Wakeboarding - June 01, 2018

34 | BOATINGMAG.COM | JUNE 2018

NAUTICAL

NO -NO

BOAT DOCTOR ///Q&A

PHOTOS: (FROM TOP) COURTESY WD40.COM, ED SHERMAN

Q:SPRAY

AWAY

What should I do to maintain the power

cables of my marine electronics? My

electronics are bracket-mounted, and

I remove them from the boat after use.

John Timonsen

Detroit, Michigan

A:

John, make sure to keep the

threads in the ferrule clear of

dirt and debris. An annual dose of

water-displacing lubricant will help

stave of corrosion, though in your

inland location, corrosion won’t be as

much of an issue as it might be for a

coastal boater in similar circumstances.

EXPIRED?

Q: Should I keep my old

f lares aboard as backups,

even if they are past their

expiration date?

Jen McCorgle

Chicago, Illinois

A: While many boaters do

this, U.S. Coast Guard testing

of expired f lares indicates

a failure rate higher than

50 percent. Expired f lares

cannot be relied upon, and

a f lare is not something

you want to have a question

about.

Now, I do agree with

carrying more than the

required amount of flares

aboard. The requirement is a

minimum amount — more is

better with respect to flares.

I suggest exceeding the min-

imum requirements as your

circumstances dictate.

WHAT A MESS!

Q: My engine’s oil filter is

side-mounted. Every time I

change filters, I spill oil all

over the place. There must be

CON-FUSED

Q: Dear Doc, my bilge pump

runs constantly, starting

from when I turn on the

battery switch. What can

be wrong?

Allen Beauchamps

New Orleans, Louisiana

A: It’s common for the auto-

matic f loat switch that oper-

ates a bilge pump to get stuck

and/or malfunction electri-

cally. Lacking more detail

about the wiring scheme, I

suggest checking that switch

first. Good luck.

a way to avoid this. Can you

help me, Boat Doctor?

Adam Hotchkiss

Cincinnati, Ohio

A: First of all, you can drain

the oil first, before you

remove the filter. Another

tip is to drain the filter by

poking it with an ice pick and

holding a suitable container

( you can cut a cup with a long

tongue out of a gallon jug)

underneath it. You might

also slip a plastic zip-lock bag

over the filter after loosening

it and then spinning it all the

way off by hand. You can also

just be quick — and a little

lucky. Good for you for keep-

ing up with maintenance.

MAKE IT SNAPPY

Q: Dear Boat Doc, can I re-

place a snap in my boat cover

myself, or do I need to hire a

pro to do it?

Jason Olivet

Seattle, Washington

A: Hi Jason. There are

snap-repair kits available

such as the Seafit Canvas

Snap Kit with clinching

tool ($44.95) and the even

simpler Taylormade Snap

Fastener Installation Tool

($7.49). Both are available

at West Marine, and they

provide all you might need

to effect a solid repair.

Basically, the snaps come in

two pieces that are crimped

together, sandwiching the

fabric. Follow the directions

and practice on a rag once or

twice. You will be fine.

ASK THE DOCTOR

Send questions to Mick with

your name and address to:

[email protected] or

The Boat Doctor, Boating, 460

N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200,

Winter Park, FL 32789.

UNINSULATED COPPER

In the photo shown here, we see plenty

of raw, uninsulated copper electrical

terminals in the engine-room space.

This same area may end up being a great

spot to store hand

tools and some engine-related

accessories. The potential

for corrosion notwith-

standing, the last thing

you want in rough seas

are stray metal tools

and parts coming in

contact with those

exposed terminals and

copper bus bars. Get

some insulating boots

and covers on those con-

nections before the worst

happens. —Ed Sherman