Part of any spirng maintenance regimen is looking over all of the hoses on your boat and possibly replacing some of them that look cracked or delaminated or maybe chafed and brittle, or in some cases just plain OLD.


There have been many advances in hose technology over the years and the materials used today are far superior to compounds available 10 or even 20 years ago. Hoses fall into the area of safety concerns because they're used to distribute fuel, and of course are the connecting link between seacocks and thru-hull fittings and engines, sink drains, holding tanks and such. If a hose fails you may be on the way to the bottom, spewing exhaust gas and water all over your engine compartment or spraying fuel all over the inside of your boat. All bad.


I've seen all manner of hoses used by boaters over the years and often they simply swap out a hose and use common automotive replacements, or worse. You have to understand that their are specific requirements for hose used in marine applications. I'm sorry, but like ignition protection, which I discussed earlier this week, this is just not one of those areas where you want to try and save a few dollars.


One website I refer people to all the time has done a really good job of helping boater's figure out what hose to use for a given application:


http://www.teleflexmarine.com/shieldshose/website/ Most boaters have heard of Shields hose, which is now a division of Teleflex. The website has a picture of a boat:



Ok, for you sailors out there, the picture is of a powerboat, but trust me the hose won't know what kind of boat its installed on. All of the various hose applications are graphically displayed and all you have to do is click on the application and the page will automatically click to a list of suitable shields hose part numbers for the application. So, rather than flying blind, you can go to your marine chandlery with a part number in hand and be sure to get a proper replacement for any hose on your boat. Nice job Shields!  Check it out.

Written by: Ed Sherman
Ed Sherman is a regular contributor to boats.com, as well as to Professional Boatbuilder and Cruising World, where he previously was electronics editor. He also is the curriculum director for the American Boat and Yacht Council. Previously, Ed was chairman of the Marine Technology Department at the New England Institute of Technology. Ed’s blog posts appear courtesy of his website, EdsBoatTips.