Best pilothouse boats and deck saloons
7 sailing knots every boater should know
How to replace a failed starter motor on a boat
Sailing books: best new releases to read
How to make curly cord as a DIY project
Frances 26: a proper little yacht
With her long keel, appealing lines, big-boat feel and surprisingly roomy interior, the Frances 26 is a sought-after, second-hand buy, says David Harding
How to make a spinnaker snuffer
John Connell keeps his spinnaker in check by devising and constructing a home-made spinnaker snuffer
11 boats you can buy (and restore) right now under for £20,000
Duncan Kent picks the best sub-35ft sail and power boats to look for when aiming to undertake a restoration on a budget
Boat maintenance
How to replace boat headlining with PVC planking
How to change a water pump impeller
How to fit new rubber port light seals
Backflushing an outboard motor: step-by-step
Replacing gearbox oil seals: step-by-step
How to replace ageing through-hull fittings
Maintenance
Boat lightning strike checklist
The odds of your boat being struck by lightning are low in the UK, but it does happen. Andy Pag shares his lightning strike checklist
How to get the most from your yacht survey
Thinking of buying a new boat? A marine survey could save you a lot of heartache and money in the long run, says Ali Wood
Practical ideas from the Ocean Globe Race yacht Galiana WithSecure
Katy Stickland finds clever design features which can be adapted for cruising yachts while sailing the Swan 55, Galiana WithSecure
5 top causes of boat engine failure – and how to avoid them
Jake Kavanagh talks to Sea Start marine engineer Nick Eales about how to avoid the five major causes of an engine breakdown at sea
Amazing adventures
Sailing the legendary 32ft cruiser, Damien from the Arctic Circle to Antarctica
Meraki: a new film about defying the odds to race across the Atlantic in a homebuilt 5.8m boat
Cheap boating: 110 ways to cut the cost of your sailing and cruising
Florentino Das: a shoestring voyage of adventure across the Pacific in a 24ft boat
Gear tests
Practical Projects
Great tips and ideas to improve your boat from PBO readers
Casting a cutless bearing housing
How to make your boots non-scratch to save your boat decks
How to build a custom boat port
How to refurbish a scruffy outboard cowling
How to make a last-minute home-made dinghy spinnaker pole
Making a hull fitting to fit a depth transducer
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…