Installing an outboard motor well on a 28-foot cruiser Issue 27: Nov/Dec 2002 WHEN OUR BOATS WERE HAULED for routine maintenance at a Trinidad boatyard recently, my friend, Theo, asked me for suggesti...
Tips on how to extract the old one and install the new one Issue 27: Nov/Dec 2002 IN THE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ISSUE OF Good Old Boat, we discussed the decisions to be made when the inevitable day comes t...
New engine or rebuild? And should you install it yourself? Issue 26 : Sept/Oct 2002 Chances are your boat is like a member of the family. You could no more dispose of it than sell your only child. But...
A little tender loving care brings longer trouble-free life Issue 34: Jan/Feb 2004 DIESEL ENGINES ARE NOW THE ENGINES OF CHOICE FOR auxiliary sailboats, and with good reason. They have a superior reco...
How to stop a diesel that’s running amok Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 A runaway diesel engine can be a destructive, dangerous, and terrifying experience for people nearby. Although it happens infrequently,...
Acid can cure those temperature-rise blues Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003 I guess I’m not much of a sailor. After racing in doldrums for a large part of my life, I find irresistible joy in turning to m...
How a mysterious mechanical malady was finally cured Issue 32 : Sept/Oct 2003 The other day we were out sailing and headed home when the wind died. We turned on the engine and motored back to the harb...
Generating electricity — how the alternator and regulator produce their magic Issue 33 : Nov/Dec 2003 Although sailboats are usually small and compact, they have the infrastructure of a large city: th...
All thumbs? The Speedseal will see you right Issue 35 : Mar/Apr 2004 If your auxilary pump uses a water pump with an impeller, inspecting it regularly can prevent serious problems. In 1999, when we pu...
A woman singlehander loses her heart to that old lump of iron down below Issue 36 : May/Jun 2004 Most sailors don’t miss the motor after they part with their first auxiliary-powered sailboat. Bu...
Eight ways to steer a boat Issue 36 : May/Jun 2004 When it comes to steering a sailboat, even die-hard wheel enthusiasts agree there is no steering system that is simpler, more affordable, or offers b...
Too big an engine for an auxiliary can be a mistake, warns Ted Issue 37 : Jul/Aug 2004 Owners planning to repower their yachts almost always decide to put in bigger engines, reasoning that they will a...
The debate over outboard engines continues Issue 37 : Jul/Aug 2004 So you’ve finally decided to retire that old 7.5 Merc you have hanging off the transom of your beloved sailboat. The smoke and ...
How one cruiser swapped power for ease of handling Issue 49 : Jul/Aug 2006 Our 8-hp Honda, all 98 pounds of it, is for sale. When we bought the engine back in 1995 it was intended to help our 1976 Nor...
Installing an inboard engine in a boat that never had one Issue 50 : Sept/Oct 2006 Some sailors are hypocrites. I’m a hypocrite. We profess to believe in the power of the wind, yet few of us go ...
Avoiding engine failures in rough seas Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 IT USUALLY TAKES A COMBINATION OF failures, poor decisions, and bad luck to narrow down your options. We had been learning that our new cr...
The basics on auxiliary propulsion systems Issue 51 : Nov/Dec 2006 Unless you are exceptional sailors and purists, like Lin and Larry Pardey, you probably have a mechanical propulsion system on board ...
Custom waterlift muffler calls for creative approach Issue 54 : May/Jun 2007 My friend, Ken Simmons, and I ran into a common problem when we replaced the aging Atomic 4 in his 1968 Pearson Vanguard wi...
What you need to know about oil Issue 55 : Jul/Aug 2007 The motor oil in any sailboat’s auxiliary engine is second in importance only to the supply of fuel and air. If neglected, certain — and o...
An often-neglected, but vital, part of auxiliary care Issue 56 : Sept/Oct 2007 If your auxiliary engine is to age gracefully while performing well, two things must be constantly controlled: friction a...
Being kind to your outboard engine Issue 57 : Nov/Dec 2007 Low-powered yacht tender outboards are often overworked and under-serviced. They rarely, if ever, enjoy a thorough freshwater flush. This can...
Follow this comprehensive checklist Issue 59 : Mar/Apr 2008 Do you find yourself adding coolant to your engine more often than the engine manufacturer suggests? Are you having difficulty figuring out ...
To avoid engine troubles, fit the right propeller Issue 65 : Mar/Apr 2009 The shark meandered toward my right foot. It was so close I could see brown spots on its nose. Loaded with tools and dive gear...
Eliminate overheating in 12 easy steps Issue 68 : Sept/Oct 2009 Ask any owner of an auxiliary diesel sailboat what his or her most common engine-related problem is and chances are the answer will be, ...
Electric power for the independent sailor Issue 69 : Nov/Dec 2009 Wind power is a form of solar energy — winds result from the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun. To generate electricity, a w...
A special pulley silences a protesting engine belt Issue 70 : Jan/Feb 2010 My wife clapped her hands over her ears. “What is that awful noise?” she exclaimed. I knew what it was. I had just flipped th...
Get more years from an aging backing plate Issue 70 : Jan/Feb 2010 Most outboard motor-mount backing plates these days are made of plastic. For decades, however, those on most boats were a thick hunk ...
Biodiesel fuel is the chief suspect Issue 71 : Mar/Apr 2010 After a six-year trial, discussed at some length in the July 2005 issue of Good Old Boat, I have decided to suspend using biodiesel blends i...
An easier way to ward off Jack Frost’s fingers Issue 74 : Sept/Oct 2010 Northern sailors have two seasons: sailing season and maintenance season. One of the primary goals when preparing a boat for the...
A half-hour job gets stuck in time Issue 75 : Nov/Dec 2010 Easing into the fuel dock with a light wind aft, the skipper shifted into reverse and applied a little engine power for a perfect landing. Th...
