Pick up a copy (or order one online) of the June issue of PBO (on sale 16 April) for 100 DIY ideas you can do from home or in the workshop. See the full list online at www.pbo.co.uk and read about two amazing new projects dreamt up and delivered by PBO readers (previewed below). Plus tales of liveaboards surviving lockdown, how to plan meals for three weeks at sea and used boats tested and reviewed.
To read a free preview of all the main articles below – just click on the image
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100 DIY at home projects
100+ projects, tips and tricks to improve your boat while stuck at home (read more…)
As the whole of the UK is being urged to stay at home to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, we have focussed on gathering together projects you may be able to complete (or at least start) in the workshop at home (read more…)
Build a DIY boat lift
Zoran Glozinic has a tried-and-test DIY way to lift a small boat from its trailer (read more…)
Some repairs require you to lift your boat from the trailer. The ideal solution would be to use a crane, but what if this isn’t possible? There is another solution, and you can do it all by yourself! (Read more…)
How to make a faster motor-sailer with new rudder and sail plan
Practical modifications to improve the speed and handling of a Colvic Watson (Read more…)
When Andrew Deggan’s motorsailer refused to answer to her helm and manoeuvre in tight spaces, something had to be done. After changing the rudder and sailplan, the results were astonishing (read more…)
Provisioning for passages: How to make a 3 week Atlantic meal plan
Healthy recipes, provisioning and top tips for sustenance during long distance passage making (read more…)
‘I found the prospect of provisioning for the Atlantic a very daunting prospect, but having now done it I realise this needn’t be the case. Here’s my personal strategy, planning tips and some recipes for even the most unwilling ocean cooks!’ (read more…)
Locked down liveaboards
How a family cruising the Caribbean are coping with the worldwide coronavirus lockdown
‘The usual raft of running maintenance continues but has been rather overshadowed by recent events surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic. Being safely tucked in English Harbour, it seemed unreal that the rest of the world was in lockdown. Everyone here has been very relaxed. Our plan was to head up to the BVI via St Martin, however we found out that St Martin and the BVI are not letting boats in. Added to this, if you leave Antigua, you are not allowed to return. We therefore decided it was sensible to stay here in Antigua.’ (Read more…)
Real-life experience and lessons learned on the water
Mid-Atlantic rudder repair
When Jarmo Lohikari’s rudder jammed in the Atlantic, this daring dad went over the side to fix it
‘When my wife Teija told me she had a surprise for me one Christmas, little did I know how valuable her gift would turn out to be. “Bring your swimming trunks, and don’t ask any questions,” she said. I did as I was told, and half an hour later we were doing our first dive in the swimming pool in Helsinki. My second dive, it turned out, would be in the middle of the Atlantic… (read more…)
Close call around Guernsey
John Willis recalls how a day sail circumnavigation in the Channel Islands became very lively off the notorious Hanois Reef
“Just sailing round the island, dear” is no joke when you live on a teeny one, as I do. The beauty of Guernsey is that it’s so small I can get back in time for supper. Though I’ve sailed round it many times in all conditions, I’ll always remember a voyage in 2004 that taught me never to underestimate the sea. (read more…)
Shakedown sail that ends in a chainplate calamity
Drew Maglio on the shakedown cruise that didn’t go as planned…
‘The day we launched our 1987 Ericson 38-200 sloop was memorable for more reasons that one. The refit had finally come to an end (see PBO May 2020) and the former lightning-damaged Kismet had been rejuvenated into our beloved Walden… but the day was doomed from the beginning.’ (read more…)
How to replace teak decks with synthetic
Graham Keating on how he removed his boat’s teak decking and replaced it with synthetic
‘Never buy a boat with a blue hull or teak decks!’ This piece of received wisdom was ringing in our ears as we contemplated buying Maunie of Ardwall, a 12-year-old Vancouver 38 Pilot, back in 2009. Poor Maunie, she was a neglected and sorry-looking boat, having languished on an Irish mooring for a couple of years following the death of her first owner. Her filthy, grey teak decks, with their overlay of green mould, and her faded and abraded blue topsides did nothing to enthuse us as we first looked at her. (read more…)
Sail more, motor less
Rupert Holmes demystifies sail design with an explanation of modern reaching and downwind sails
How many times have you been out on a gloriously warm summer’s day when there’s not quite enough breeze to get your boat moving nicely? All too often, the result is that instead of a relaxing and satisfying sail, getting anywhere means hours of tedious, noisy motoring. Yet often motoring is simply not necessary… (read more…)
Hunter vs Super Seal
Two great British-built lift keelers – the Hunter Delta and Super Seal 26 – compared along with alternatives
Back in the 1970s I raced at New Quay Yacht Club (NQYC) on a lifting-keel Hunter 701 that I’d originally towed from Essex to Wales behind my long-suffering Austin Maxi 1750. As the 1980s arrived, a new generation of larger British-built lifting keel cruisers appeared on the scene. Although these boats were unsuited to regular trailer-sailing (because of their weight and substantial masts), they were ideal for keeping on mud moorings or protected drying beaches. The Super Seal 26, Parker 27 and Hunter Delta 25 were
prime examples. (read more…)
On test: Dufour Arpège
The Dufour Arpège from the 1960s led the way for modern yacht design. Rupert Holmes sails her on test
The Dufour Arpège was a cutting edge yacht when it was launched in 1966. The wide beam of almost 10ft set a new trend for yacht design, while the low centre of gravity bulb keel hints at what might have happened in the 1970s and 80s had the IOR rating rule not heavily penalised stability, arguably setting the course of yacht design back 20 years. The interior of the Arpège also set new standards for space, incorporating many neat features that clearly added considerably to build time, but which improve life on board. (read more…)
31 summer crew on a four-month coastal holiday
A usually short-handed sailor, John Jameson changes tack and invites 31 new crew aboard on a Hebridean cruise
I met my wife, Nicole, in New Zealand and we sailed around the world together on our 37ft Polynesian catamaran, Taraipo. I’ve also sailed thousands of miles single-handed. However, this summer we decided to do something different and sail with as many friends and family as possible on our UK yacht, Juggler, a 32ft Westerly Fulmar. (read more…)
