Maintain your Seawater Pumps
July 25, 2018
Our troubleshooting guru, Steve Zimmerman, takes us through how to properly maintain your raw water pumps.
Our troubleshooting guru, Steve Zimmerman, takes us through how to properly maintain your raw water pumps.
Not long ago I received the following note from a reader; it echoes questions I’ve been asked on this subject literally hundreds of times, and
I had worked the night shift on the psychiatric unit at George Washington University Hospital. This wasn’t my usual shift, but that’s the way nursing is
If you’re like me, you probably find fascination in all aspects of boats, their systems, and everything related to them. Recently, I have been particularly
The submersible pump was definitely submerged. The 50-foot hose, hanging over the bow, was spewing water like a firehose. Looking down on me, a local
The belts that drive your engines accessories, which often include the raw-water pump, circulator pump, and alternator, will typically provide reliable trouble-free service, provided they are properly maintained and replaced when approaching the end of their useful lives. Many cruisers neglect this all-too-important component until disaster strikes. Once the belt breaks, all of these vital systems grind to a haltliterally. The raw-water pump stops pumping sea water, the circulator pump stops circulating coolant, and the alternator no longer produces electricity. While you may not immediately notice the loss of an alternator, rest assured, you will quickly become aware of the loss of sea water and coolant as the temperature gauge climbs into the red and the overheat alarm sounds. (Your engine is equipped with operating versions of both of these instruments, right?)
Theres no way around the fact that the more you cruise, the more time you put on your engine. Look at boat listings and youll
Some years ago, while chasing a story about the sinking of a yacht, I talked with the owner of an emergency tow service based in
Island time is great, except in an emergency. This medevac service is for boaters who need help fast.
Black streaks, yellow mustaches and rust all require different solutions to keep a boat looking clean.
A Down East icon provides inspiration for this gentlemanly cruiser.
We follow the path of explorers who ran the Northwest Passage over a century ago, but our journey is a lot more fun
We can spend years planning for a bucket-list trip and then life gets in the way. Go now.
Splashing later this year.
Karly and Evan Nietzel—aka YouTube’s @Navigating Nietzels—tailored their careers for remote work after buying a trawler, moving onboard and completing the Great Loop. Along with their pup, Ripley, they’re just getting started.
This aluminum vessel’s throwback design belies its modern systems, all installed for a Great Loop cruise.
The three-stateroom, semidisplacement model has a range of power options and a low air draft.
A solar-power system on our classic trawler lets us spend time moored or anchored with more than enough juice to meet our energy needs.
