Boat Systems & Maintenance

A PLB is not a nice-to-have item you add after the solar panels and the watermaker get sorted. It's the last-ditch insurance policy that sits between a recoverable emergency and a Coast Guard search for wreckage. TLDR * A PLB activates via satellite when everything else

A properly sized diesel heater delivers the specific heat output a 40-foot bluewater cruiser needs to stay livable in cold anchorages without draining the house bank or filling the cabin with fumes. TLDR * Chinese diesel heaters cost a fraction of Webasto's price but fail catastrophically on boats

A PLB will get you found if you go overboard, but only if you understand what happens after you press the button, and what routinely goes wrong before anyone shows up. TLDR * Most 406 MHz beacon activations are false alarms, typically triggered by crew unfamiliarity or careless handling during tests.

Watermaker downtime isn't a maintenance problem, it's a decision you made when you skipped the flush cycle. TLDR * Membrane fouling begins the moment you walk away from a half-assed freshwater flush, not when TDS climbs months later. * Most cruisers troubleshoot symptoms (low flow, high pressure)

Installing a remote oil filter on an SD22 transforms a maintenance nightmare into a routine task, but only if you avoid the three installation errors that can cost you an engine. TLDR * Upside-down filter mounting blocks oil flow and activates bypass mode, a common SD22 installer mistake that leaves