YachtPilot

11/10/2026

3AM ALERT: WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

It's 3:07am. Your phone buzzes on the bedside table. You squint at the screen.

It's your boat.

Three scenarios, three alerts, three very different levels of "oh no." Read each one, decide what you'd do, then see how it plays out. (These are hypotheticals, but any boat owner will find them familiar.)
https://yachtpilot.co/blogs/news/3am-alert-what-would-you-do

25/09/2026

Fuel Contamination 101: What's Really in Your Tank

Nobody gets into boating dreaming about fuel quality. And yet, ask any marine mechanic what causes the most "mystery" engine problems, and contaminated fuel is near the top of the list every single time. It's not glamorous, but it's worth understanding — mostly so you can avoid becoming a cautionary tale at the next marina barbecue.

What causes water, diesel bug, and ethanol issues in boat fuel tanks, and the early signs every owner should watch for.

22/09/2026

AC vs DC: A Plain-English Guide to Your Boat's Electrics

Ask most boat owners to explain their electrical system and you'll get a slightly nervous laugh and something like "it just... works, mostly." Fair enough — marine electrics have a reputation for being confusing, and most of that reputation is well earned. But the core concept is actually pretty simple once someone explains it without the jargon. So, let's do that.

A plain-English breakdown of your boat's AC and DC electrical systems, what each one powers, and how to spot issues early.

20/09/2026

Why boats get musty between trips, common trouble spots for mould, and how to catch rising damp before it spreads.

There's a very particular smell that greets every boat owner at some point — you unlock the cabin after a few weeks away, and it hits you before you're even fully through the door. Somewhere between "wet towel" and "old library book." Congratulations, your boat has been quietly growing a small ecosystem in your absence.

Damp and mould aren't just unpleasant — left unchecked, they'll happily work through cushions, headlining, and timber, turning a cosmetic annoyance into a genuinely expensive one. Here's what's actually going on, and what to do about it.

Why boats get musty between trips, common trouble spots for mould, and how to catch rising damp before it spreads.

15/09/2026

Preparing Your Vessel for Storm Season, A Practical Guide

Storm season brings a level of responsibility every boat owner needs to take seriously. Whether you're in a cyclone-prone region or heading into a southern winter, preparation is everything — and the owners who fare best are almost always the ones who did the boring admin weeks before the first warning was ever issued.

This is exactly where YachtPilot earns its place on the boat during storm season. Bilge level alerts notify you immediately if water starts entering the vessel, and geofence alerts fire the moment your boat shifts from its expected position — so you're finding out in real time, not when it's too late.

13/09/2026

Night Passages: What Changes After Dark

A trip that feels routine in daylight can feel entirely different once the sun goes down. Distances are harder to judge, landmarks disappear, and the margin for error shrinks. Night passages aren't more dangerous by nature, but they do demand more from the person at the helm.

Discover more about how to make sure your night passage is safe.

10/09/2026

Boat Noises Decoded: What's Normal (and What's Not)

Boats make noises. Lots of them. Creaks, hums, clunks, the occasional mysterious tap that stops the second you go looking for it. Every owner eventually develops a kind of onboard sixth sense for which noises are just "the boat being a boat" and which ones mean it's time to actually investigate.

The problem is that sixth sense takes years to build — and in the meantime, most of us have spent at least one night wide awake at anchor, convinced a strange new sound means the hull is about to give up entirely. Let's decode a few of the classics.

Boats make noises. Lots of them. Creaks, hums, clunks, the occasional mysterious tap that stops the second you go looking for it. Every owner eventually develops a kind of onboard sixth sense for which noises are just "the boat being a boat" and which ones mean it's time to actually investigate. The...

08/09/2026

The Silent Battery Drains Killing Your Weekend

There's a very specific kind of disappointment reserved for boat owners: turning the key after two weeks away, hearing that sad little click, and realising your weekend is now a battery-jumping exercise instead of a sailing one.

The frustrating part isn't even the flat battery — it's that nobody can ever explain why. "It was fine last time." "I don't leave anything running." And yet, somehow, the battery gremlins strike again. Here's what's actually going on: https://yachtpilot.co/blogs/news/the-silent-battery-drains-killing-your-weekend

06/09/2026

Marina Etiquette 101: How Not to Be "That Boat"

Every marina has one. The boat that idles past the moored fleet at a speed clearly designed to test everyone's fender inflation. The owner who reverses into a berth like they're parking a Kombi van on a Saturday morning. We've all seen it — and if we're honest, most of us have been it, at least once.

Marina etiquette isn't written down anywhere official, but everyone on the water knows the unspoken rules. Here's a friendly refresher, so you can glide in and out with quiet confidence (and maybe a nod of approval from the old salt on C-dock). Read more here..... https://yachtpilot.co/blogs/news/marina-etiquette-101-how-not-to-be-that-boat

27/08/2026

Boat Parts 101: What's Actually on Your Vessel (and What Can Quietly Go Wrong)

Whether you're new to boat ownership or you've had one for years, there's a good chance a few systems onboard are still a bit of a mystery — until something goes wrong with them. Understanding the basics of what's actually on your vessel isn't just interesting, it's genuinely useful the day something needs attention.

Here's a plain-English rundown of the key systems on most recreational boats, and what tends to catch owners out:

https://yachtpilot.co/blogs/news/boat-parts-101-whats-actually-on-your-vessel-and-what-can-quietly-go-wrong