Maintenance

Winterizing the Tender Outboard: Storage and Preservation

A small outboard that is flushed with fresh water, has its fuel dealt with deliberately, gets fresh gearcase oil and is stored upright in a dry place will start in spring. One that is lifted off th...

Protecting the Deck During Winter Layup

Most winter deck damage is not done by the weather directly. It is done by the things owners fit to protect the boat from the weather: a cover that chafes, a line that saws, a batten that holds wat...

Standing Rigging Inspection: What to Check and When to Replace

Standing rigging fails at its terminals far more often than in the middle of a wire, it gives less warning than any other system on the boat, and it is the one component whose failure takes the mas...

Removing and Storing Running Rigging at the End of the Season

Stripping the running rigging at the end of the season removes it from five months of UV, salt and chafe, gives you a chance to wash and inspect every line while it is in your hands, and stops haly...

Storing Sails for Winter: Drying, Folding and Bags

Sails should come off the boat at the end of the season, be washed if they need it, be dried completely before they are folded, and then be stored loosely in a breathable bag somewhere dry, dark an...