How a top-end engine rebuild got me cruising on my dreamboat
After years of searching for his dream boat, Drew Maglio explains how he fixed the V8 engine on his new-to-him Chaparral 2550 SX with an…
Barry Perrins: ‘I bought the boat and lived the dream’
After nine years of circumnavigating the globe, 'old Seadog' Barry Perrins talks to Laura Hodgetts about seamanship, the realities of sailing offshore and his onboard…
Banish damp from your boat this winter
Ashore or afloat, winter cold and damp can have a detrimental effect. Jake Kavanagh looks at the options for keeping condensation and moisture at bay
Maintenance
200 miles offshore with no rudder: How four sailors built a jury rudder from cabin doors
Stranded 200 miles offshore in big seas without a rudder is every sailor’s nightmare. The crew of Quokka found a solution and sailed to safety,…
Engine coolant leak: how to make a temporary fix
A persistent engine coolant leak in a Volvo Penta 2040 was eventually traced to a source most sailors overlook. Vyv Cox share how he diagnosed…
How to replace your running rigging: The essential DIY guide for older cruising yachts
Replacing old, tired ropes is a critical job for any sailboat owner. Follow this step-by-step process for a full running rigging overhaul.
From stiff to ‘finger-light’: The DIY overhaul that saved our boat steering system
Battling with increasingly heavy steering on his yacht led Mike Coates to check out all the possibilities before eventually taking the whole lot apart for…
Amazing adventures
The 40th anniversary Atlantic Rally for Cruisers ARC 2025 fleet set sail
Yann Quenet: From France to Canada in a 4m boat
Making history in an Albin Vega 27 – Jazz Turner’s story
Force 10 in the Channel: ‘We took a colossal wave broadside, and the cockpit was suddenly knee-deep in water’
Practical Projects
How I built a DIY propeller puller to free a calcified prop and shaft
My tiller pilot went rogue: the surprising DIY repair that saved my Raymarine ST1000
How to re-reeve a halyard: If your in-mast halyard has broken here’s how to fix it
Contaminated fuel problems: keeping your marine diesel clean
Boat hatch repair: how to stop the leaks
Make your own boat boarding step
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…