STUCK PYLON

Q:

Dear Doc, we just purchased a used Bennington pontoon boat. We are having a devil of a time removing the ski pylon.

Can you help?

Suzie and Jim Kent Muskogee, Oklahoma

A: It would help to know which type you have. Some of those pylons are reversethreaded. So, try turning it clockwise to remove it. If it’s just stuck from being in place for a long time, a rubber-strapped filter wrench or pipe wrench can help you loosen it. Others pull out, so you might break it free if you can enlist a partner to pull up while you wiggle it back and forth.

Once you get it free, remove it regularly. Ski pylons and hitch balls are two things that should not stay installed all the time.

APP VS. BUILT-IN

Q: I realize yours is a DIY column, but must I install a screen device in order to upgrade my marine electronics? I am thinking that with apps being so popular, a boater might be able to simply look at their phone for info and data. Any advice? Thanks. Merrill Stamko Rochester, New York

A: Most all marine-engine and marine-electronics manufacturers offer apps that can display the information provided by the engine or other device. In many cases, this info is as detailed as that displayed on physically installed screens hard-wired to the device, system or network in question. For all the convenience these apps offer as an add-on, I would not recommend using them for the sole source of data in most cases. (A very small boat might be one exception.)

My reasons for this opinion include daylight visibility of the screen; the lower likelihood of a built-in suffering damage from being dropped or going overboard; less reliance on radio signals, whether Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or NFC; and more. The apps are great, but they serve best as accessories to built-in displays.