This is our guide to basic outboard troubleshooting for a small petrol four-stroke outboard engine. If you’ve got a problem with a larger engine, have a look at our guides…
How to
How to check your rigging – video guide
There are plenty of ways that a mast or its rigging can fail, but there are often key telltale signs that a problem is about to develop. Fatigue is one…
How to repair gel coat damage – video guide
From rope chafing on cockpit coamings to impact damage after a winch handle has been dropped, gelcoat chips are an inevitable result of any boat that has miles under its…
How to repair a sail – video guide
Fixing a tear A big tear in the body of the sail looks dramatic but is easy to fix. Don’t use sail repair tape – PSA adhesive backed sailcloth is…
How to: Service a winch
A backwinding winch can be extremely dangerous and cause serious injury, so winches should be serviced every year in order to clean the mechanism, check for damage and replace worn…
How to: replace a halyard
Halyards need taking out of the mast if you’re unstepping the mast or the line needs replacing. It is pretty straightforward, but there are a few steps to follow to…
How to repair instrument gauges
Every boat has a number of gauges for water, fuel and waste tanks. Every so often, one of them will stop working properly – giving no reading at all or…
How to: moor a yacht alongside
When it comes to mooring your boat alongside, it helps to know which lines do what, what type of rope to use and how best to arrange them so that…
How to: change a marine diesel water impeller
One of the key checks when you start up your engine is that your raw water cooling system is working properly. You should see water coming out of the exhaust.…
How to: troubleshoot your marine diesel fuel system
One of the most common causes of a marine diesel engine not starting is a fuel problem. If you have engine problems and you have ruled out an electrical issue,…
How to: troubleshoot your diesel engine electrics
Even when you’ve done all your normal pre-departure checks, sometimes the engine still just won’t start. If you have ever faced this problem, there are going to be two main…
How to: check and change an anode
Galvanic corrosion is a phenomenon that affects the majority of boats. If you have two dissimilar metals, such as stainless steel and bronze, the water will act as an electrolyte…
How to: service your lifejacket
Attitudes to wearing lifejackets have changed slowly but surely says offshore sailing instrucor and Rubicon 3 founder, Bruce Jacobs. As with car seatbelts, lifejackets are something that we automatically wear…