After a midnight steering failure, one boat owner learns a hard lesson about the "fiddly" but essential maintenance of remote outboard steering
Maintenance
How to strip and tidy your boat deck
Discover how a boat owner uses a simple air compressor and a collection of versatile air tools to tackle a boat's toughest sanding and cleaning jobs.
How to service a two-stroke outboard motor
Join PBO's engine expert Stu Davies as he demystifies the maintenance of a classic two-stroke outboard, sharing essential tips, common problem fixes, and the surprising appeal of these lightweight workhorses.…
How to revamp and protect your engine leg
Join PBO's engine expert Stu Davies as he runs through the checks and maintenance needed to revamp and protect an outboard engine leg to keep it running in tip-top condition.…
Defeating the Diesel Bug: One Tank, Two Clarke Pumps, an Inspection Hatch and a Lot of Elbow Grease
The Owner of this 35 foot sailboat had been fighting diesel bug for four long years. Four years of blocked filters, fear of the engine conking out, and enough biocide…
How to replace a worn teak deck
Genevieve Leaper explains how friend Sokratis Kavallieratos laid a new teak deck on his Najad 320
Repairing an inflatable dinghy: fixing holes
Paul Diamond repairs a dinghy that was chewed by rodents
How to clean tarnished brass
John Tylor brings some cast-off tarnished brass light fittings back to shiny life
Exhaust elbow repair: step-by-step
Mark Ryan tackles a job to avoid ‘killing your engine and perhaps your crew...’
How to get a mirror finish on you boat
Lyndon March explains how to get the perfect mirror finish on your wooden or GRP hull
Bleeding the fuel system on your boat
Basic engine maintenance is essential for boat owners. Stu Davies shows you how to bleed the fuel system
How to service Monitor wind vane self-steering gear
Dena Hankins and James Lane show their Monitor wind vane self-steering gear some love and learn that patience is a virtue
5 top causes of boat engine failure – and how to avoid them
Jake Kavanagh talks to Sea Start marine engineer Nick Eales about how to avoid the five major causes of an engine breakdown at sea
How to service an outboard engine: step by step
Stu Davies shares useful maintenance tips on how to keep your 2-stroke and 4-stroke outboard motors running sweetly
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
Keep yacht maintenance simple to spend time sailing
Rupert Holmes on the realities of long-term boat ownership and how he manages maintenance to spend more time on the water
Surface preparation for polishing or varnishing a boat
Mirka’s Andy Mierau shares trade tips on how to prepare surfaces for polishing or varnishing
Boat maintenance: jobs to tackle over the winter
Now’s the time to tick-off those jobs you’ve been putting off all season and get a head-start on the spring rush, says Ali Wood
Transom repair for a hard tender: step-by-step
Jake Frith explains how to carry out a transom repair for many more years of trouble free service
Maintenance on a boat: 71-point skipper’s checklist
Make sure your boat is ready to go back in the water with Practical Boat Owner's comprehensive guide