If you’ve had enough of pulling an anchor up by hand, and decided that a windlass is the way forward, then read our handy guide on how to install a windlass. We’ve broken it down in to relatively straight-forward steps, starting with what type of windlass to choose in the first place...

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Maintenance can sometimes seem pretty endless when it comes to owning a boat, and our time is precious. We want to maximise our time afloat while minimising our winter maintenance. So should we be looking at upgrading our skin fittings? It’s a job that could take a few days to complete, but could save your boat (and possibly crew) so we thought we’d look at why you might want to do it and what the possible advantages are…

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When you are dusting off your boat in preparation for the new season, you may find that your steering is stiff or seized. Salt deposits from last season and corrosion over the winter break clog up the gears and cable, making it difficult to turn the wheel. If it's time to upgrade, we've put together a basic guide on what's available...

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If you are faced with the prospect of leaving your boat for a while, here’s a few tips on basic security. We also look at how to secure trailers and other valuables possibly stored off the boat…

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Here at Force 4 we take cold drinks very seriously, so we make sure that we supply an excellent range of coolboxes and fridges. One question we get asked regularly is why there is such a range of prices, and whats the difference between a £50 coolbox and a £500 coolbox? Well first of all it's important to know the basics of how fridges work in order to understand why some work better than others...

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When choosing an inflatable dinghy, it is important to look at a few key aspects before coming to a decision - size, weight, tube material and floor/hull type. Find out which is right for you…

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In all our fenders and buoys we use an unique strong brass valve for easy inflation and deflation. The best way to inflate a fender is just pushing air pressure from a compressor (without a needle) against the valve and the fender will inflate. Also it is possible to inflate the fender with a bicyle pump with a special adaptor, which should be available at dealers with our products.

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An essential piece of kit aboard most boats, the compass is crucial in marine navigation. When selecting the compass it's important to consider whether it will be lit, visible at night, with or without compensation, and does it have the correct card balanced for the area you are using it.

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Harnessing the power of the sun and wind to keep your batteries charged is an ideal solution for boats that either don't have access to charging in their home berth or are sailing away from charging facilities for extended periods of time. Technology in this area has improved dramatically, and as we move towards boats that have more power-hungry creature comforts, we thought we'd discuss a few types of charging/storage systems, and highlight a few new products that really stand out...

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... in 9 Easy Steps! A simple job that you can do yourself. Read our step by step guide here.

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