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An outboard motor on the transom of a boat at a dock at dawn
The Smooth Sailing Field Archive

Make your outboard outlive every other boat at the dock.

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See what's inside the three volumes ↓
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The Smooth Sailing Field Archive

Start with one, or take the archive.

Start with one volume, or take the complete archive with the bundle-only third volume.

The Longevity Files book cover
Volume I

The Longevity Files

The maintenance discipline behind engines that still run at 5,000 hours.

  • 30 chapters across 7 parts
  • The flush protocol that actually works
$27
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What's inside this volume →

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Volume II

The Mistake Code

The habits that end an outboard early, and the resets that undo the damage.

  • 34 chapters across 5 parts
  • Starting without water, and running too shallow
$47
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What changes

Before The Smooth Sailing Field Archive, and after

All of it, applied. An engine you trust instead of one you hope about.

The same outboard serviced: clean cowling, bright metal, fresh anode, sharp propeller A neglected outboard: salt crust, corroded bracket, wasted anode, damaged propeller BeforeAfter

Drag the circle — or use the arrow keys — to compare before and after.

CategoryBeforeAfter
CoolingA dribbling telltale you call normalThe stream read like a gauge, impeller on schedule
SaltRinsed when there is timeFlushed every trip, before the crystals set
CorrosionA stub anode and a chalky bracketAnodes changed at half, castings still bright
FuelEthanol left in the tank all winterTreated, filtered, water caught before the injectors
The lower unitGear oil changed when it sounds wrongChanged and read, so water shows as a colour
The trailerBearings until they fail on the motorwayRepacked on schedule, like part of the engine
ResaleNo record and a nervous buyerA compression figure and a log behind the price
Reader stories

Readers are already saving.

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Average rating
★★★★★
Twenty years on the water and this still taught me a better winterizing routine. Followed it last season and had zero start-up problems in spring. Avoided a $600 service bill.
Curtis H.
Avoided
$600
★★★★★
Very clear on fuel system maintenance, which is where most of my past problems came from. The ethanol damage section alone saved me a $450 carburetor rebuild this year.
Lauren P.
Saved
$450
★★★★★
My motor was running rough and the dealer wanted to tear into the powerhead. Turned out to be a clogged fuel filter, exactly as described in chapter four. Saved close to $1,200.
Marcus E.
Saved
$1,200
★★★★★
The impeller replacement walkthrough is excellent — did it myself in an afternoon for the cost of the part. Saved about $300 versus the marina quote.
Denise O.
Saved
$300
★★★★★
Bought a used outboard using the inspection checklist in this book. Spotted corrosion the seller hadn't mentioned and negotiated $800 off the asking price.
Tommy R.
Result
$800 off

Get the complete archive,
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All three volumes, including The Forbidden Tricks Vault — never sold on its own.

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Common questions

Everything you need to know before you order

What exactly do I get?

Three PDFs, 150 pages in total, downloadable the moment you pay. No subscription and no app.

Does this cover my brand?

The maintenance is written for any modern outboard, two-stroke or four-stroke, with separate care points for Yamaha, Mercury, Suzuki and Honda.

I already service my own engine.

Then Volume II and III are the useful half: the mistakes that still end engines early, and the resets and menus most owners never find.

Do I need special tools?

For most of it, no. Where a job needs a compression gauge or a flush attachment, the chapter says so before you start.

Can I buy Volume III on its own?

No. The Forbidden Tricks Vault is only in the complete archive.

What if it is not for me?

Write within seven days and you get your money back, no questions.

The Smooth Sailing Field Archive · instant PDF · 7-day money-back Get the Complete Archive — $97