Celestial navigation instructor Paul Jones reluctantly got to grips with electronic navigation and is now "out of the fog and into the future"
Practical Boat Owner
How to install a boat inverter
Roger Hughes explains how he installed a boat inverter to have a powerful new source of silent AC power for his yacht.
Skin fittings and seacocks explained
Surveyor Nick Vass examines the different types of skin fittings and seacocks on the market and shares advice on how to maintain them.
Clinker-built boat repair: step-by-step
Richard Johnstone-Bryden explains the basic principles of clinker construction and the method of replacing damaged hull planking
Sailors urged to help protect the Mediterranean monk seal in Greece
Sailors visiting Greece can help protect one of the world's rarest seals by reporting sightings or checking and avoiding restricted breeding areas while cruising the Ionian or Aegean
How does a boat bow thruster work?
How does a boat bow thruster work? Mike Attree explains, and shares how he repaired this handy bit of kit on his own yacht
Contaminated fuel problems: keeping your marine diesel clean
Got contaminated fuel problems? Much has been written about the issue, particularly the advice from Marine 16’s Peter Weide piece in the PBO November 2023 issue and Nick Houlding’s piece…
Sailing in a hurricane: How I escaped Hurricane Beryl
When I bought my first boat, I didn’t imagine that I’d soon be sailing in a hurricane, writes Ben Williams. The anchorage in Tyrell Bay was perfection. Good holding for…
How to install a Halyard Aquadrive in a Contessa 32
A boat owner installs a Halyard Aquadrive antivibration system for smoother, quieter cruising and reduced wear on his marine engine and gearbox
How to make cockpit cushions
Paul Vellacott discovers that making cockpit cushions saves money and is comfortably within everyone’s capabilities
Fixing a sailboat forestay after storm damage
Winston Collinge and his boating pal John Beck repair the mast forestay on their 40-year-old Colvic Atlanta sailboat after severe weather knocks it down.
Wiring a marine dashboard panel on your boat
Computer engineer Stew Proud explains the ins and outs of how to rewire a marine dashboard panel with tips from onboard his Aquastar Ocean Ranger 33 motor cruiser.
Rigging pile mooring pick-up lines
If you have a pile mooring, permanent and properly rigged pick-up lines will make life a lot easier. David Parker explains how to rig them
Moving from varnish to wood oil
Don’t be a slave to varnish. Louise Ras explains how she transitioned to wood oil instead
Boat hatch repair: how to stop the leaks
Fed up with water dripping into his boat's galley, Jose Molina decides to get out his tool box and fix the problem
Make your own boat boarding step
A DIY project for the big day! For his wedding photos, Thomas Parker built a smart boarding step for getting safely on and off the pontoon.
Is this the cosiest submariner jumper?
John Stickland tests the Arthur Beale Submariner jumper and Maritime balaclava - both from their National Maritime Museum collection - to see how they perform on the water and on…
Restoring Tethra: how a Looe fishing boat became a dining sensation
Annie Means talks to the owners and restorers of a Cornish motor luanch which is now used for dining afloat
‘In a flash, I was hanging on the lifelines on the wrong side of the boat’
Solo sailor Tony Purcell discovered how quickly a tricky situation can develop when he fell overboard his 42ft yacht on a busy tidal river
How Hempel’s Silic One silicone antifouling performed over two years on my 27ft boat
Stuart Guy shares the results of how Hempel’s hydro gel fouling-release system has performed on his Hunter Pilot 27 over two years