In many ways, the 1990s were a good time for me: I had a nice terraced house within commuting distance of London; a great job editing a boating magazine I…
In the workshop
DIY electric outboard motor: How to build your own electric engine
Olly Epsom explains how (and why!) he built his own 1kW electric outboard motor for under £600
Outboard maintenance tips – step by step 4-stroke guide
Wind, weather and the elements are the usual culprits when it comes to boat maintenance, however the 4-stroke outboard engine is best tended to from the inside out. Changing the…
10 practical projects – crafty ideas to improve your summer cruise
The extra miles of sailing on a summer cruise, or days at anchor can highlight new issues on board or exacerbate existing problems. To aid your voyage this year –…
DIY aluminium sloop: how to make your own metal cruising yacht
Occasionally you have the rare privilege of reading a sentence or two that capture your sentiments much better than you yourself could. There Be No Dragons: How to Cross a…
How to clean an outboard motor carburettor step-by-step
If you have trouble with a small outboard motor it can often be attributed to the fuel. David Parker describes how he saved a lot of money with a careful…
How I designed and fitted a better shower sump pump
John Edwards suggests a more efficient way to empty your shower tray
Clever anchor ball storage
A bright idea means Jeremy White’s anchor ball is never forgotten
Anchor Ball from a giant Lindor box
Ron Stark chocs up a successful means of hoisting a black ball day signal for a vessel at anchor
A DIY aid to lassoing buoys and cleats
I often sail single-handed and picking up mooring buoys can be awkward, so I’ve constructed a lasso line to help. It consists of a 1m length of 6mm chain with…
Refurbishing a Yanmar 1GM10 water pump
The Yanmar 1GM10 is a great little engine, which starts first time and runs reliably: but there are one or two design flaws. The worst is that the raw water…
Six IKEA hacks for your boat
Whether it's making an instrument panel from a tablet stand, turning bed slats into a dinghy floor, creating a wine rack from a book case, assisting with cockpit locker organisation…
Instrument panel from an Ikea tablet stand
Last year, having put a couple of instruments on my Christmas list – a battery monitor and a Navtex receiver – I was delighted when Santa duly delivered them in…
How to stop ropes slipping in a clutch
Find out how to thicken and sheath ropes to stop them slipping in a clutch in this extract from Splicing Modern Ropes, by Jan-Willem Polman
Don’t let the sun shine in! Making a hatch shade board
You can keep cool in hot weather without resorting to amp-chewing fans and air-conditioners. Richard Hare shows how to make a simple hatch blanking plate
Dinghy wheels for an Avon Redcrest
Here’s my solution for those who still own ancient but trusty Avon Redstart and Redcrest dinghies. I rigged this 20 years ago by fitting a pair of wheels to the…
Make a fid from a ballpoint pen
I wanted to change my main halyard with the mast up. The halyard is inside the mast, exiting at the base and then enclosed under the hatch garage before leading…
How to cut rounded corners with a hole saw
How to cut rounded corners with a hole saw
Turn a storm jib into a trysail
A storm jib came with my second-hand 23ft (7m) Hunter Duette, but it couldn’t be run up the forestay because of the roller reefing headsail gear. Also, as I’m getting…
Make your own fids for splicing
Tony Nield makes his own fids from copper pipe and the cork from a bottle of port