Single-handed sailing: a guide for first-timers, Meet Britain’s most popular yacht, How to get a perfect mirror finish on your hull, Kid-proof your boat, Discover…
Practical Boat Owner
January issue – out on 21 November
How to protect your boat in a storm in harbour, Essential checks for liftout, Second hand boat focus on the Bavaria 34, How to install…
A new build nesting dinghy for a newlywed couple
In the days before inflatable dinghies it was common to have a hard dinghy, to be left on the mooring or hoisted onto the foredeck of your yacht, or atop…
How to polish stainless steel in the workshop at home
Once you know how to polish stainless steel from its raw milled state to a high gloss finish then it’s possible to make all sorts of trims from flat bar,…
How to make a foldaway bottle rack out of neoprene for your boat
I live in Valencia, Spain, and discovered PBO in a UK airport 15 years ago. I asked the newspaper shop near my home to order it in for me, and…
How to dismantle and repair a seized wind generator at home
I confess, I’m frequently guilty of surrendering to the old adage, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’ But I got caught out in hurricane Dorian in October last year.…
How to make your own helmsman’s overmitten from old sailcloth
How often, when helming early in the season or on a night watch, have you had one warm hand in a pocket and one cold one on the tiller? Despite…
How to drill out and set rivets – mending a broken spinnaker pole
It was a cracking day, mid-May on the Algarve. We had sailed our Beneteau 381 from Gibraltar to Bruce’s Yard in Faro earlier on in the year, had her lifted…
Bake perfect bread on your boat in 5 easy steps
Many years ago, when we were cruising along the South West coast, we were anchored off Cargreen on the river Tamar. We’d run out of bread a couple of days…
How to make your own hammock or cockpit tent from a simple tarpaulin
You may find yourself in need of one (or all) of the following at some point: a sun awning and maybe something to keep the dew off in the evening…
DIY danbuoy flag preservation trick that costs pennies
Like many offshore boats we have a danbuoy which is mounted outboard and attached to our rescue horseshoe lifebelt. Having had to replace the flag a few times, despite having…
Basic sewing skills for boat owners to protect sails from chafe
Chafe damage has always been a problem on yachts, and owners are generally advised to preserve their sails by adding protective devices to the rigging. However, we don’t want baggywrinkles…
How to get the last of the sealant out of the tube
It’s often the case that you just want to use some sealant for a small project, which means of course that most of what you’ve paid for can get left…
How to build a Baby Tender – the miniature clinker boat baby cradle
I first saw a cradle boat at a wooden-boat show years ago, and thought to myself: ‘When I have kids, I’ll build one of these’. Fast forward a decade, and…
How to make a heavy duty boathook
As the owner of a Moody 29 with a swinging mooring on the River Cleddau, I sometimes found wind and tide tested my extending aluminium boat hook. Despite much searching…
Make your own drawstring kit bag without metal eyelets – US Army style
A ‘ditty’ bag was traditionally used by sailors for their personal items aboard ship. It was smaller and a bit fancier than a basic sea bag – the classic nautical…
Twin galley sink won’t drain – what do I do?
During our first season with the boat, domestic harmony was somewhat marred by a problem with the sink drain. We have a double sink and every time we pulled the…
How to fix the spindle on a Portland Plotter
In a mad fit of inspiration, I decided that after 50 years of cruising I needed to take my Yachtmaster offshore exam. So out came the Portland plotter in earnest.…
How to make your own cockpit awning as a DIY practical project
We needed more shade on Aderyn Glas, our Moody Eclipse 33 we keep in the Ionian, and our small boom tent was not up to the job. It was time…
DIY on video – one proud Contest 43 owner shares his onboard improvements
At PBO there’s nothing we love more than hearing about readers’ projects. Have you been busy in the workshop? Or maybe you’ve a boat project you never had time to…
How to make your own sprayhood or bimini as a DIY project
Sun, sea and general weathering had degraded the stitching, attachment points and external canvas work on Aderyn Glas, our Moody Eclipse 33. It was time to replace it all: sprayhood,…
How to buy PBO Digital for your computer, phone, tablet or eReader
PBO Digital is the best way to get the full magazine experience if you’re unable to buy your regular copy at the newsagent or supermarket. But it’s not as straightforward…