Defeating the Diesel Bug: One Tank, Two Clarke Pumps, an Inspection Hatch and a Lot of Elbow Grease
Moving a diesel engine air filter
Three pilothouse boats: Bella 703, Orkney Day Angler 20 and Drago Sunday Fishing
How I found the right electric engine for my boat after spending £25k
Why rebuilding your self-steering gear will change your cruising game
The Allures 45: crawl up creeks and dry out or cruise offshore
Peter K Poland takes the helm of the French-built, aluminium-hulled cruising Allures 45 yacht: a variable-draught aluminium-hulled blue water cruiser
How to replace a worn teak deck
Genevieve Leaper explains how friend Sokratis Kavallieratos laid a new teak deck on his Najad 320
I’m a commercial skipper and this is my onboard essentials list for a Mediterranean Yacht Charter
After several seasons working as a commercial skipper, I’ve got my onboard essentials locked in. Whether you’re a sailor or a guest, the key to…
Boat maintenance
DIY engine replacement saves boat owner £1,500
How I achieved optimal propeller pitch
Rubbing strakes refurbishment: step-by-step guide
Fitting a new toerail or grabrail on your sailboat or motorboat
What happens to boat electrical systems and batteries if submerged?
Electric-powered boat for under £8,000
Maintenance
Hull plank repair on a boat: step-by-step
With a few practical woodworking skills anyone should be able to replace a plank on a carvel-built wooden hull, as Richard Johnstone-Bryden discovers
How to fit a new cam belt on your boat engine
Stu Davies explains how he fitted a new cam belt to the diesel engine in his 1999 Beneteau 381
Making a lifting keel easier to raise
After struggling with a heavy lifting keel, Brian Johnson builds a simple tackle to make light of the problem
How to fit an adjustable backstay
Bob Goode improves his Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32’s sail handling by replacing the original fixed wire split backstay
Amazing adventures
Joshua Slocum: Is the Spray legend fact or fiction?
The pioneers: Teddy Seymour & Bill Pinkney
Sailing in the land of fire and ice and beyond: sailors share their high latitude cruises
Hanneke Boon: Life after Wharram
Gear tests
Can VHF and AIS run on the same aerial?
‘I smelled burning plastic and realised my plug was melting!’
Propeller care: everything you need to know
Can I trust this boat mooring?
Where to recycle old sails and end of life kit – drop off points across the UK and Europe
Overhauling the DC boat electrics on a 38ft boat
Practical Projects
Great tips and ideas to improve your boat from PBO readers
Repairing an inflatable dinghy: fixing holes
How I built a galley box for my boat
How to clean tarnished brass
How I made a specialist tool to repair my dinghy
How to make a DIY bilge alarm switch
How to replace a stern tube on a boat
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…