From the brand and material to the size and flooring and everything in between, there's a lot to think about when buying an inflatable boat. Read of our buying guide for what you should consider.
The DIY Restoration of a Small Yacht: Getting in and about the wee engine (#2)
The engine is among the most critical (and expensive) pieces of equipment on a boat, so it would, of course, be prudent to give it a full inspection and test run before any prospective purchase. The engine in question is a Yanmar 1GM10: an 8hp, single cylinder, raw water-cooled diesel engine. These small diesel engines are relatively simple beasts, so armed with the Yanmar workshop manual and the excellent ‘Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual’ (a book every boat should have on board), I felt confident enough to service the engine and carry out some basic fault diagnoses.
Looking after your Lifejacket Properly Could Save Your Life
Lifejackets are one of the most essential pieces of safety equipment you can arm yourself with, whether you’re out at sea or enjoying the UK's many and varied inland waterways, lochs and rivers. Taking a few simple steps to look after your lifejacket could help save a life as well as prolong the life of this invaluable piece of kit.
The DIY Restoration of a Small Yacht: An Introduction (#1)
On the 5th Feb 2018, I purchased a 26 foot, 54-year-old fibreglass yacht in need of some serious TLC. My plans are to spend the next year or so restoring the yacht and documenting its restoration in this blog post. I plan to strip her back and start again - inside and out – with the aim of taking her across the North Sea to Norway, up to Shetland and beyond.
MCA – What are the minimum compliance requirements for fishing vessels?
At the end of last year, the Maritime and Coastal Agency (MCA) updated their documentation for ensuring fishing vessel compliance with international and UK safety requirements and correct certificates for vessels to operate in territorial waters. The process of ensuring your vessel complies can be time-consuming so to make things easier, Gael Force has pulled together a list of products that are suitable for Open and Decked vessels of various sizes so that our customers can stock up and meet these requirements for inspection.
Antifouling FAQs – What, Why, How and When
Whether you're a seasoned professional, a cautious novice, or somewhere in between, antifouling is a significant part of the maintenance of your boat and something you need to know about. To help with this, we've answered some common questions regarding antifouling to get you ready for another successful season.
Best Black Friday Chandlery Deals at Gael Force
Although Black Friday isn't native to the UK, given that Brits don't celebrate Thanksgiving, it's still one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Of course, Gael Force couldn't resist getting involved with offering discounted products for you to benefit from so let's take a look at some of the best Black Friday deals we have to offer this year.
Top 10 Products for Laying Up Your Boat
Here at Gael Force, we have a wide range of products for all your boating winterisation requirements but spending all that time searching for the right products for this process can be time-consuming. To make things easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of our top 10 products for laying up your boat this year.
Boat Power Consumption on 12v Systems
Before you begin reading, for an in-depth discourse on 12 volt electrics systems for boats, we would perhaps suggest obtaining a copy of “The 12 Volt Bible for Boats” which is generally lauded as a very good guide for using 12 volt power in a marine capacity, to fully understand what may be involved in setting up … Continue reading Boat Power Consumption on 12v Systems
