Practical Boat Owner

Fixing a tear A big tear in the body of the sail looks dramatic but is easy to fix. Don’t use sail repair tape –  PSA adhesive backed sailcloth is…

Back in the 1970s I used to do a small amount of yacht surveying while working in a boat yard. Insurance companies in those days didn’t require qualifications or third-party…

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A backwinding winch can be extremely dangerous and cause serious injury, so winches should be serviced every year in order to clean the mechanism, check for damage and replace worn…

Self-isolating has never been a problem for me. In fact, I’ve been following government guidelines ever since 2005, when I bought my Sailfish 18, and two months later the sheet…

Halyards need taking out of the mast if you’re unstepping the mast or the line needs replacing. It is pretty straightforward, but there are a few steps to follow to…

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Every boat has a number of gauges for water, fuel and waste tanks. Every so often, one of them will stop working properly – giving no reading at all or…

When it comes to mooring your boat alongside, it helps to know which lines do what, what type of rope to use and how best to arrange them so that…

One of the key checks when you start up your engine is that your raw water cooling system is working properly. You should see water coming out of the exhaust.…