Simon Westmacott devises a way to keep his bilges clean when changing the engine's oil filter
Practical Boat Owner
How to do a rig check with an action cam
Simone Annunziata gets a bird’s eye view using modern tech and an old broom
Magnetic mousing for easy wire installation
Winston Collinge uses an easy and attractive way to feed a cable through the length of his mast
DIY installation of LED boat lights
Brian Johnson converts his interior boat lamps to dual intensity LEDs
DIY boat mosquito net to keep the insects at bay
Dave and Karen Proctor make a boat mosquito net for their companionway
Hoisting sails the easy way
Steven Hinchliffe shares an easy way for hoisting sails
Who owns a boat write-off?
Where does the responsibility for a boat write-off lie? RYA paralegal Lucy Rutter has the answer
Remote control bow and stern thrusters: reader tested
Will Renilson improves boat handling aboard his Jersey 36 and tests the Vetus remote control system and the Coastline Technology bow and stern thruster
No room for a holding tank? Use a bedpan liner
No-one should be pumping out the heads in a harbour. But what’s the alternative to fitting a holding tank? John Boulcott provides one answer
Fitting a cockpit cover for a boat
Michael Wright makes life more comfortable by creating an extra ‘room’ on board with a smart new cockpit cover for his Nicholson 31
Freeing mast lines: untangling a halyard
David Mead puts a spanner in the works to create a weighty solution for freeing a tangled halyard
DIY bunk ladder for getting in and out of berths easily
Don Fitzroy Smith fashions cheap, light, easy to stow and make bunk ladder and headboards for getting in and out of forepeak berth more easily
Laptop charging problems on board: one sailor’s solution
Cliff White stumbles upon the answer to a head-scratching laptop charging problem
Bonding marine windows back in: the best gasket sealant
PBO reader Nicholas Phillips wants advice on the best gasket sealant for bonding his marine windows. Our expert Sven Petersen has this advice…
DIY fix for a broken VHF aerial
James Brooking doesn’t have to replace his handheld VHF’s aerial after doing his own DIY fix
Junk boat design explained: How this ancient sailplan still performs well today
Facing retirement with angina and a persistent back injury, I was persuaded by John Campbell’s book Easier Rigs for Safer Cruising that a junk rig would be the thing for…
Anchoring a boat: 6 tips to keep you safe
If space is tight or the weather looks unsettled, it’s worth having a few skills up your sleeve to make the most of a tricky anchorage. Here are 6 tips...
Nomads of the wind – an article by James Wharram
In light of the recent passing of pioneering multihull designer James Wharram, we share his PBO October 1994 article, published for the first time online
Offshore sailing gear: How to prepare a boat for extended cruising
Sea Bear is a Vancouver 28 built in 1987. She was generally in very good condition when I bought her, but I decided she needed some offshore sailing gear additions…
How to restore teak decking: Varnish or oil? Ask the experts
“Can your paint expert help me identify the coating on my boat’s flybridge deck and stairs? “Is it likely to be just a varnish or something more specific? Can I…