When to call a certified marine technician
Some systems on a boat can start a fire, sink it or hurt someone in the water. Work on them belongs to a trained technician, whatever a video makes it look like.
Always a technician
- Fuel system: tanks, hoses, fittings, pumps, filters you would have to open, and any fuel smell that comes back.
- Propane (LPG): any smell you cannot explain by a burner left on, and any work on the locker, regulator, solenoid or hoses.
- AC electrical: shore power inlet, panel and wiring, and any breaker or ground-fault device that keeps tripping.
- Below the waterline: through-hulls, seacocks, shaft seals, rudder posts, sterndrive bellows.
- Exhaust leaks and anything that sets off a carbon monoxide alarm twice.
- Steering and engine controls that bind, slip or feel different.
Choosing one
- Ask what certifications the technician holds for the system in question, for example the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) certifications, or the engine maker's own dealer training.
- Ask for a written estimate and for the parts and torque figures to come from the manufacturer's service information.
- Keep the invoice and log the work in your logbook with the engine hours: a buyer or surveyor will ask.
FixTheYacht does not list, rate or refer technicians and takes no payment from any.