
Visual Help For Your Marine Diesel System
Take control of your boat engine maintenance with this comprehensive online resource, designed for owners of motorboats, narrowboats and sailboats.
Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or a beginner, this website will help you keep your marine diesel engine safe, reliable and robust in all conditions.
Marine Diesel Basics books are packed with simple drawings and clear text explaining all aspects of marine diesel systems – from the fuel fill fitting on deck to the propeller.



Visual Help For Your Marine Diesel System
Take control of your boat engine maintenance with this comprehensive online resource, designed for owners of motorboats, narrowboats, sailboats and workboats.
Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or a beginner, this website will help you keep your marine diesel system safe. reliable and robust.
Marine Diesel Basics books are visual guides packed with simple drawings and clear text explaining all aspects of marine diesel systems– from the fuel fill fitting on deck to the propeller.
Learn How To Do Maintenance Tasks
The acclaimed book Marine Diesel Basics 1 (2nd ed.) makes maintenance simple and easy. Over 350 drawings show how to complete 144+ maintenance, lay-up, and recommission tasks.
Over 9,000 copies sold! Available in English, Chinese, French, German, and Portuguese in spiral bound (lies flat!), paperback, hardcover and ebook.
Take a course with Nigel Calder or
the MDB live Workshop
Join world-renown boat guru Nigel Calder for his online courses or for the live MDB webinar. Get familiar with marine diesel system parts, learn how they function, and appreciate the importance of basic preventative maintenance.
Increase your confidence around marine machinery, reduce anxiety, and make new friends around the globe!
Free Diesel Engine Manuals & more
Almost 3,000 manuals available for most makes of diesel engines, cooling systems, fuel systems, transmissions and saildrives, shaft seals and propellers, and transmissions. All downloads are free.
What To Do –And When To Do It
Download free checklists for maintenance, lay-up, recommission, or saildrives. Watch instructional videos, and check out the YouTube channel! Learn more about how systems operate. Free Technical Wordlists in 16 languages also available.
Visit The Gift Shop
Discover distinctive gifts from art photos to humorous clothing, coffee mugs, tote bags and more. Support the Marine Diesel Basics project to help us serve more sailors around the world!
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