With Ice Fishing season drawing close boaters turn to the task of laying up their boats for the winter. This article covers how to protect an outboard motor against corrosion and freeze-related damage during winter storage.The process, referred to as “winterization”, consists of some simpl …

Gas prices are high right now, so every dollar you save on fuel can be put to better use, like buying fishing tackle, for instance. Modern ­direct-injection outboards are now significantly more fuel efficient, however, there are a few tricks to help you squeeze another mile or so per gallon, which …

15 Things You Need to Know Before Repowering Your BoatWhether it’s a financial matter and a new boat isn’t an option or the fact that a given owner loves the layout of his current model and the engines are just tired, more people are looking at repowering.The cost of outboard motors in the past few …

The skeg of an outboard or sterndrive gear case provides much directional stability and steering ease. Whether caused by running aground or due to some land-bound calamity, a broken or damaged skeg adversely affects handling. In some cases, a welder can repair your skeg. When I needed to repair …

Jack plates perform two key functions. One is setback, which distances an outboard from the boat’s transom, allowing the propeller to run in less-turbulent water. Jack plates also move an outboard up and down to optimize performance and enable a boat to venture into shallower water than it might oth …