Blunt tools a problem? Razor-sharp chisels and plates produce a much better job and are easier and safer to use. Julian Peckham shows how it is done
practical
Solutions to descale pipes on your boat
Uric scale can reduce the diameter of sea-toilet hosepipes by half within five years: Richard Hare tests some solutions
How to make a tiller for a boat
With the old, poorly-shaped tiller on the Snapdragon 23 having reached the end of its life there was only one thing for it – laminate a new one. David Pugh…
How to install a bilge pump on a boat
Charles Morland explains how he fitted a bilge pump and timer switch system to his Fairways Freeward motor-sailer
Reparing plywood decks: stripping, filling and fairing
Rupert Holmes shows how to strip, fill and fair GRP-covered plywood decks
How I gave my Albin Ballad’s mast and standing rigging a major upgrade
When I bought my 1973 Albin Ballad Moments of Clarity many years ago, the first job I did was to replace all of the running and standing rigging. A few…
Fend off rigging failure: the most common problems and how to prevent them
Most sailors will probably have seen or experienced a stranded wire, or a failed swage, or the catastrophic resulting from the failure of a single rigging part. While there can…
Using sawdust to plug leaks on wooden boats
Sawdust can be used to stem leaks between the wooden planks of a boat that’s been out of the water for some time. Richard Johnstone-Bryden explains how it’s done…
PVC gunwale fitting: How to replace rotten teak with a sustainable synthetic alternative
Fitting a PVC gunwale strip to your boat is a sustainable, maintenance-free alternative to traditional teak that any competent DIYer can master, as Jake Kavanagh explains
Fitting reefing points and luff slides to a sail
While restoring his bargain £900 Quarter Tonner, Rupert Holmes shows how he added luff slides and two reefs to a second-hand mainsail
Boat windscreen wiper motor repair: how one boat owner fixed the seized motor
Richard Stone mends his deck saloon's windscreen wiper motor
Latest lithium-ion battery installation advice that every boat owner needs to know
Marine engineer and surveyor Marcus Jones unpicks the confusion surrounding the use of lithium batteries and what you should consider if installing them on board your boat
DIY automated fog horn for £30
Nick Tyler takes the guesswork out of broadcasting fog signals
How to patch flowcoat to protect a corroded stern tube
Ken Fawell asks: This is a picture (above) taken inside my yacht. Apparently, the coating on the stern tube has been worn away by the black vibrating water hose. Can…
How I refit my own Volvo Saildrive propeller
Prevailing winds in the UK blow from the west, so why is it then, that whenever you want to travel east, the winds will relentlessly blow from that direction for…
Turning old headsails into an MOB recovery scoop and sea anchors
Paul McNeill shows how redundant old headsails can be successfully recycled as items of MOB recovery equipment or as sea anchors
Fusion BB10 Black Box radio: DIY installation on a boat
Gilbert Park shows how he fitted an audio system controlled from his chartplotter and smartphone while underway
Practical tip: how to use a scanner for an accurate drilling template
Like many boat owners, I often fit new bits to my boat. Some of them come with templates that make drilling holes more precise. The alternative is careful measurement of…
The Beneteau 760 vs a ‘rogue’ wave
John Willis explains the consequences of cresting a bigger-than-expected wave while helming his 25ft motorboat
How I installed a mast spotlight to stay safe in nighttime anchorages
Have you considered adding a mast spotlight to your yacht? Perhaps we’re asking too much of the good old anchor light. Set against the lights of a busy town or…