In the mid-1970s, I and my wife Joanna sailed around the world in a 1931 Alden schooner named Mariah, with a rotating cast of crew members. After we returned home to Maine, we founded Portland Yacht Services. As we gradually built our business, we spent years chasing the dream of another schooner on which we could sail with our growing family. There was a point when John Alden’s schooners defined purposeful elegance in amateur sailing, while embodying the renowned qualities of Grand Banks fishing vessels. The lines of working schooners designed by the likes of Tom McManus and B.B. Crowninshield were the inspiration…

If you are considering buying a boat and are undecided about the choice of gasoline or diesel engines, this article will provide some useful information on deciding in favor of a diesel. If you have recently purchased a diesel-powered boat, here are some ideas on getting the best from your diesel engine. Why diesel More than 50 years ago, marine diesel engines overtook their gasoline-burning counterparts in popularity and desirability in the pleasure-boat market. Although the initial cost is higher, service life is longer and maintenance expenses are usually lower. Diesel engines operate more efficiently than gasoline engines and yield…

I’ve cruised on sail and power boats for the better part of 20 years, and in that time, I can say I’ve developed a tender relationship with diesel engines. There were times when things were running smoothly and all was bliss while motoring up a long fjord in Alaska. Or when the wind shut off on the Pacific Coast of Mexico and the engine was needed, and we plodded along with dolphins playing at our bow. There have been other times, though, where diesel engines have been the bane of my existence. It’s those times – when they have failed…

Voyagers need to know their diesel engines and there are plenty of ways to gain experience in working on them. My most recent experiences involved getting engines rebuilt while being in Indonesia. The experience was instructive of how to go about the process when in a foreign country. My first foray into an engine rebuild was almost 50 years ago. I overhauled my 1961 40 horsepower Volkswagen bus gasoline engine using John Muir’s classic book How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual… for the Complete Idiot. What an exercise in engine mechanics that was and the start of my…

In my work within the marine industry the subjects of horsepower and torque invariably come up, and just as invariably their definitions are mangled. To characterize horsepower and torque as deeply misunderstood would be an understatement. When distilled to its most basic, the difference between these two terms can be characterized thus: horsepower is a measurement of work over time, while torque is simply a measurement of force irrespective of time. Torque is an element of horsepower; however, it’s distinctly different. A firm understanding may enable you to better evaluate engine options for new or used vessels, as well as…