Sandy Lindsey - Quick and Easy Boat Maintenance: 1,001 Time-Saving Tips

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To my wonderful husband, Bill, an award-winning editor, who shares the cleaning and maintenance chores on our Edgewater.

To my parents, who stuck me with the family boat cleaning duties early in life, when I was the youngest crew member.

To my dachshunds, who have taught me the benefits of having paw prints on deck.

In the original Quick and Easy Boat Maintenance we provided quick, effective ways to keep your boat in top shape. This edition has been updated to take into account the many changes weve seen since then. Engines have become a lot more reliable, thanks to four-cycle designs similar to what we find under the hood of our cars. Electronics have made plotting a course as simple as tapping the screen. The gasoline that powers many of our boats now is blended with ethanol biofuel as an eco-friendly replacement for the fuel additive MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether), which was discovered to have carcinogenic properties. A growing number of boat-care products are now formulated to be biodegradable and safe for use while the boat is in or near the water. Batteries are now available that absolutely cannot spill, never need to have water added, and can even be used upside down! However, although the engines have become more reliable, the electronics are more feature-laden, the fuel is better for our planet, the boat soap never smelled better, and our boat batteries now last more than two seasons, we still need to know how to keep all this equipment in operating condition. A large part of that is knowing what to do when all this great new equipment suddenly stops working. Accordingly, weve incorporated this new technology into this edition. However, we have not lost sight of the fact that most boats and the gear on them are more than 10 years old, which is why we have also added even more troubleshooting tips for older boats, engines, and electronics to keep you going out on the water.

Weve also added an all-new chapter devoted entirely to the care and maintenance of sailboats. The result is a book that provides a wealth of practical knowledge for the owners of todays most advanced boats as well as for those who own the more seasoned vessels that are typically not addressed in most how-to books.

The best way to enjoy boating is to make sure the boat is in good operating condition, meaning that it starts every time and runs smoothly while under way. Part of that process involves recognizing when the boat and its gear are not working or are about to stop working. Preventive maintenance is always better than having to call for a tow when you are 5 miles from shore. At night. In the rain. With grumpy passengers. You can never avoid all mechanical problems, but after reading this expanded edition, youll be able to avoid most of them and be ready to fix others when and if they do occur.

Boating is all about enjoying the freedom of being out on the water. The best way to do that is in a well-maintained boat. Whats funny is that you may well find that maintaining the boat is as enjoyable as using it. Its not that complicated, no matter what your local dock expert will have you believe.

In the interest of full disclosure, my husband, Bill, is a vice president of Star brite, a manufacturer of many boat-care products. Star brite has been producing boat-care products for more than 35 years. The various products I mention by name are those I have personal experience with, but it does not mean that they are the only options. There are many fine products available, and I encourage all boaters to discover what works best for them.

Special thanks to Molly Mulhern, Marisa LHeureux, and all the wonderful people at International Marine/McGraw-Hill, and to Terri Mabe, Katie Mitchell, Jorge Arauz, Lee Braff, Peter Dornau, Greg Dornau, and the little Lind-seysMorgan, Olivia, Casey, and Vicki.