Ron Sykes adds numbers to help avoid confusion when identifying ships and marks
Practical Projects
A cure for leaky chainplates
The illustration shows the only way I have been able to stop through-deck chainplates from leaking. The ‘bonnet’ is made of ¼in (6mm) canvas Bakelite, also known as Tufnol or…
Ikea wine rack makes a great boat bookcase
David Taylor adapts an Ikea wine rack to build a serviceable bookcase
Loose locker lids? Strut right this way
PBO reader Tim Marsden shares a practical project to ensure the smooth closure of locker lids
Pushpit gate
Peter Crick makes a gate in his pushpit - which then goes on to save a life!
Anchor light and emergency VHF antenna
Paul Newton mounts an anchor light and emergency VHF antenna on his pushpit
Simple small boat shower
Rick Allender goes back to basics with a low-cost and simple way to shower on a small boat
DIY engine cooling water alarm
DIY engine cooling water alarm
Remote control for a small auxiliary outboard
Derrick Grover makes a remote throttle and steering control for a small outboard
Whisker pole from a Laser topmast
The spinnaker pole that came with my Jeanneau SO34.2 is stout and reasonably strong, but is a little short to use as whisker pole when goose winging the genoa. More…
Make your own cleat boots
How to make your own cleat boots
Two uses for Ikea bed slats
Using Ikea bed slats for a comfortable night's sleep - and as a floor for an Avon Dinghy
Holding tank for a small boat
David Witton converts a caravan tank to make a holding tank for his small boat
Reinforced Oar Tips
A good use for that leftover epoxy resin - Hanne and Matthijs Siljee-van Beek beef up their oars
DIY cutless bearing extractor
Graham Swetman makes his own heavy-duty bearing extractor
Make a DIY flopper stopper
Just occasionally, the ‘perfect anchorage’ may turn out to be seriously uncomfortable. This is usually when the current or the wind makes the boat lie beam-on to the swell, and…
Repair a depth transducer afloat!
I recently carried out a repair to my boat using a 3D printed part in the process. There was a leak around my depth transducer housing, and I could either…
Stop halyards rubbing on the coachroof
Nathan Lomas finds a low cost way to stop his boat's halyards rubbing on the coachroof
Remove salt from an outboard’s cooling passages
John Stevenson uses a wallpaper steamer to remove salt blockages from his outboard's cooling passages
Straighten a bent toerail
Robin Garside devises a cheap, simple and effective method of straightening out his boat’s damaged toerail