TECHNICAL INFORMATION FOR BOATERS

In the ‘60s a brand new thirty horse outboard motor went for $465 list price. Today the same size motor will cost you in the neighborhood of $2500. That $465 was a good bit of money back then. The story still holds today. Boating is not a cheap hobby. Keeping down costs and increasing boating enjoyment is time well spent.

Since 1984 I have been repairing boats and motors for bass fishers, skiers, weekend party givers, commercial fishermen, oil companies and government officials. I have worked on motors ranging from a two horsepower outboard stowed in a large trash bag to a thirty-two foot "toy" pushed by over a 1000 horse power. I have seen the boating business from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf Coast.

Throughout the wide variety of reasons for owning a boat runs a common need. It is the need for information on how to operate the boat, the way the thing works and how to keep it working. Since most of the questions are mechanical in nature, I feel they are best answered by a mechanic. Yet in a marine business the people least able to spend time with you, (and many times the people least accessible) are the mechanics. More times than not the answers you get are incomplete or even totally wrong.

My purpose for this site is to answer the questions I have been asked over and over for the past decade (and I have not always had a spare twenty minutes to give a complete answer) and to give some additional information that you may find useful.

A word of caution. Do not exceed your mechanical abilities when working on your boat. Many of the maintenance tips are simple actions and can be done by most. On the other hand troubleshooting a motor that won't run requires a bit of mechanical know how. Don't do anything that could put you in danger. One problem with a boat is that when you are broke down in the water you usually cannot jump overboard and walk for help. It is very wise to turn to professional help when needed.

This site is nowhere near an ultimate source of information. Consulting repair publications specific to your motor, owners manuals, various monthly publications and your local marine dealer will provide a more complete picture. To aid in dealing with all the information available you will find a glossary page. I also have a reference page containing links to more information.

A secondary purpose for this site is to find out what you need and want. If you liked something tell me. If you thought it was stupid let me know. If you think its wrong, confusing or poorly written give some feedback. Something you would like to see added? To make things easier I've provided a form for your use. You can also E- mail me (Ken) at kencd@oocities.com

Pages in the site are accessed from this index page. The other pages link back to here and to the reference page.


Batteries More on Batteries Combustion Deposits
Dressing Props Gasoline Maintenance
Outboard Oil Sunk Motors Tips and Tricks
What Ruins Motors Glossary References (links)
Cutting Fuel Costs Ficht Info Ficht Update
Informal Oil Test Feedback Detonation/Preignition
Oxygenated gas and octane


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