A 17ft trailer-sailer rescued from the nettles is preparing to cross the Atlantic. Poppet, a 50-year-old Leisure 17 is owned by marine surveyor and electrician John-Kenenth (JK) Habbershaw who, together…
Practical
Winterising a boat: 61 point checklist
PBO experts offer their top tips for winterising a boat, helping to keep your vessel and gear in good condition over the colder months
Why isn’t more being done about pot markers? Ask the experts
Graham Gibbs writes: “When will something be done about pot markers? On a cruise west from Gosport this May, I estimated that around 1% of pot markers met legal requirements.…
Inflatable boat valve replacement: step by step
A failed inner valve could spell the end of an inflatable tender – but Jake Frith has a fix
How to build a boat: Essential guide to building your first kit boat
You don’t have to be a boatbuilder to learn how to build a boat, argue Roger Nadin and Polly Robinson. Here is their guide to building your first kit boat…
Fitting a UV light water filtration system
Kerry and Fraser Buchanan install a UV light water filtration system to make the tank water stored on their Barbican 33 more palatable
Boat modifications: how to design changes for your yacht
Yacht designer Ian Nicolson explains how to make changes to living space on board
Boat certification: Do I need my vessel re-certified?
Surveyor Ben Sutcliffe-Davies gives his advice on the implications to be considered when refitting or making major modifications to your boat
How to fit your own Raymarine autopilot
Gilbert Park shows how he installed a new Raymarine autopilot on his Trusty T23 motorboat
What to consider when restoring a boat write-off
Surveyor Ben Sutcliffe-Davies has advice on how to avoid the major pitfalls when contemplating restoring a boat write-off
Giving a blown-up Seadog a new lease of life
Max Liberson adopts a down at heel Seadog – blown up in a gas explosion – and decides to give the boat a new lease of life
Rebuilding a damaged mast step
Rupert Holmes repairs a compressed water-damaged mast step – a common problem for boats with a deck-stepped mast - and saves £700
Diesel engine heat exchanger and manifold repair
Barry Pickthall explains how he carried out engine repairs on a budget after a couple of years of Covid-19 lockdown neglect
Understanding electrics: insulating & signal wire connectors
Oliver Ballam and Pat Manley demystify boat electrics and explain various types of electrical connectors and their uses on board
Making clamps from copper pipe: step by step
Used copper piping can be repurposed to make pipe and cable clamps, explains Tony Davies
How to build a rudder for your boat
Hitting a submerged object destroyed Mike Gudmunsen’s rudder...so he set about making a new one
How to fit coaxial plugs and sockets
Tony Davies shows how to fit coaxial plugs and sockets to make a reliable VHF cable joint
Gelcoat repair: How to make an invisible repair
Everything you need to know to make an invisible gelcoat repair, from preparation and filling to topcoat and polishing
How I converted a 17ft powercat into my perfect Canadian hybrid boat
The province of Ontario in Canada provides a huge range of boating opportunities, from historic man-made canals to more than 250,000 inland lakes, the 30,000 islands archipelago of Georgian Bay,…
Boat engine mount replacement: step by step guide
Mike Reynolds shares the lessons he learned about undertaking a boat engine mount replacement