March 2023 Newsletter “Solderless Terminal Installation”
Photo Essay: Solderless Terminal Installation
Solderless terminals, first introduced by aircraft manufacturers prior to WWII, have revolutionized the marine and many other industries. Without them,...
November 2023 Newsletter – Through Deck Fasteners
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...
August 2020 Newsletter
Text and photos © 2020 Steve D'Antonio Marine Consulting, Inc. Photo Essay: Tools are Your Good Friends “Tools are your good friends”, those are the opening...
The Need for Smoke Detectors – Editorial: Read the Contract
From the Masthead
Read the Contract In the past few months I’ve received several calls from individuals who were preparing to take delivery of newly built...
November 2021 Newsletter “Means of Escape”
Photo Essay: Means of Escape
Can you get out? That’s the question you should be asking yourself as you walk through your vessel, if there’s...
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...
Special Safety Announcement
Text and photos © 2020 Steve D'Antonio Marine Consulting, Inc. Life Rafts I’ve been an advocate of Viking Life Rafts for some time, and especially since...
July 2022 Newsletter “Closed Cooling System Hose Failure”
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)...
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...
Deciphering the Ingress Protection Code – Editorial: Alaska’s Lituya Bay
From the Masthead
When you read this, I will be cruising in Southeast Alaska aboard the Fleming 65 Venture. As I write this, we are...