Having your boat prepared to take the ground can open up new cruising opportunities - and save you cash! Ben Meakins and PBO experts share their tips for drying out
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How to trace tricky boat leaks
Boat leaks are the bane of a sailor’s life, but with patience their source can be traced. Here are some ideas of where to start...
Boat towing at sea: how to tow astern
Ben Meakins and the PBO team examine the techniques of towing and being towed astern at sea, trying out the textbook theories in practice
Tools for tight spaces on a boat
Ben Meakins contorts himself terribly in a bid to demonstrate which tools work best when working on your boat in confined conditions
Why you should race your cruising boat
Ben Meakins finds out why – and how – PBO readers from around the UK go racing in their cruising yachts
Rubbing strakes refurbishment: step-by-step guide
Rubbing strakes take a lot of abuse, so it is important to pay them some attention. Ben Meakins shares how he made the ones on his boat as good as…
Boat towing and berthing by tender
If your engine fails to start, being able to berth your boat using the tender is an extremely useful skill, as Ben Meakins demonstrates
9 tips and tricks for applying sealant
Premium bonding: Ben Meakins outlines some techniques for getting the most out of sealant without ending up covered in the sticky stuff
How to master fore and aft trot moorings
Fore-and-aft trot moorings are cheaper than marinas and have many advantages - but they can be tricky to pick up. Here's how...
Best marine binoculars: 10 of the best pairs of 7×50 compass binoculars tested
Alex Bell and a PBO test team focus their attention on 10 sets of 7x50 compass binoculars, checking them for efficiency, accuracy, clarity of image and ease of reading
Trysail trimming: a guide for sailors
Ben Meakins explains how to set and deploy trysails to improve boat control in high-wind conditions
How to apply KiwiGrip to your deck
Ben Meakins used KiwiGrip deck paint to refresh the non-slip on his boat’s decks last winter – but how well did it cope with a season’s abuse?
Fitting synthetic teak to a cockpit
Ben Meakins shows how he installed synthetic teak Dek-King seating
14 tips for single handed anchoring
Ben Meakins tries out some methods for dropping and recovering the anchor for singlehanded sailors in crowded anchorages
Ultrasonic antifouling tested: 4 cutting edge options for keeping your hull clean
N.B. This article was first published in the January 2015 issue of PBO and some of the products below have now been discontinued. Ultrasonic antifouling has been around in the…
Seized outboard engine – how to bring a Mariner 2hp back to life
The trouble began when I bought a rowing dinghy to use as a tender instead of a borrowed sailing club dinghy. Our trusty 1980s vintage Mariner 2hp outboard engine hadn’t…
Colregs made simple: Get your head around the most important boating rules
PBO's expert video guides to the ColRegs
14. Completing the hull skin
We’ve made great progress this month, and as a result the hull skin is now complete, save for a lot of fairing – but that’s for another month! Ben Meakins…
13. Starting on the hull skin underside
This month, the Secret’s structure is finished off with the addition of bottom stringers, bevelled chine battens and forefoot cheek pieces. Ben Meakins reports
9. Deck beams and chainplates
This month’s project boat tasks include fitting laminated deck beams and reinforcing the chainplates. Ben Meakins reports