Discussion: Whether you have hydraulic or electric thrusters, they both are susceptible to failure due to lack of service as they are typically difficult to access and often forgotten about until the wind is blowing you into a piling and they either don’t perform or under perform. Hydraulic thrusters are usually installed on larger yachts [...]

Discussion The Windlass is an essential piece of safety equipment on a workboat or yacht.  When needed due to a loss of propulsion or steering control it must deploy quickly and safely to secure the vessel.  In addition to its safety purpose, cruising yachts rely on their windlass to anchor  in remote anchorages.  Failure to deploy or retrieve an [...]

Discussion Oil change recommendations vary greatly between engine manufacturers, models, applications, and can even vary depending upon the brand and rating of the oil used.  For example a John Deere 6068TFM75 used in a recreational marine application should have its oil changed every 250 hours or annually, whichever occurs first.  If you use John Deer [...]

Discussion Regular inspection of your engine control linkage ensures that your engines throttle and shift controls will operate properly.  Your engine control system may be different than the Hynautic controls in our example, so please consult your WheelHouse or manufacturer’s manual for specifics. While the system mentioned in this PM is hydraulic, there are also [...]