Improving the continuous rope splice
How I refreshed my deck with a gelcoat spray gun
Next stop: The world – Jazz Turner’s new WorldStar circumnavigation plans
Manoeuvring in shallow waters with a bow thruster remote control
Dave Selby: Close encounters of the barge kind
How I installed a smart engine monitoring system on my sailboat
Ever considered adding an engine monitoring system to your boat? This article follows on from my introduction Smart Boat article, which showed how to use…
Is it a good idea to weld anchor chain to lengthen it?
Practical Boat Owner reader Tom Fox ponders if a qualified welder could weld anchor chain. Metallurgist Vyv Cox explains what to consider
Prop walk: how to use it to your best advantage
Daria and Alex Blackwell share the close-quarters manoeuvring techniques they’ve picked up at the helm of a 57ft, heavy-displacement classic ketch
Boat maintenance
How important is headsail trim?
Should I move the mainsheet traveller?
How to make multitool blades last longer
How to create additional berth space on your boat
Freeing a seized swivel car on foresail furling gear
How a black water pump replacement helped me narrowly avoid sinking
Maintenance
Industry insight: lithium marine batteries and other power options
A lot of people are wondering whether to switch to lithium marine batteries, but don’t actually know what they should be looking for when buying…
A beginners’ guide to managing marine battery power
Word to the wise: always keep an eye on your marine battery. Last summer, I hired a flybridge cruiser on the Canal du Midi. The…
How to bend acrylic and change your boat’s saloon windows
Andy Pag shares what he learned about bending acrylic while replacing the curved windows of his Lagoon 410.
How to install a boat inverter
Roger Hughes explains how he installed a boat inverter to have a powerful new source of silent AC power for his yacht.
Amazing adventures
Ian Wyllie completes round-Britain and Ireland circumnavigation in project boat
“I crawled 50m across rocks with an anchor on my back”: Jazz Turner’s record voyage
Sailing in a hurricane: How I escaped Hurricane Beryl
Craig Wood completes solo, non-stop and unsupported Pacific voyage
Gear tests
Practical Projects
Great tips and ideas to improve your boat from PBO readers
Contaminated fuel problems: keeping your marine diesel clean
Boat hatch repair: how to stop the leaks
Make your own boat boarding step
How to make your own rigging vice
Moving a diesel engine air filter
Repairing an inflatable dinghy: fixing holes
PBO Project Boat
What does a sailmaker do?
Shortly before the Round the Island Race, one of the largest yacht races in the world, it’s all go at…
Shore power: solving tripping problems
Ali Wood gets a crash course in reverse polarity and smart charging when Project Boat Maximus’s shore power gets trippy…
Sail design – using 3D software and laser technology to cut new sails
During the survey of our Maxi 84, the PBO Project Boat Maximus, we were warned by a marine surveyor that…
How to measure your yacht for new sails
Measuring your boat for new sails is a job for the sailmaker, so when our PBO Project Boat Maximus needed…
Restoring a vintage Sailor radio
Ali Wood’s Sailor radio is given the VIP treatment
Seajet Bioclean silicone antifoul review: Our verdict after one year on the water
Does silicone antifouling work? It’s not flying off the shelves yet, according to suppliers, but the results from our Project…
Securing mast cable on our Maxi 84
With the help of ACM Marine, Ali Wood goes about securing mast cable on the Maxi 84 PBO project boat
Family sailing safety gear: TESTED!
Ali Wood discusses the sailing safety gear she chose for their first family cruise on board their Maxi 84, and…