Transatlantic sailors tell Ali Wood how they used their ingenuity – and sometimes bravery – to cope with emergencies on passage and make boat fixes at sea
Practical
How to get more life out of sailboat lines: step-by-step
Dena Hankins shares how to make your running rigging last that little bit longer
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…
Six DIY tips to make your boat sail better
You don't need to spend a lot of money to get an older boat going more efficiently
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
Make your own hose adapter stowage on your boat
Federico Ramirez has a simple idea for handy hose adapter stowage
How to build your own boat stand
Zoran Glozinic builds a boat stand for haul-out use
Boat anodes: a practical guide for sailors
Metallurgist Vyv Cox’s guide to anodes, explaining how they work, debunking the myths and showing ways of improving performance
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
“Why restoring an old boat at the age of 71 was one of my better ideas”
At 71, Richard Hare embarked on a year-long renovation of a 30-year-old Westerly Konsort. He shares why it was one of his better ideas.
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
Painting and varnishing a boat: how to get the perfect finish
Kit boat builder Polly Robinson shares her tips for painting and varnishing a plywood-epoxy boat
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
How I built my own 18ft motorboat
Having already built a dinghy and a dayboat, Ben Russell decided to design and construct an 18ft Selway Fisher Clyde motorboat
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…
Osmosis on a boat: will it cause my vessel to sink?
Katy Stickland talks to surveyor Ben Sutcliffe-Davies about why osmosis can be an indicator of high moisture content in fibreglass
Boat launch checklist: all the jobs you need to do for a hassle free start to the season
Take the stress out of the big day with practical tips from Practical Boat Owner's Ali Wood
Cleaning with acid and its uses onboard
Applying corrosive acid to magically clean or loosen a boat part sounds tempting - but caution is required, as Andy Pag advises
Looking at buying a boat in 2024? Get advice from the professionals to avoid the pitfalls
Surveyor Ben Sutcliffe-Davies looks at the changes since Brexit and advises how boat owners in the UK can avoid the pitfalls