Sooner or later, we all find ourselves installing hardware on deck. Perhaps you have to replace a cleat or stanchion. Or, maybe you want to add a mount or bracket. In all cases, the drill is similar—you want a strong mount that keeps the water out. Mad Mariner’s Cleats 101 article explains what you need to [...]

DIYs August issue is on the stands and on the way to your doorstep — and it has some great stuff. Focused on the cockpit — perhaps the most traveled part of your boat — the issue has articles that explain how to create tables and boxes, add mounts and lighting, find the ultimate helm chair [...]

There are times when popping below to relieve your bladder isn’t safe or prudent. Even when you make it below, your aim can be compromised in rough weather. And using the rail can be a problem, especially in mixed company. One solution is the Little John Portable Urinal ($9.99 at Amazon.com). The plastic bottles, which hold [...]

Ever admire those really clean boats in your marina, the ones cleaned by professional detailers? Ever wonder how they get that clean? On Mad Mariner’s MadCast this week, Brian Piper, a professional detailer in Texas, explains some of his tricks. Brian taught a Skills Class for DIY, and on the podcast he discusses cleaning, buffing, polishing and [...]

How much do you know about the boat lift in your yard? This is one subject you can never know too much about—after all, the fate of your boat is quite literally riding on it. Mad Mariner’s Surveying The Sling article this week details how these machines work, what you should look for when evaluating a [...]

It’s not too often that a new tool comes along, something that is practical—not ridiculous—and puts new capabilities in your hands. But the ClampTite is exactly that. The ClampTite is a jig that allows you to tighten stainless steel wire, creating wire “clamps” (not unlike a hose clamp) that can bind things together just about anywhere [...]

Ask and group of boaters if they have been left stranded by a dinghy engine, and almost all hands will go up. Most of us have had to row, tow or swim at one time or another because the outboard quit. But, unless you have some impossibly ancient engine that is fit for the scrap yard, [...]

How old is your rigging? Have you ever inspected it, climbed the mast to see what’s going on or tuned up for better performance? Some of us have – but many more have not. Hence the topic of DIY’s latest Skills Class: Understanding Your Rigging. The class is devoted to demystifying your standing rig, including inspection, [...]

Before you stock up on parts and embark on a major electrical project, it pays to create a schematic. laying out your system on paper (or a computer) will force you to think through each circuit and sub-circuit, evaluate your components and perhaps highlight potential problems. Mad Mariner’s Designing an Electrical Schematic article, reprinted from DIY Boat [...]

Buying a canister life raft is no easy task. After all, how do you know what your needs are? How can you try it out? Mad Mariner’s How to Buy a Liferaft story can help guide some of those decisions, including what type to buy, the design and materials, options, storage and basic survival gear. It won’t [...]