A:  Preventive maintenance is the yacht owner’s cardinal concern, both for safety and to preserve the value of the boat. Being the compact, complex things they are, boats require a broad knowledge of materials, equipment and processes. Use the winter months to scan whatever you can get your hands on. Applicable information will soon jump out at you.
You should, of course, have the manufacturer’s manual on board. Another source of information is to talk to others who own your type of boat. Owners’ groups can be a great resource for practical information, especially of the variety that the manufacturer and sales agent don’t want to give you. A web search of Hunter sailboat owners’ groups turns up several sites that should be of interest. Search the web for “marine diesel engine maintenance” for a list of titles and bookseller’s web sites. Titles you should have a look at include:

Marine Diesel Engines, by Nigel Calder (International Marine, 1992). Mr. Calder is an active cruising sailor and author on technical matters to do with cruising boats. He has published a number of titles covering the primary systems aboard a cruising yacht, and is popular for good reason.

Troubleshooting Marine Diesels, by Peter Compton (International Marine, 1998). This book has many checklists and good line drawings to help troubleshoot problems with your engine. It’s a great reference volume to keep aboard.