How to Fix an AC Leak in Your Vehicle

If you are experiencing a problem with your vehicle that may be due to leaking, you can generally tell because there will be a puddle of fluid under it. But with a refrigerant leak in your AC unit, that is not the case. Refrigerant leaks leave you car’s system as a gas without color, or smell, making it difficult to discover the leak in the first place. To fix an AC leak, you will need to remove the heat that is in the closed chamber by using a compressor and an expansion valve. With these tools and the exchange of heat, you vehicle will take the heat inside the closed space and move it outside through working fluid.

Fixing you’re vehicles AC is a daunting process that will involve adding a special dye to your AC unit. First, you will need to lift the hood of your car, start the engine, and turn on your air conditioning. When looking at the compressor in your engine bay, make sure the AC compressor pulley is spinning. If the pulley is spinning, this means that the dye is moving through your car’s system. After a few minutes of driving with the AC on, park your car and check the engine bay with a UV light. If you can’t see the dye leaking, you will need to check under your dashboard, expansion valve, dryer, air vents, and cabin air filter.

Even after checking the numerous area of your vehicle, you may not have any luck. If this process seems overbearing, I would suggest using an AC stop leak such as Red Angel A/C Stop Leak. BlueDevil’s Red Angel AC stop leak will inject new refrigerant straight into your air conditioning system. This fluid is like a lubricant that will seal you AC leak because of a chemical reaction coming from a change in temperature. Red Angel has worked for many people with refrigerant leaks, and it takes all of the hassle out of other traditional solutions. 

Shipping Companies need to be using Marine Compactors

When out at sea, the last thing anyone wants to deal with is the waste. With limited space, and an awful smell that it brings, it is tempting to dump the waste and debris into the sea. The negative impact that marine debris has on wildlife is much greater than you think.

Marine waste such as plastic containers dumped from ships are killing or injuring sea mammals every day.  Animals get tangled up in nets, bags, egg cartons, milk jugs, pretty much any container that is not being used for its intended purpose can turn in to a deadly weapon when dumped into a body of water. Debris also continues to wash up on beaches all over the world. And even for birds, the floating waste can get caught in their beaks leading to a quick death.

Ships dumping waste into our bodies of water can be easily reduced with certain products offered by some of the top waste compaction companies. A company called KenBay offers a marine compactor that is specifically designed for ships, barges, or even oil rigs. With these types of waste compactors, you will save money, time, and most importantly, lives.

With marine waste being dumped in our bodies of water so frequently, it has raised the attention of the public. An international agreement called MARPOL (The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships) was set forth by many world governments to prohibit or limit the amount of waste that can be released into our waters. Although these laws are set in place, it is our duty to ensure the safety of our oceans living creatures by having an environmentally friendly waste solution.

To get a better look at how our oceans are being used as giant garbage disposals, here is an unbelievable YouTube video.

Why You Should Check Your Boat Propeller

When we get our boats ready for the 2014 boating season, there are plenty of things that we will check first before the boat propeller. However, few things are more important on your boat than the propeller and how well it will stand up for the upcoming season.

Check your Propeller

Before putting your boat back in the water, it is important to do a visual check of the propeller. Look for any dings or scratches on the propeller that may have been caused from striking objects under the water or that were resting on the surface of the water. Even if you don’t see anything visually wrong with your propeller, you should have its props rebalanced on a regular basis – based on the size of your boat and the propeller manufacturer’s instructions.

Why It’s Important to Repair your Propeller

While your boat’s propeller may appear to run fine with a tiny dent or ding, the propeller is making small unnecessary vibrations on your boat that can cause early wear on your gears and bearings in your outdrive or lower units. Unbalanced props  can do the same kind of damage from unnecessary vibrations, and they can become unbalanced even if your propeller doesn’t hit anything.

How Can I Repair it?

If you don’t have experience with boat repairs yourself, and if you don’t have the necessary equipment, it is best to leave it up to a professional. Trying to repair it yourself may amplify the ding or dent, or lead to additional damage to other parts of the outboard engine. Take some photos of the propeller and bring them into a propeller service and repair shop like Steve’s Custom Props. They can identify the make and model of your propeller and reference molds to repair your propeller back into top performance shape.

