Written for boat owners who keep the engine.

The Smooth Sailing Field Archive comes from Smooth Sailing, a YouTube channel about boats and outboard engines.

Most outboard failures start long before the bill: a hardened impeller, salt left to dry, ethanol left in the tank. These books cover the habits that stop them.

Every chapter is a job owners commonly do themselves, with the repair it avoids.

The goal isn't a perfect engine. It's one you trust when you are far from the dock.

This is an independent field guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any engine manufacturer, and it is not a substitute for official boating safety instruction. Always check anything safety-critical against your own service manual.