Peter Lyle refurbishes the seawater pump on his Jeanneau 36i for a fraction of the cost of replacement or professional repair
In the workshop
3D printing boat parts
Much has recently been made in the papers about 3D printing, which can manufacture replacement bones, blood vessels, buildings and weapons, while NASA are even considering using it to construct…
Seizing a shackle – with another shackle
Paul Young seizes his mooring shackle... with another shackle to ensure it doesn't come undone
Waterproof your trailer light plug
Boat trailer electrics, especially trailer light plugs are very susceptible to damage, either through the wires being pulled out or through corrosion. I have a sure way of avoiding this…
Build a boat from a kit
There’s a great way to own a new boat on a budget – build it yourself. We followed five builders and their projects
Step for an old sea dog
Our border collie, Floss, is getting on in years and finds the companionway steps on our Southerly 115 Dulcibella II too steep to manage in either direction. After considering various…
Tow bar winch for easier launching and recovery
The article on launching and retrieving a trailer boat in the Summer issue of PBO reminded me of the frustration I suffered years ago when I first tried to recover…
Avon dinghy seat
When I recently purchased my Samphire 23, Nutmeg, she came complete with an Avon dinghy of indeterminate age, an Evinrude outboard and a stainless steel outboard bracket. However she no…
Make your own dinghy wheels
A 2.7m dinghy with a solid aluminium floor is great, until it comes to moving it around on land – it weighs more than 45kg and is quite a lump.…
Small boat waterproof chart holder
My 23ft Westerly Pageant does not have a navigation area, so I needed a waterproof chart holder that I could use in the cabin and also take into the cockpit…
DIY Outboard motor lock
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…
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