Protecting your Boat from the Dock

While docks keep our boats in one place, they aren't always friendly to our boats. On a wavy or windy day, your boat can be knocking and scraping up against a dock or a public dock and doing significant damage. It can all be easily avoided however if you have the proper equipment to prevent dock damage. We’ve highlighted a few items that your boat should be equipped with to ensure that you don’t run into that problem.

Boat Fenders

These are likely the most important protective gear that your boat should have. They act as cushions attached to your boat that you can throw over the side where you would expect your boat to bump into a dock or another hard place. of your boat assist One of the most important and basic parts of your boat’s protective equipment are your fenders, so when should you always use your boat’s fenders?

• Pulling Alongside a Dock - As you approach a dock, you should be sure that your fenders are out and properly in place.
• Rafting with Other Boats - If you’re frequently joining boat parties on the sandbar, you’ll definitely want to make sure that your fenders are in place so you don't do any damage.

One Inch per Five Foot Rule

Boat fenders come in all shapes and sizes, and you may not know what size to get for your boat. A common rule of thumb used to determine the proper size fender for your boat by following the 1 inch per five foot rule. For example, if you have a boat that is 20 feet in length, you should use fenders that are four inches in diameter at a minimum.

Fleece Fender Covers

If you want to ensure your boat fender covers last as long as possible and does as little damage to your boat, you should consider also getting a fleece cover for your fender. Sites like Maine Coast Marine Products offer customizable fender covers that help protect your boat’s gelcoat, awlgrip paint, boot stripe and the fenders themselves.

Rub Rail

Your boat may already be equipped with proper rub rails, or your boat may not be appropriate to use rub rails, but you can easily install a rub rail along the side of your boat to protect it from nicks and scratches from being attached to a dock. Even if your boat has a rub rail, you may consider upgrading to a new higher quality one during the off season.

Vertical Dock Poles

If you park your boat alongside your dock on a frequent basis, and your boat rail rides above the dock, you’ll likely find that your boat fenders have to do all the work in protecting your boat from damage from the dock. You can solve that problem by adding a few vertical poles with a protective vinyl material or cushion that are attached to the dock. There are many ways to go about doing that - Cottage Life put together a nice video on one easy DIY method.

Tips for Buying a Boat

Buying a boat can be tricky business, and it’s not always easy to know where to start. Having a plan and following through with it will help make the purchase of your next boat as effortless as possible.

Purpose

When choosing the boat that you want, don’t have the mindset of singling out boat types or brand names. Think instead of the reasons you’re buying a boat, and what you will be using the boat for. If you plan on primarily doing fishing on your boat, look only at boat models that are designed specifically for that. Likewise, if you just want to have a comfortable boat for taking people out on, searching for a boat with comfortable seating and great features should be a high priority. Once you determine that, you can then learn about models and styles that are aligned with your needs.

Finding What you Want

If you're looking for a new boat, you can visit manufacturer websites, and then see what marinas in your area sell their boats. In a time not so long ago, the best way to find available used boats was to find ads in the local paper or magazine, or to drive around trying to find boats with a for sale sign on them. While that still works, it's much easier to use sites like boatdealers.ca to find boats in your area. You can compare boats, view photos, and connect with owners all from the comfort of your home. Also, listings are updated regularly, so you won't have to waste time on a boat that isn't for sale anymore.

New or Used

With buying a new boat, you get more of the latest technologies in the boating industry, and you have the security of knowing that things are likely to not go wrong with the boat. If something does, most boats are covered by warranties for a period of time. With buying used, you always run into the risk of buying into someone else’s problem. If the used boat is a large purchase, it’s a good idea to have the boat surveyed by a professional. If they find problems that the owner didn't bring up early on, you may want to consider looking elsewhere.

Price

Put together a list of a few boats that you’re seriously interested in buying. Contact the owners and arrange to discuss their boat. When discussing price, it is always good to discuss why the boat is listed at the price. If you feel the listing price is over-valued, discuss why you feel that way, and bring up examples of similar boats on the market that you feel are appropriately priced. If the boat is used, bring up necessary repairs that may have to be made immediately or in the future, and factor those into the cost of the boat. Like we mentioned before, it is always a good idea to have the boat surveyed so you don’t buy into problems, and so they can estimate the cost of making necessary repairs and fixes. 

