These articles were written years ago while I was working as a commercial fisherman, passenger boat owner/operator, Field Editor for the country's premier commercial fishing publication, National Fishermen, and freelancer for several other national and international marine magazines. The work collected here is not meant to be all inclusive, and in no way does it cover the breadth of equipment and gear found on a given recreational or commercial boat. However, anyone looking to purchase new equipment or begin a new project, whether it's painting the hull or taking out an old engine and replacing with a new one, may find some useful, money-saving advice in these pages. Wherever possible, industry experts were consulted and interviewed, and most of the interviewees quoted here are still in the business.