You don’t have to pursue an award-winning finish in order to transform a neglected, rotting, 12ft sailing dinghy into a perfectly safe and serviceable craft, as David Pugh reports
Latest
Mums on the Water campaign wins Paignton Sailing Club £6,000 top prize
Sunsail's third annual Funding the Future initiative attracted 85 entries but Paignton Sailing Club's Mums on the Water campaign claimed the £6,000 prize.
Winch servicing: step-by-step maintenance guide
Regular servicing of your winches will optimise their efficiency and prevent premature wear. Stan Cockeram explains how to go about it, and suggests some simple…
Why I built a 84kg monster storm anchor to survive any gale
Isaac Adam-Azikri explains why and how he fabricated a monster 84kg storm anchor for his 12m steel cutter
Maintenance
Boat stuffing box access: the tools and techniques to make it easier
Trying to get at the almost-out-of-reach boat stuffing box is the stuff of nightmares, Dr Ieuan Davies has some ideas that might make life easier
Sailing Uma: ‘How we built an electric sailboat to take us around the world’
Katy Stickland talks to Sailing Uma’s Dan and Kika Deckert about the three year refit of their 1972 Pearson 36 for an all-electric circumnavigation of…
Retrofitting a boat holding tank
Rules are tightening all over the world in an effort to improve local water quality, with holding tanks playing a vital role on board yachts.…
Restoring a lost International 14 racing dinghy found in a barn after 20 years
Ned Coackley needed a retirement project and an International 14 racing dinghy from the 1920s needed complete renovation. Here's how he restored the boat for
Amazing adventures
Pip Hare: a masterclass in resiliance
Big C solo sailor Andrew Bedwell rescued while attempting to cross the Atlantic in his 100cm boat
20 Years of the Jester Challenge: Celebrating Low-Budget, Single-Handed Seamanship
Glaciers, williwaw gusts & dodging drifting ice: Cruising the Beagle Channel with a French legend
Practical Projects
Laying ground tackle for swinging moorings
Make a big toot again by clearing seagull scum out of a boat air horn
How to make low-cost collision mat
How to make your own ensign flagstaff
How to prevent wave slap on the hull
Anchor windlass repairs to extend its life
PBO Project Boat
What does a sailmaker do?
Shortly before the Round the Island Race, one of the largest yacht races in the world, it’s all go at…
Shore power: solving tripping problems
Ali Wood gets a crash course in reverse polarity and smart charging when Project Boat Maximus’s shore power gets trippy…
Sail design – using 3D software and laser technology to cut new sails
During the survey of our Maxi 84, the PBO Project Boat Maximus, we were warned by a marine surveyor that…
How to measure your yacht for new sails
Measuring your boat for new sails is a job for the sailmaker, so when our PBO Project Boat Maximus needed…
Restoring a vintage Sailor radio
Ali Wood’s Sailor radio is given the VIP treatment
Seajet Bioclean silicone antifoul review: Our verdict after one year on the water
Does silicone antifouling work? It’s not flying off the shelves yet, according to suppliers, but the results from our Project…
Securing mast cable on our Maxi 84
With the help of ACM Marine, Ali Wood goes about securing mast cable on the Maxi 84 PBO project boat
Family sailing safety gear: TESTED!
Ali Wood discusses the sailing safety gear she chose for their first family cruise on board their Maxi 84, and…