Visiting Marathon Florida

For all of you Florida boaters that opt to take the Okeechobee Waterway to get to the Ocean from the Gulf, or vice versa, then you must realize you’re missing out on tons of fun to the south. The Florida Keys are a great spot to travel down to as a launching point for island hopping throughout the Caribbean or as a place to spend a weekend. Here are a few places to visit and things you can partake in while visiting.

Sombrero Country Club

If you’re a bit weary and want to stretch your legs out a bit when in the Florida Keys, consider joining the Sombrero Country Club, so you can play golf in paradise at any time. If possible, try to find someone that’s a member of the club who wouldn't mind taking you out as a guest.

Stone Crabs at Key Fisheries Market & Marina

These are where the stone crabs come into the area, and having stone crabs is a must if you haven’t had them before. You can stop by their restaurant, which also has fantastic Florida Keys key lime pie, or you can order them online and have them delivered to wherever you are.

Turtle Hospital

A great way to meet turtles up and close is to go to the Turtle Hospital in Marathon. It’s one of the few turtle hospitals in the world, and they offer daily tours where you can meet turtles up and close where you sometimes have the opportunity to feed them. It’s a great educational experience and gives you an appreciation for them.

Sombrero Beach

One of the best beaches in the Florida Keys, Sombrero beach is open to the public and has pure white sand, making it a paradise for beach goers. There’s also plenty of benches and picnic tables for everyone, so you can easily find yourself spending a whole day out on the beach.

Sombrero Marina

Nestled in Boot Key Harbor, Sombrero Marina is one of the most protected marinas from the weather in all of the Florida Keys, and a great place to leave your boat while you enjoy the activities of the Florida Keys. Also, guests of the marina have access to use the Sombrero Country Club golf course, tennis courts and their other facilities which was mentioned above.

Selling Your Boat

Unlike selling a car, selling a boat isn't quite as clear cut as one might expect. There are only so many physical places you can bring your boat to with the hopes of finding a few prospective buyers, and there are only so many interested buyers for your specific boat type in your given area. This makes publicizing your boat extremely important, and we've listed our tips for cutting a deal on your boat as quickly as possible.

Clean Things Up

In the literal sense, your boat needs to be cleaned and in tip top shape before you promote it or put a for sale sticker on it. Fix all mechanical problems with the boat, to ensure the buyers won’t be dealing with other unearthed problems you haven’t attended to. Most of these things should be easy and do it yourself tasks, like fixing a broken light or tightening up a handrail. Quite often your first potential buyers are your most valuable ones, so it’s important to do this step first.

Advertising Your Boat

These days, people are resorting to technology to either find the most available buyers in their area or to find the most options on the market if they’re looking for a boat. That’s been eliminating the need for a middle man and results in more cash for both the buyer and the seller. Picking the right site to list your boat is important however, and there are a few things to consider. Sites will have their own way of charging people for listing their boats, and everyone has their own preference. I prefer sites where you pay one fee upfront and then you get to list your boat on it as long as you like. Also, pick a site where there’s no limitation or extra charge on the number of photos you can upload, as they will be a big part of the reason you will get leads and there’s no need to skimp on the photos you want to upload. Finally, be sure you have the ability to update your listing as often as you like without any hidden charges for doing so. If you’re looking for an example, Boatdealers.ca which has New and Used boats is a safe and reliable site and gets a large amount of traffic from both buyers and sellers every day.

Closing the Deal

Once you find the right buyer, it’s time that you make sure you close the deal and finalize the transfer of ownership. Visit your state Department of Motor Vehicles website or other governmental organization that controls your area’s boat sales, and check to see all the paperwork needed in the transfer. A bill of sale is almost always required and includes information like the purchase date, hull number, price and signatures. Like a car, your boat needs registration, and a boat title needs to be created for the new boat owner. Be wary that loans on a boat don’t get carried over to the new owner and they need to be cleared before the new boat owner can get their title. Quite often if you go through an online listing website they are able to help you out with all of this paperwork to ensure nothing is missed.