CAPT. BILL PIKE

On the bright side, boaters are a helpful bunch. However, there are those twisted souls among lend a "helping" hand when it is the least helpful—an ode to the misguided angels of the docks.

We spend an awful lot of time explaining how one should go about matters of the boat. This is not to say we aren't experts of the adverse as well - here is one such example of how NOT to go about getting to the fuel docks.

My wife and I spent a lovely few days exploring Savannah, where I came across a very cool downeast boat tugging the lines at Thunderbolt Marine.

How do you guarantee squeaky-clean fuel? Try an ESI Total Fuel Management fuel-polishing system like the one we’re installing on Arawak, our 1996 Grand Banks project boat down in the U.S Virgin islands.

The marketing side of our industry constantly racks its collective mind trying to figure out how to get that next generation on the the water. Could the real secret lie in a freshly varnished helm?

Man Overboard! Those are two of the most panic inducing words you can ever hear on a boat. But, fear not (really, don't panic)! Here are some essentials for dealing with a MOB emergency and making sure everyone makes it back to the docks in one piece.

Archiving Your Engine. Keeping track of your powerplants on paper can be simple and easy and may prevent big problems later on.

Boating, like flying, is all fun and games until you have to land. Cutting the lines and going for a cruise can be carefree, but those last few moments can make up for all the unwinding you just did. Here is some advice about avoiding the age-old crash landing.

Prop Frosting? There are several methods for coating a propeller with anti-foulant in hopes of keeping them in tip-top shape. And, after a lifetime of trials (and maybe some error too), I've discovered a few options. Which one works best?

Heave Ho! Windlass a little tired? Ground tackle is one of the most vital pieces of equipment on your cruiser. No matter how diligently you maintain things, everything has an expiration date. It may be time to toss the darn thing and install a vibrant new one.

Treat your cruiser like its a part of the family? When the tsunami hit northeast Japan in 2011, a Bertram 57 named Golden Bay was washed out to sea. Here the story and watch the video of how the owner risked life and limb to rescue her.

On the hunt for a quieter ride, we install a new High Performance Air Filter Silencer from Walker Engineering and use our sound meter to check the results on Power & Motoryacht publisher Arnie Hammerman's trailerable trawler.

Take a stroll down the memory lane of navigation. Many years ago, during what often seems like another lifetime, it was my job as a U.S. Merchant Marine officer to shoot a couple sun sights a day with a sextant, weather permitting. The task was a pleasure, really. It called for a set of physical skills that a guy like me could first learn, then practice, and then finally master in an almost artsy, albeit seriously practical way.

Sniff, Sniff, Sniff. Smell that? Let Capt. Bill Pike walk you through how to rebuild a Parker Racor FG500 fuel-water separator that’s leaking a little diesel in this step-by-step guide.

What Next? Let’s say that, for some bizarre reason, your electronics suite fails, either entirely or partially. The tools and techniques you’ll need to keep on keepin’ on are arguably old-fashioned, but they’re also highly effective.