Marine Engines - Antifreeze afloat – all about marine cooling systems. Antifreeze used to be simple – you just mixed the lurid green stuff 50:50 with water and chucked it in. You changed it every two years if you were feeling indulgent and the world was a simple, kindly place… Then it all got complicated, and it really is complicated now. In the name of extended service intervals the manufacturers got all fancy and started messing with antifreeze. Antifreeze basically has two components, three if you count the water. The actual non-freezing quality of antifreeze comes courtesy of glycol, either…

Marine Engines - A short video on the raw water pump. The raw water pump is the most failure prone part of any marine engine. Raw water pump failure can result in failure of the engine through overheating, it can cause the exhaust pipe - and thence the boat to burn - these are not good things. Learning how a raw water pump works is an important part of any sailors education.    

This short video illustrates the combustion process in a diesel engine. Grasping engine fundamentals is the first step toward understanding a yacht's powerplant and to becoming a truly competent all-round skipper.  

  This article originally appeared in Sailing Today magazine as Blue Water Diesels - an article about preparing a boat and her crew for long distance cruising... Man has long been inclined to head off over the horizon and explore. The motivation and the risks have changed over time - today it is about adventure and fulfilment rather than empire building and wealth creation - and your crew probably won’t get scurvy and teredo navalis isn't going to compromise your yacht. Technology has mitigated many of the challenges faced by mariners of old and has made passage making easier and…

All about Antifreeze Afloat...   The use of antifreeze in yacht cooling systems used to be simple – you just mixed the lurid green stuff 50:50 with water and chucked it in. You changed it every two years if you were feeling indulgent and the world was a simple, kindly place… Then it all got complicated, and it really is complicated now. In the name of extended service intervals the manufacturers got all fancy and started messing with antifreeze. Antifreeze basically has two components, three if you count the water. The actual non-freezing quality of antifreeze comes courtesy of glycol,…