PBO’s How To video series is brought to you in association with GJW Direct.

There are plenty of ways that a mast or its rigging can fail, but there are often key telltale signs that a problem is about to develop. Fatigue is one…

how-to-repair-gelcoat

From rope chafing on cockpit coamings to impact damage after a winch handle has been dropped, gelcoat chips are an inevitable result of any boat that has miles under its…

Fixing a tear A big tear in the body of the sail looks dramatic but is easy to fix. Don’t use sail repair tape –  PSA adhesive backed sailcloth is…

how-to-service-a-winch-video

A backwinding winch can be extremely dangerous and cause serious injury, so winches should be serviced every year in order to clean the mechanism, check for damage and replace worn…

Halyards need taking out of the mast if you’re unstepping the mast or the line needs replacing. It is pretty straightforward, but there are a few steps to follow to…

Instruments-Web-Thumbnail

Every boat has a number of gauges for water, fuel and waste tanks. Every so often, one of them will stop working properly – giving no reading at all or…

When it comes to mooring your boat alongside, it helps to know which lines do what, what type of rope to use and how best to arrange them so that…

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.…

Anode-check-and-change-GJW-Direct

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…

Attitudes to wearing lifejackets have changed slowly but surely says offshore sailing instrucor and Rubicon 3 founder, Bruce Jacobs. As with car seatbelts, lifejackets are something that we automatically wear…