Fancy building your own Nigel Irens-designed 14ft rowing/sailing skiff? Nic Compton explains how to get the plans for free
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Build your own heavy duty standing stowage
David Parker makes a simple shelf and installs strong webbing straps to stow a scuba tank securely in his boat’s cockpit
How I designed and built my own 24ft sloop in steel
Mike Camp charts the trials and tribulations of designing and building his 26ft steel sloop
Sailing for all
Rupert Holmes charts the innovations and developments in yacht design that marked the post-war years through the 1950s
Build your own electric outboard engine
Olly Epsom explains how (and why!) he built his own 1kW electric outboard motor for under £600
Paint your boat like new
Professional paint finishes look stunning but can be eye-wateringly expensive. A DIY job can achieve a tough, glossy result for a fraction of the cost...
Visitors guide to Littlehampton for boat owners
Described by Vogue magazine as one of the coolest seaside resorts in Britain, this seaside town nestled along the south east coastline is enjoying a new lease of life following…
How to bag a bargain boat: why GRP cruising yachts have never been cheaper
It’s a fact: getting afloat in a boat of your own has never been more affordable or accessible. Let me put it another way: more than 50 years of glassfibre…
Wifi on your boat: how to get online on the water this summer
Although many of us go sailing to get away from our hectic everyday lives, the Internet can have a variety of uses on board, writes Duncan Kent. From keeping in…
How to convert analogue engine data and battery levels to show on your chartplotter
Just about every engine installed in a yacht or power boat has some degree of instrumentation, ranging from the basic rev counter, warning lights and audible alarm (as in this…
10 practical projects – crafty ideas to improve your summer cruise
The extra miles of sailing on a summer cruise, or days at anchor can highlight new issues on board or exacerbate existing problems. To aid your voyage this year –…
DIY aluminium sloop: how to make your own metal cruising yacht
Occasionally you have the rare privilege of reading a sentence or two that capture your sentiments much better than you yourself could. There Be No Dragons: How to Cross a…
How to clean an outboard motor carburettor step-by-step
If you have trouble with a small outboard motor it can often be attributed to the fuel. David Parker describes how he saved a lot of money with a careful…
Colregs vs racing rules: How understanding racing rules can help cruisers keep clear
Racing fleets can be intimidating, especially during busy regattas like Cowes Week or the Round the Island Race, where you’ll find more boats racing than nearly any regatta on earth.…
Epoxy infusion video: learn how to build a canoe with PBO and West System International
The traditional method of glassfibre boat building has been to hand-roll liquid resin into reinforcing fibre as it sits in a mould, adding one layer after another and all the…
Sedna 26 review – the trailable cruiser that thinks big
Yacht design can be a challenging business, and nowhere is the balance between space, pace and safety harder to achieve than in the larger trailable sailers. These boats have to…
How to check your rig while the mast is down over winter
When boats are out for the winter and have been chocked and winterised, it’s the ideal time to thoroughly check – and if necessary upgrade – the standing rigging. Around…
Dufour Drakkar 24 on test: Daysailer with a difference
During the summer in Poole I see dozens of sizeable offshore yachts heading out of the harbour and making the long and challenging passage to Studland Bay. Here they will…
Thames sailing barge – sail training with the Sea Change Sailing Trust
If your idea of Essex involves TV preconceptions of girls with rococo nail jobs and lads on the run from the law after a little contretemps with a cash machine,…
The cup that cheers – Dave Selby’s Mad about the Boat
Dave hatches a plan to tackle the America’s Cup in ‘state-of-the-ark’ SailfisHes (with random capitals), in the August 2017 issue of Practical Boat Owner magazine.