Based on experience, Gilbert Park ponders what every motorboat owner should consider when sharing the water with dinghy racers
Gilbert Park
How to make low-cost collision mat
Gilbert Park takes steps to prevent a sinking by making his own collision mat
Buoycatcher Boat Crook Review: Is This The Ultimate Mooring Tool?
If you find mooring against high walls or picking up tricky loops stressful, this clever stainless steel tool might change everything.
Going boating shorthanded
Gilbert Park shares how he safely gets on the water with limited crew
Propeller installation: tips from the experts
Gilbert Park refurbishes a pitted starboard propeller on his Seaward 29 motor cruiser and gets some advice on how to refit it
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…
Dometic GO hard and soft storage: how practical is it onboard a boat?
Gibert Park tests the Dometic Go storage system onboard his two motorboats to see how practical it is
Never stop sailing! Practical ways to make it easier as you age
Gilbert Park explains the tweaks he has made to his boat to future-proofing his time afloat
How a black water pump replacement helped me narrowly avoid sinking
Gilbert Park shares lessons learned from a messy black water pump reinstallation job that may have saved his boat during a French cruising holiday
Running aground in a motorboat: a cautionary tale
Gilbert Park runs aground in a tidal river and tells the story of what happened to him and the boat at the time and later
When your electronic navigation autoroute settings go wrong
Gilbert Park helps a fellow motorboater achieve his first voyage to the Channel Islands and gets a lesson in the perils of relying on electronic navigation
Buoycatcher-Max: We test the next generation boat hook
Gilbert Park tests the new Buoycatcher-Max, the next generation boat hook
Why an oil test is vital for boat engine health
Gilbert Park and Larry Rumbol explain why regular a regular oil test can increase the life and reliability of your boat engine – and save you money
Tips for drying out in a motorboat
Gilbert Park shares his tips for allowing motorboats to dry out safely
Motorboat handling: techniques for rough weather
Gilbert Park undertakes some training for riding out heavy seas and wind in his Mitchell 28 – but first has to find some rough weather
“I saved two other sailors on my boat’s maiden voyage”
Gilbert Park’s maiden voyage in his Mitchell Classique 28 culminates in the rescue of two men from the water after their yacht sank
Tips and advice for safer boating
Seasoned boat owner Gilbert Park shares his tips for making your time on the water as safe and stress free as possible
Stop the boat! How (and why) I installed an OLAS Guardian wireless killcord
Lightweight, planing motorboats are very susceptible to being blown off course when not under power. This is can be awkward when coming up a channel to a mooring and there’s…
How to fit your own Raymarine autopilot
Gilbert Park shows how he installed a new Raymarine autopilot on his Trusty T23 motorboat