When I bought my new inflatable, I did some research into the different outboard motor locks available. My conclusion was that they were expensive, and many seemed likely to corrode…
In the workshop
DIY rigging screw covers – make your own and save money
Rigging screw covers cost approximately £10 each, so for my Westerly Centaur I would have needed to spend around £60 to cover all six. Instead, I used a 2m length…
How to improve your emergency tiller
A boat move in the marina required me to go astern the full length of a narrow fairway between two long pontoons and turn 90° to port at the very end.…
How to refurbish an old pair of oars and make leather collars
I needed a pair of oars for my 1954-vintage 12ft standing lug dinghy and managed to find a couple of old ones – although they were not a matching pair,…
How to soften LED interior bulbs using a 25p ping-pong ball
We have a 25-year-old Westerly Konsort called Flycatcher, and last year I replaced the conventional 5W bulbs in the six berthlights with LED fittings, reducing the power consumption by about…
Outdoor workbench tip – turn your Workmate into a bigger work surface
This might come under the heading of ‘bleeding obvious’, but I have found it to be very useful when working on my boat in the dinghy park at my local…
Make an outboard motor overheat alarm from a digital thermometer
The outboard on my Hunter Liberty is located in a well in the cockpit from where it is difficult to see the cooling water tell-tale. On my first trip this…
How to carry out basic lifejacket checks at home
It’s recommended that you take your lifejackets for a full service every year, but for many boat owners this job is near the bottom of the ‘to-do’ list and often…
How to make your jacket waterproof again – 7 products tested
PBO tests reproofing products
How to make cockpit booster seats for more comfortable sailing
Looking for a more comfortable sailing experience, James Brooking builds 'booster' seats for his cockpit
VHF essentials: How to solder a PL259 plug to a VHF cable
Connecting a PL259 plug to a VHF aerial cable - step by step
How to drill plastic – expert tips on making holes in acrylic
A reader's question about drilling acrylic is answered by one of PBO's experts