Swimming with turtles January 2020 After leaving St Lucia we’ve been cruising between the Tobago Cays in the Grenadines and Grenada and are now working our way north again. Having…
Practical Boat Owner
How to: change a marine diesel water impeller
One of the key checks when you start up your engine is that your raw water cooling system is working properly. You should see water coming out of the exhaust.…
How to: troubleshoot your marine diesel fuel system
One of the most common causes of a marine diesel engine not starting is a fuel problem. If you have engine problems and you have ruled out an electrical issue,…
How to restore a 22ft trailer-sailer in 10 easy steps
I’ve been hooked on boats since before I could walk, and have spent over 30 years repairing and sailing them. My experience has taught me how to manage a yacht…
What is AIS Class B+ and do I need it for my boat?
I ’d been thinking about buying an AIS transceiver for my Merry Fisher 855 for some time. I use my boat mainly in the Solent, where avoiding other vessels is…
Plastic boats – how should we dispose of old boats when they reach the end of their lives?
Steve Franklin is on a mission. He’s made it his business to deal with the increasing numbers of boats in the UK reaching the end of their useful lives, too…
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The information you have provided is very valuable to us and will help us shape PBO in 2021 and beyond. We are enormously grateful for your time, and please rest…
How to: troubleshoot your diesel engine electrics
Even when you’ve done all your normal pre-departure checks, sometimes the engine still just won’t start. If you have ever faced this problem, there are going to be two main…
ColRegs refresher – 12 videos every skipper should watch
Are you windward or leeward? Starboard or port? Do you know Rule 12(iii) and how do you cross a shipping lane? This neat series of ColRegs videos we filmed back…
Norway to Scotland on a Nicholson 32 – a true North Sea passage
In 34 knots of wind and a North Sea swell nearing mast height, our Nicholson 32 is beating with a momentum most modern cruisers lack. In a sense it isn’t…
How to: check and change an anode
Galvanic corrosion is a phenomenon that affects the majority of boats. If you have two dissimilar metals, such as stainless steel and bronze, the water will act as an electrolyte…
How to remove a marine diesel cylinder head step by step
During the summer of the 2019 our Bavaria 39 Tessa Jane began producing black exhaust smoke and suffering a reduction in power from her 2005 Volvo Penta MD2030. Initial investigations…
Heaven help us! Lessons learned from repeat boat breakdowns
Don and Renae Shore had flown down from Minnesota to join us in Florida for a week’s cruise, to experience the gentle art of sailing – or at least, that’s…
Woodworking tools – a DIY boat owner’s guide to getting a professional finish
It’s not difficult to achieve a professional finish using woodworking machines and there are bargains to be had every day on ebay and other buying and selling forums. But do…
SV Delos Youtube sailing channel exclusive – behind the scenes with The Tribe
My skin was encrusted with a thin layer of salt from an afternoon at the beach. Having only arrived in Grenada a few weeks earlier, my husband and I and…
How to buy an old boat as a project – DIY yacht restoration advice
Growing up sailing on the East Coast it’s fair to say that I caught the bug pretty early on. Family sailing on my father’s yachts and starting in dinghies from…
Restoring a Watson 41: The wrecked RNLI lifeboat they laughed at
It all began when my husband Rob’s work took him down to Southampton where, on his travels, he happened to spot an old boatyard. Of course he had to have…
Tried and tested: Fenwick’s Over Wintering coating on Treadmaster decking
In January 2018 I reviewed Fenwick’s Tent and Awning Cleaner – a product chiefly marketed to caravan owners – to see how well it would perform at removing stubborn mould…
High and dry: How to lay up your boat for winter storage at home
When you start looking at cranes on eBay to help you store more boats on your property, it might be time to get help. Or maybe that’s not such a…
Casting off with confidence – safe ways for solo sailors to get off the dock
Getting a boat on and off the dock – coming alongside and casting off – can be stressful and, done badly, the experience can ruin a perfectly good weekend. Boating…