017 Newsletter
Photo Essay: Core Exposure Virtually every fiberglass vessel afloat today, even those that boast of solid fiberglass hulls rely on core material to add stiffness...
June 2021 Newsletter “AC Ground Wire Sizing”
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...
July 2023 Newsletter: Steering Gear Wear
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,...
January 2019 Newsletter
Photo Essay: Seacock Installation
While it’s self-evident that seacocks play a vital role in a vessel’s watertight integrity, I continue to encounter improperly installed examples...






