pratical ideas for PBO

30boat

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Being a tinkerer by nature and also not too fond of forking out large sums of money for stuff I can make in my garden shed I have made quite a lot of bits for my Fulmar.For instance the toggle on the forestay was TIG weded in house and my five perfectly watertight opening portholes were also of TIG welded by yours truly.And there´s so much more,Anchors, cleats,I could go on.For my previous boat I made a Halyard like flexible coupling by means of two Mini CV joints that worked for at least ten years.Nothing ever broke and it all works very well.Would that be interesting for PBO you think?
I suppose I could post a few pics here if there's enough interest.
 
Dont post here, or they wont accept for the magazine. Dont know why but its true.

Look forward to your first article!
 
It would be interesting to me as a diy dabbler on a limited budget but I suspect anything that might reduce the income of one of pbo's advertisers would not be welcome in their magazine.
I am finding less and less in pbo that interests me certainly not road tests of new £100K boats or new products like £1k electric mooring systems but I still keep getting it for the practical projects.
 
Totally agree with that, maybe PBO could do articles on stuff that the average "practical" sailor could maybe afford. £1000 gear tests are great if you spend £1000 on new gear each month. Only resons I buy is for practical projects and the last page.
 
From past experience I know PBO are keen to get their hands on readers' accounts of projects, especially if they are accompanied by decent pics.
I have had a couple of articles printed in Classic Boat and was offered payment which I suggested could go direct to the RNLI.
I for one would like a tutorial on tig welding. IPC can hardly complain about display advertisers being affected when they have an opportunity to sell space around such an article to Clarks or other equipment retailers.
 
From 'spare' window plastic from the sprayhood, I made a washboard-shaped 'curtain' that rolls up out of the way when not in use.

But when needed, such as running downwind in the rain, it stops any rain going below and still allows full daylight for navigating etc.

Or when anchored, we use it instead of the washboards and can see the stars and which way the boat is sitting in the tide/wind much more easily.

Cost? Nix.

Easily one of the best little ideas for adding to cruising comfart on the boat and weighs nothing either!
 
Suggest you write to the editor of PBO with your project as you would like to see it in the magazine complete with pictures in the text. Also attach a CD with the high res pics and a word file. You will then have an evens chance of it being published. If they have to do the basic work it doesn't stand a chance. I have had 3 out of 3 articles published.
 
What a GREAT idea, an article on TIG or MIG (Not really what the difference is?) would be of very great interest. How to start, how much to spend, what are the hallmarks of a good weld, how can you be sure of the water tightness of a weld.
Yes go for it, send in an article, I promise to read it!
 
I too have had articles / projects published and they are on sale at the moment.

I have always sent (1) a covering email, to which I attached (2) a Word document and (3) high resolution jpegs.

Don't hold your breath, though; it takes months for the article to appear. Payment has, so far, always been on the dot.
 
I looked into this after being approached by PBO re practical project articles after posting here a battery box build.
Trouble is, the pay.. not worth the effort me thinks.

When I looked into it.. it really was poor compensation for the work involved.
If they paid the writer as much as they charge a supplier for the same space, then it would be fine.. and fair !.. but, they dont.. 80 to 100 quid a page is the going rate.. try to get a full page advert in pbo for THAT amount !!!!

they really HAVE got it wrong.. people dont buy for the ads, they buy for the articles and leaders.
Shame on them really.. thats why we get such crappy articles (The odd gem - but few and far between)
I am getting pig sick of reading about some dissalusioned muppet in a FORCE 11 !! (Really a six) with a tattered genoa caused by incompetence..) or was that YM lol /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
or another muppet motering around a bay for a night instead of heading out..
or.... articles on make your own splice or gimballed nav lights, or indeed, pre season, end of season checks and 'I made a conflakes box into an anchor - heres one I prepared earlier...

Hmmm
 
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