Lubricating oil in a marine diesel engine fulfils several functions. Whilst lubricating the working parts of the engine in order to reduce friction and wear, it also cools the parts…

Once you’ve seen one, Bente yachts are unmistakable. We revisited the brand’s first boat, the Bente 24, recently, which has been around for 10 years or so. The brand then…

When fellow sailing instructor Liz Le Mare invited me aboard her recently acquired boat, I didn’t need much persuading. She’d recently married a fiercely competitive dinghy sailor, Richard, and their…

Every boat I have ever owned has had at least one leaking window or hatch at some point and, from experience, no amount of temporary bodging has ever succeeded in…

The fact that the accommodation of the Pointer 30 is designed around a Nespresso machine, enshrined in glory, tells you a lot about this boat. It was conceived as a…

Bill and George, both retired, have recently bought an 8m bilge keel cruiser. They had it surveyed and it seems structurally sound, the engine, fuel and gas systems are safe,…