Cruising with children: Top ten tips for a happy boat
Boating with children: Bringing up very small kids on very small boats
Sailing with kids: How to bring children on board safely and get them hooked
Silhouette 17 used boat review: This pocket cruiser can be a real bargain
RS Pulse 63 test drive review: Could this electric RIB change the world?
Boat etiquette explained: How to conduct yourself properly underway
The actions we take to avoid collisions at sea are set out in the Colregs, which we must obey, and nothing which follows should be…
Cruising with children: Top ten tips for a happy boat
1. Take time to take time It’s easy for the skipper to get caught up in the charge to get from A to B. It’s…
Boating with children: Bringing up very small kids on very small boats
Mahogany Bob, our 55-year-old LH Walker mahogany on oak clinker dinghy looks lovely and attracts admiring comments everywhere we go, but because she doesn’t get…
Boat maintenance
Fitting new seacocks and skin fittings on the PBO Project Boat
What are the different types of seacock and when should I replace them?
How to use SSB radio to stay in touch with the shore
SSB radio explained: The budget rival to satellite phone connectivity
Boat flag etiquette: Everything you need to know about ensigns and burgees
Best antifouling paint: 8 leading options in head-to-head test
Maintenance
Spirit stove installation: How make your boat’s galley safer and cheaper to run
Garry Flashman swaps gas for meths to make cooking and a cuppa much safer, easier and cheaper on his replica Nobby
Boat toilet troubleshooting: How to service a Jabsco toilet pump
Most modern mass produced yachts are fitted with Jabsco hand pumped boat toilets. They are cheap, simple and robust and can put up with a…
Celestial navigation books: Best guides to navigating by the sun and stars
I have always considered the ‘noon sight’ to be something romantic and intellectually interesting. Having learned from books how to get a fix by measuring…
Electric sailboat conversion: How my Parker Super Seal went zero-emissions
Aiming to do our bit for the environment, we recently made a number of lifestyle changes – and one of them was converting our Parker…
Amazing adventures
Sailing short-cut to spectacular Scottish hiking spots
New South Wales sailing adventure: 8 lighthouses in 18 hours
Sailing Orkney’s remote lochs and challenging headlands
How I sailed around Anglesey in a 16ft Shetland skiff
Gear tests
Remote working tips: How I set up my 36ft yacht for offshore work
Offshore weather forecasts: An alternative solution for getting weatherfax information
Best satellite phones: What to look for when buying a satphone
Desiccant dehumidifiers from Ecor Pro are specially designed for boats
What safety kit do you need for watersports?
New electric outboard motors ditch the props for greater efficiency
Practical Projects
Great tips and ideas to improve your boat from PBO readers
How to improve your emergency tiller
Marking a boot top line
Solar panel mounts
Keeping a cockpit locker organised
Make an outboard motor hoist
DIY Outboard motor lock
PBO Project Boat
Fitting new seacocks and skin fittings on the PBO Project Boat
Maximus, our PBO Project Boat, had four seacock fittings that need changing – three ball valves in the forepeak (1…
What are the different types of seacock and when should I replace them?
Seacocks – the small valves on the boat’s hull which allow water to flow through – are one of the…
Marine engine videos with Stu Davies – top tips on servicing your boat engine
When we acquired our 43-year-old cruiser Maximus, we asked PBO’s engine expert Stu Davies and wife Laura to show us…
Fixing the vintage Sailor radio 02 – WOW! Take a look inside…
In part 2 of the Sailor radio restoration, Rob Wells takes the knobs off. The dimmer has to be sawn…
Fixing the vintage Sailor radio 01 – “making a bit of noise” at the repair shop
Whether for listening to BBC cricket or calling up Dutch harbours, the old Sailor radio is still loved by boat…
Fixing leaks – how to reseal a leaky deck vent
Leaks are inevitable on an old boat, and deck vents are a common cause. Over time the sealant simply breaks…
Day 1 on Maximus – pressure washing and bailing… and more bailing!
I couldn’t wait for my dad to meet Maximus. It was Dad who introduced me to sailing as a kid…
Maximus – these sails sound ok but the UV strip is degraded
Good news – the sails on Maximus seem to be in good condition, apart from the UV strip. During the…