The Real Cost of Deferred Maintenance: Why “Later” Gets Expensive

Every boat owner knows the feeling. You notice something that needs attention (a small drip, a slight squeak, a fitting that looks a little corroded), but you’re busy, the weather’s perfect, and it doesn’t seem urgent. So you file it away under “I’ll deal with it later.”

The problem is that boats don’t wait for later. And on the water, small problems have a remarkable talent for becoming big, expensive ones.

Thursday, June 11, 2026

David Alton

Time-Based vs. Hours-Based Maintenance: Which Schedule Does Your Equipment Need?

One of the most common questions we hear from new boat owners is some version of: “How do I know when this is actually due?”

It’s a great question, and the answer isn’t always obvious. Some maintenance should happen on a calendar schedule—every six months, every year—regardless of how much you use your boat. Other maintenance depends entirely on how many hours your equipment has run. And some equipment needs both.

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

David Alton

5 Essential Tips for Getting Started with MaintenanceROS

Starting anything new and maintenance-related on a boat can feel overwhelming, especially when it distracts from the whole purpose of owning a boat - being out on the water. Getting started with MaintenanceROS is straightforward, but a little preparation makes the process even smoother.

These five tips—learned from helping hundreds of boat owners set up their accounts—will have you up and running efficiently, tracking maintenance with confidence in under an hour.

Friday, November 21, 2025

David Alton

Know Your Lifting and Blocking Points: A Critical Haul-Out Safety Guide

Haul-out day is stressful enough without wondering whether your boat is being lifted and blocked correctly. But here’s the thing most boat owners don’t realize: improper lifting or blocking can cause serious, expensive damage to your hull—damage that might not even be visible until much later.

We learned this lesson the hard way in Thailand.

Prepping for a haul out

Friday, October 31, 2025

David Alton

Under the Radar: 6 Maintenance Tasks That Often Get Overlooked

After 10 years of living aboard and cruising, Amy and I learned that some of the most important maintenance tasks are the ones that never make it onto the typical owner’s checklist. These aren’t the glamorous projects or the obvious big-ticket items—they’re the quiet, unglamorous tasks that prevent disasters.

Here are six maintenance tasks that deserve more attention than they typically get, plus a bonus tip for sailboat owners.

Tags

Boat Maintenance