Ashore or afloat, winter cold and damp can have a detrimental effect. Jake Kavanagh looks at the options for keeping condensation and moisture at bay
Practical
Vane gear self-steering: you guide to an offshore sailor’s best friend
Andrew Simpson looks at pendulum servo self-steering gears, and describes how to get the best out of them
Rigging tension on a fractional-rigged trailer-sailer
What considerations should you be aware of for setting the rigging tension on a mast that is frequently lowered and raised? OneSails's Wilf Chaplin has this advice
Understanding boat displacement & why it matters
How well do you feel like you understand boat displacement? For most sailors, it’s an overlooked topic. When I returned to marine journalism after a spell working on other magazines,…
Tools for tight spaces on a boat
Ben Meakins contorts himself terribly in a bid to demonstrate which tools work best when working on your boat in confined conditions
From damp cushions to cosy home: The simple insulation job that changed life on our boat
Mark and Nicky Green decided to insulate their Cobra 850 themselves, and found it was the key to their long-term dream of living aboard
Can you make zinc anodes from car wheel weights?
Can zinc anodes be made using old melted down car tyre balance weights? Vyv Cox has the answer
200 miles offshore with no rudder: How four sailors built a jury rudder from cabin doors
Stranded 200 miles offshore in big seas without a rudder is every sailor’s nightmare. The crew of Quokka found a solution and sailed to safety, reports Louay Habib
Engine coolant leak: how to make a temporary fix
A persistent engine coolant leak in a Volvo Penta 2040 was eventually traced to a source most sailors overlook. Vyv Cox share how he diagnosed the problem and made a
How to replace your running rigging: The essential DIY guide for older cruising yachts
Replacing old, tired ropes is a critical job for any sailboat owner. Follow this step-by-step process for a full running rigging overhaul.
From stiff to ‘finger-light’: The DIY overhaul that saved our boat steering system
Battling with increasingly heavy steering on his yacht led Mike Coates to check out all the possibilities before eventually taking the whole lot apart for a refurbishment. Here he shows…
How to manage solar, hydro and wind power on your boat
Three transatlantic cruisers share valuable lessons about their onboard power setups, their marine battery choices, and where they went wrong.
Insurance cover for sailing high latitudes
Practical Boat Owner reader Martin Frobisher asks why it's so difficult to source yacht insurance for higher latitude sailing, Mollie Magrath, boat and travel account manager for Topsail Marine &…
Checking and replacing keel bolts on wooden boats
If a keel parts company from a yacht, capsize is the inevitable result, which is why checking and replacing keel bolts is essential. But keel bolt failure is not something…
How to build a boat with cold moulding: the secret to a hull that looks like GRP
Richard Johnstone-Bryden explains cold moulding, a time- and cost-effective method of combining the beauty of wood with the strength and practicality of GRP
Understanding metal fatigue: What causes rigging and engine failures?
Do you know the difference between a sudden fracture and a fatigue fracture? Understanding the characteristic 'beach marks' is the key to preventing catastrophic failure on your boat, says Vyv…
I installed a yacht air conditioning system in just a few hours
Wanting to upgrade the comfort of my 2004 Bavaria 38 with a yacht air conditioning system, I found the procedure to be remarkably simple. Here, I demonstrate how easy it…
The simple rebuild that saved a 50-year-old BMC diesel engine for less
When I started Tudor Rose’s old BMC (British Motor Corporation) 1.8 diesel engine one windless summer morning, a dense pall of grey smoke lingered incriminatingly over the anchorage. I slunk…
How I built a SCAMP boat so my sick dog could go sailing again
After my Australian Cattle Dog, Ozzie, had a health scar, I built a SCAMP boat, a popular dinghy cruiser design, so he could get back onto the water. Ozzie has…
How to link your smartphone to your navigation system
Considering a smart navigation system? The advance of electronics, and especially home automation, have given rise to a range of extremely powerful and affordable small wireless devices. This got me…