In preparation for an extended voyage, Kerry and Fraser Buchanan replace all below waterline through-hulls with composite fittings
In the workshop
How to make a last-minute home-made dinghy spinnaker pole
Ben Lowings cobbles up some pole jaws to make a make-shift dinghy spinnaker pole
Rebuilding an outboard motor gearbox: step-by-step
Small outboard motors can often be a low priority when it comes to maintenance. David Parker found out the hard way that his trusty little engine had been ignored for…
How to apply KiwiGrip to your deck
Ben Meakins used KiwiGrip deck paint to refresh the non-slip on his boat’s decks last winter – but how well did it cope with a season’s abuse?
How to make an easy marina mooring pick-up device
Jon Sharp devises an easy marina mooring pick-up using a hoop on a pole
How to build your own boat stand
Zoran Glozinic builds a boat stand for haul-out use
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
How to keep an easy-to-release anchor secure and prevent it from jiggling free
Trevor Martin shares his simple solution to keep his anchor secure when not in use
Installing a transducer on a boat
Brian Johnson replaces his old paddlewheel log with an electromagnetic transducer
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
How to make a low friction ring with soft shackle
Remy Laine shows how he made a low friction ring with integrated soft shackle
How to make your own cockpit grate: step by step
Zoran Glozinic saves some cash by making a new cockpit grate for his yacht using redundant old wooden kitchen shelves
Boat fibreglass repair: a beginner’s guide
No need to fear GRP repairs with these helpful tips from Andy Pag
Fitting synthetic teak to a cockpit
Ben Meakins shows how he installed synthetic teak Dek-King seating
How to build a boat: Essential guide to building your first kit boat
You don’t have to be a boatbuilder to learn how to build a boat, argue Roger Nadin and Polly Robinson. Here is their guide to building your first kit boat…
A sticky situation – Sam Llewellyn’s musings on stitch and glue construction
Stitch and glue, the bodger’s charter – PBO columnist Sam Llewellyn shares his top tips on avoiding the pitfalls of boatbuilding at home.
How to replace your sprayhood windows
Do you have a foggy view? Don’t throw away your expensive sprayhood or awning – you can replace the windows for just a few pounds, says Jake Kavanagh
Boat electronics repair: How to fix your boat’s instruments
If you can solder it’s always worth taking things apart and having a go at repairing them as a last resort before paying for a replacement. In this boat electronics…
Electronic repair tips and tricks for boat owners to fix instruments
Often the causes of electronic failures are not electrical at all. The environment on a small sail or power boat requires mechanically robust, rugged construction and many instruments are simply…
DIY electronic repairs on trusty Autohelm ST4000 and Garmin GPS 152
You don’t always need oscilloscopes, signal generators or even voltmeters to find faults in your boat’s instruments and effect decent DIY electronic repairs. So long as you have a magnifying…