Dockline Blog

By: Louisa Beckett  /  Photo Credit: Seattle Boat Show 2016 The fall and winter months are “boat show season” in the port towns lining U.S. coastal waters and the Great Lakes. There are many reasons to visit a boat show, ...

Loading your boat on the trailer and properly securing it after a trip on the water can be a little intimidating, especially when other people are waiting to load or unload their boats. While you want to be expeditious to ...

The anodes on your outboard engine are just like any other maintenance part: neglecting them may not hurt today, or tomorrow, but you can bet it will most assuredly do damage in the long run. Your engine’s sacrificial anodes (or ...

Step 1 Wipe down the cowl with a damp cloth to remove water spots and dirt. Step 2 Using a clean, dry cloth, continue to wipe the cowl removing any dampness. Step 3 Using a clean, dry cloth, apply Cowl ...

If you grew up around boats, you might remember your mom, dad or perhaps your grandad wiping down their trusty two-stroke outboard with a dirty shop towel. With all due respect to Pops, times have changed, and there’s a much ...

Unpleasant stains in your boat’s carpet can be gone in a flash with the use of just a few household items and a little know-how. A spilled beverage on your boat is pretty much unavoidable, and any liquid with a ...

With a few simple supplies like docklines and fenders, and following these simple step-by-step instructions, it's easy to look like a pro. Watch the video Docking can be rather stressful for those new to boating, and even veterans can get ...

We all love the water, but the water can be very unkind to our equipment. Your Mercury outboard is built using space-age alloys and coatings to resist rust and corrosion, but it still requires some attention every now and then, ...

Hard-water spots on your boat and engine will not make your boat run slower. But they don’t help it either. Hard-water spots are unsightly, annoying and not something you want to see every time you look at your otherwise awesome ...

The bolts that secure your outboard to your boat’s transom endure tremendous stress when the boat is underway and even when the boat is being trailered. Those bolts are critically important, so don’t neglect them. Loose transom bolts can “wallow ...

High water can be an exciting event for anglers. Fish typically move into the shallows and explore the new terrain in their underwater world. Feeding opportunities abound. Flooded or near-flooded conditions offer anglers exciting opportunities to fish what can seem ...

Hypothetically, let’s say you’re on the water and you’ve tilted your engine partially or all the way up to pass over a shallow spot, or maybe to check your propeller . . . but when you attempt to lower your ...

Fishing pros like 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic champion Edwin Evers know it’s important to pull the propeller periodically to keep the propshaft splines lubricated and to check for fishing line wrapped around the shaft. It’s also important to reinstall the ...

Your marine engine serial number is a very important piece of information you’ll need whenever you arrange for service or purchase parts. In this Mercury Quick Tip, we’ll show you how to find the engine data tag where the engine ...

Your batteries are among the most critical components of your boat. Neglect them, and you do so at your own peril; if they aren’t functioning properly, your boat’s going nowhere under its own power. Fortunately, it takes just a few ...

Often, boat trailers and tow vehicles are not made to go together. The hitch receiver height in tow vehicles can vary by several inches even in stock rigs, and hitches are available in all manner of drops and rises. The ...

Anglers and boaters alike all know the struggle of changing out a boat propeller. Whether you’re removing the boat propeller for maintenance or replacing the boat propeller for better performance and durability, this process can leave you frustrated and scratching ...

The weekend is finally here! Time to leave the stress of the weekdays behind and pit your wits against your favorite species of fish, or perhaps just relax and enjoy fresh air, beautiful water and awesome sunshine. However, you first ...

Boating is a fun recreational sport and boating safely ensures a good time. In this video, Scott Glorvigen of Wired2Fish explain different types of life jackets and when to wear them.

Airline pilots can command dozens of flights every month, sometimes multiple times per day on the same aircraft. And yet they physically and methodically go through a pre-flight checklist every single time. As responsible boaters, we can all take a ...

Originally posted by PartsVu.com. Find the original post at http://blog.partsvu.com/guide-to-mercury-marine-precision-oils-lubricants. Boating is not often thought of as a harsh environment, but it is one of the most demanding environments in which an engine can operate. Marine engines can and are often used ...

It likely comes as no surprise that you need to wash your boat periodically, though exactly how often is a hotly debated topic. Most saltwater boaters agree that at least a quick scrub and rinse after each use is mandatory, ...