Following fuel injector problems, Mike Corp cleans through his Nauticat 311’s diesel system to ensure smooth and reliable running
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Laying ground tackle for swinging moorings
Sam Longley explains his yacht club’s DIY approach to setting new ground tackle for moorings on the River Blackwater
Make a big toot again by clearing seagull scum out of a boat air horn
Charles Beddingfield makes his boat air horn loud again
How to check keel bolts + why it matters
A keel shouldn’t just fall off – there are warning signs for keel integrity that every boat owner should know
Making a Perspex switch panel
Tony Davies shows how he made a simple helm dashboard switch panel using 10mm black polycarbonate
Searching for the best electric outboard for your tender? We put the 6.7kg ePropulsion eLite through a full week of cruising tests
David Harding tests the quiet and light ePropulsion eLite electric outboard
I built a ferrocement bluewater cruising yacht in 1980 and sailed it for the next 13 years
Adventurous dreams of travelling the world captivated my boyfriend and I when we were just 22. But having just begun our careers, funds were limited, and we hadn’t yet got…
Sailing a cutter rig: How two headsails improve handling and balance for cruising
Are two headsails better than one or just twice the bother? David Rainsbury explains why he finds a cutter rig ideal for cruising
Marine varnishing: an expert guide to making your woodwork shine
Few things look better on a boat than beautifully varnished woodwork. The best results are all down to the preparation and here sailor, cabinetmaker and antique furniture restorer Roger Oliver…
“Giving up a 42ft ketch for a 20ft Red Fox sounded crazy until we realised how much money and time it saved us.”
To expand their sailing horizons David and Melanie Lewin found the perfect solution – a compact trailer-sailer that would fit nicely on the ferry over to France
Careening a deep-fin keel yacht: Why I deliberately ran my boat aground
Friso Hylkema puts theories to the test when careening his 1978 Standfast 40s while cruising in Africa
Varianta 37: a boat that goes back to basics
Can a completely stripped-back 37-foot budget yacht deliver the pure sailing performance modern cruisers actually want? From the PBO archive, David Harding sails the Varianta 37 in the Solent to…
Biocide-free boat antifouling paint ‘works best’
An independent study on seven types of leisure boat antifouling paint has found that biocide-free silicone paint worked best, and a paint marketed as environmentally friendly was ‘extremely toxic’.
Westerly at 60: the largest owners’ association in the world
As the Westerly Owners’ Association marks its 60th anniversary, Laura Hodgetts explores the history of these beloved GRP classics
Dinghy launching tips from a prolific small boat owner
Keep a very long rope handy and, if launching single-handed, find a bystander to help... preferably one without a Rottweiler, advises Clive Marsh
How to gybe safely
Cruising instructor Ben Lowings explains how to gybe safely and the techniques used when dealing with different sail types
Painting over varnished wood: Is it ever OK?
Mark Prior commits the ‘cardinal sin’ of painting over varnished wood aboard his 1988 Moody 376 – and is delighted with the results
Boat launches announced for Southampton Boat Show 2026
Cockwells, Dragonfly, Saffier, Najad and Highfield will be among the boatbuilders launching boats at this year's Southampton Boat Show
Racing dinghies vs motorboats: Who really has right of way?
Based on experience, Gilbert Park ponders what every motorboat owner should consider when sharing the water with dinghy racers
Does the Opinel No 9 Ocean Knife deserve a place onboard your boat? We put it to the test to find out
Choosing a dependable sailing knife means evaluating how features like marlin spikes and shackle keys perform. John Stickland puts the Opinel No 9 Ocean Knife to the test