While changing his engine oil, Chris Mardon noticed milky oil in his saildrive. Will it have caused damage to the leg? Stu Davies has the answer
Expert Answers
What causes a propeller to go pinkish in colour?
While Rod Stuart was scrubbing his boat, he saw the anode had fallen off and his propeller was turning a pinkish colour. How does he tell if his prop is…
Should I register my boat in an EU country to avoid paying VAT again?
Susan Hurford has paid VAT on her boat in the UK. The boat was moored in Spain at the end of the Brexit transition period and is now in Gibraltar…
Lightning strikes at sea – advice from a marine surveyor
Over the years I’ve attended a few lightning strikes suffered by yachts on behalf of insurance companies. In the UK it’s not such a common issue as, say, in the…
Can diesel bug fuel treatments work together?
PBO reader Nick Houlding wants to know if different diesel bug fuel treatments can be mixed. Peter Wielde from Marine 16 has the answer
How can I improve the faded gelcoat on my boat?
PBO reader Peter Clubbe wants to know how he can improve the faded gelcoat on his elderly Hardy Navigator
Should the pressure relief valve on my boat calorifier have a spring and plunger?
While repairing his hot water boat calorifier, Chris Mardon found it had a spring and one-way plunger. But what purpose do they serve? Stu Davies has the answer
What is the best way to stick down teak planking?
PBO reader Les Broughton is struggling to glue his teak planking to the fibreglass in his cockpit. Boat builder Lyndon March has the answer
Why is my outboard so unreliable?
Colin Staple's unreliable outboard is spoiling his sailing. Stu Davies suggests how to improve its performance
Can I take my part-built boat from the UK to Europe?
Can PBO reader David Bainbridge trailer his part-built boat from the UK to Greece? Alasdair Reay of HPi Verification Services, the body that issues CE and UKCA certificates for new…
TV on a boat: how to improve reception
Charles Beddingfield has a TV on his boat but is struggling to get a decent reception. PBO expert James Turner has the answer
Can you epoxy repair an aluminium boat heat exchanger?
PBO reader Chris Marden wants to know if he can repair the outer case of his boat heat exchanger with epoxy. Stu Davies has the answer!
Fitting a saildrive folding propeller? Ask the experts
Peter Dunlop writes: “I have a Volvo Penta MD20-30 with saildrive and three-bladed folding propeller on my 1998 Dawn 39 (a Contessa 38 lookalike from the same mould). Some years…
Cleaning rusty engine innards? Ask the experts
Alan Carter from Dunfermline writes: “I’m on the way to solving the problem of rusty innards in my old boat engine – something that afflicts the engines of many practical…
Best corrosion protection method? Ask the experts
Bob Williams writes: “During a recent chat at my sailing club questions were discussed about anodes, galvanic corrosion and earthing, sailing in salt water and then into fresh water. As…
Why is there a film on the seacocks?
PBO reader Camilla Ransom has found a "strange film" on one of the boat's seacocks. What should she do? Surveyor Colin Brown has the answer
How to find an engine oil leak in a Volvo 2002
David Moody is struggling to find the cause of an engine oil leak in his Volvo 2002. Stu Davies has the answer
Raw water pump: rebuild or replace?
PBO reader Clive Hathway has a leaking raw water pump. Should he buy a replacement or rebuild it? Stu Davies gives his advice
Is there a better diesel fuel?
Would gas to liquid (GTL) fuel work better than diesel fuel? PBO's engine whisperer, Stu Davies ponders the question
What’s the best way to change a pump impeller? Ask the experts
Oliver Chapple from Lincoln writes: “I have a very much loved 35ft Atlantic Ketch called Octopus, a splendid sea boat that has carried us safely to the Western Isles, Orkney,…