José-Maria Molina extends the life of his ageing anchor winch
Practical Boat Owner
Follow Practical Boat Owner
How to make a carbon fibre spinnaker pole
Colin King saves himeself £1,500 by building his own carbon fibre spinnaker pole for his Contessa 32
Pete Hill on sail repair, damaged steering and two lost drogues while battling storms in the Tasman Sea
Pete Hill faced damaged steering and lost two drogues while battling extreme conditions in the Tasman Sea. Graham Cox tells his story
Why your boat crew is the most important system on board
Will Spencer explains how to choose and manage a competent and friendly crew for an enjoyable offshore passage
Practical ColRegs for cruisers
Nick and Wendy Tyler’s advice on avoiding collisions, based on their own experience
Why boatbuilding needs a broader workforce
Lola Morgan examines how a more diversified workforce is helping to preserve traditional boatbuilding skills and techniques
How to protect against rope chafe
Aye, there's the rub: Alex and Daria Blackwell warn of the inherent dangers of rope chafe and advocate a simple method of protection
How to sharpen a chisel and plane iron
Blunt tools a problem? Razor-sharp chisels and plates produce a much better job and are easier and safer to use. Julian Peckham shows how it is done
How to install a bilge pump on a boat
Charles Morland explains how he fitted a bilge pump and timer switch system to his Fairways Freeward motor-sailer
Estimating anchor scope: how to get it right
Alex and Daria Blackwell reveal a simple way to check anchor scope when determining the correct amount of rode to let out
How I gave my Albin Ballad’s mast and standing rigging a major upgrade
When I bought my 1973 Albin Ballad Moments of Clarity many years ago, the first job I did was to replace all of the running and standing rigging. A few…
Fend off rigging failure: the most common problems and how to prevent them
Most sailors will probably have seen or experienced a stranded wire, or a failed swage, or the catastrophic resulting from the failure of a single rigging part. While there can…
The best boats for Scandinavian cruising, from the Albin Ballad to the Hallberg Rassy 36
There’s a lot to love about Scandinavian cruising. It’s said that Stockholm sailors rarely venture outside home waters themselves– and with 30,000 islands on their doorstep, who can blame them?…
Craig Wood shares his biggest takeaways from his record-setting solo Pacific crossing
Before I set off on my solo sailing challenge, my wife suggested I take yeast. I remember saying, ‘Am I really gonna make bread when I’m out at the sea…
Using sawdust to plug leaks on wooden boats
Sawdust can be used to stem leaks between the wooden planks of a boat that’s been out of the water for some time. Richard Johnstone-Bryden explains how it’s done…
Cut your boating costs: The surprising benefits of ‘downsizing’ from motor to sail
Many sailors like to switch from a yacht to a motorboat as they get older – yet Debbie and Jeremy White did the opposite and saved a small fortune in…
Boat windscreen wiper motor repair: how one boat owner fixed the seized motor
Richard Stone mends his deck saloon's windscreen wiper motor
Latest lithium-ion battery installation advice that every boat owner needs to know
Marine engineer and surveyor Marcus Jones unpicks the confusion surrounding the use of lithium batteries and what you should consider if installing them on board your boat
DIY automated fog horn for £30
Nick Tyler takes the guesswork out of broadcasting fog signals
Time to change the Beaufort Scale?
John Savage argues that the Beaufort Scale needs an update to make it more simple