Ben Meakins

When I bought my new boat a couple of years ago I was very disappointed to find that her mast was bent. It took up an elongated ‘S’ shape when…

best-teak-cleaners

We get scrubbing to find out what effect a variety of teak cleaners have on the woodwork of a Sigma 38 moored on the River Itchen

Ron Sykes adds numbers to help avoid confusion when identifying ships and marks

The illustration shows the only way I have been able to stop through-deck chainplates from leaking. The ‘bonnet’ is made of ¼in (6mm) canvas Bakelite, also known as Tufnol or…

Sooner or later most cruising skippers are likely to be faced with having to raft up in a harbour. But it needn’t be a stressful experience...

Shipwright Robin Benjamin says modern, thin teak decks need lots of regular care, and so it’s vital to follow his advice on how to keep them looking good

The finishing touch to the interior of many boats is the vinyl-covered headlining panel, which can be detached to access under-deck fittings. Jake Kavanagh watches upholsterer Alan Dring make one…

Pushpit gate

Peter Crick makes a gate in his pushpit - which then goes on to save a life!

Rick Allender goes back to basics with a low-cost and simple way to shower on a small boat

If you need to plug a hole in your glassfibre boat, fear not – repairs are easy to make. Jake Kavanagh shows how it’s done and offers some useful tips

The spinnaker pole that came with my Jeanneau SO34.2 is stout and reasonably strong, but is a little short to use as whisker pole when goose winging the genoa. More…