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  Attention Marine Insurance and Law Enforcement Professionals. I am going to take the opportunity this week to introduce and promote a remarkable organization in the marine industry. Since I may have as many readers from the insurance industry as I do private boaters, it seems appropriate to hit a topic which may be of…

  I have made this point before, but I want to start right off with it again. Electrical work on your boat should be, at the very least, supervised or inspected by a qualified marine electrician. ABYC offers a very thorough certification course in marine electrical. I have taken it and hold the certification. But,…

This week, I am compelled to take a one week break for the “Getting to Know Your Boat series, I have been publishing, to discuss frozen boat hulls. Every year, once boat show season is in full swing, my phone starts to ring. The boat buying season starts and everyone in the financial food chain…

This week we open the hatch and step into the bilge. Yes I can hear the moans and groans, but I would bet most of you will learn to love your bilge if you spend some time down there. Why? We all like to know more about our boats. Most of us complain about the…

Welcome to the second installment. In the first installment, I was eager to get below decks and talk about what to look at in the bilge. A week of thinking about where to go next keeps up above decks for another several paragraphs. By and large, boating is a very safe recreational activity. So much…

  For most of us north of 30 degrees of latitude, it is the off season for boating. The boats have been tucked away for some time, and aside from making payments to the bank or insurance company, thoughts of her have been infrequent as we navigate the holiday season. Now comes the dog days…

While subjects abound for writing when I have some time, today we celebrate the 224th birthday of the US Coast Guard with a few interesting factoids. But first, my sincere thanks to all who serve and have served the US Coast Guard on behalf of a proud American proprietor and citizen. Your service to our…

The leading cause of boat sinkings, mechanical failures, and fire can all be found in the bilge. That’s a bold statement, isn’t it? One has to be careful when you they are in the cause-effect business of marine damage surveys. Like degrees of separation, one could also make the case that not looking in your…

Wet stringers or other wood cored structures on boats are misunderstood

Strong storms, the tail end of the boat buying season, and a lack of contested marine claims have me in my chair this morning. Given some time to reflect, I thought of researching and writing about claims I have investigated and discussing prevention with my fellow boaters. I have to give Beth Leonard from BoatUS…

I placed this post on Facebook and on LinkedIn. It needs to be here as well. It will be a recurring topic since it prays on our kids and is just recently answered the question of so many unexplained drowning’s. Electric Shock Drowning – a fresh water issue. This winter I have attended three continuing…

Some of the more interesting assignments I get in my profession are damage claims. In most cases I am hired by the insurance company, but sometimes by the boat owner. One of the two most common claims I investigate are sinkings. The most common cause for sinking is the do it yourself wiring or plumbing…

Rip currents on the Great Lakes kill more people than sharks in all the oceans. The State of Michigan named the first week of June Rip Current Awareness month. I am not aware of the same recognition by the state of Wisconsin or other Great …Lakes states, but I can attest that it has taken…

Buyer beware: We are starting to see more hurricane damaged boats in the area. While this does not necessarily mean the boat is not fit for sea service, the need for a thorough inspection is ever more important. Start with these tips from BoatUS. Then, contact your surveyor when you are making the offer to…

If you were away from the Lake Michigan shoreline this holiday weekend, you enjoyed temperatures in the upper 60’s and 70’s in Wisconsin and Illinois. Our boating season can feel short, and a beautiful weekend like this is not to be wasted. But, before you pull your boat from storage and get under way, make…