Barry Pickthall is an award winning yachting journalist, photographer and author. A former boatbuilder and naval architect, he was yachting correspondent for The Times for 20 years, and he has written 20 books about sailing, including Blue Water Sailing, Going Foreign, Buying a Yacht and Buying a Motorboat, all published by Adlard Coles Nautical.

Most outboard motors will be troublesome at some point in their lives, but armed with the right knowledge a skipper needn't worry.

The Reeds Outboard Motor Troubleshooting Handbook is a compact, pocket-sized guide to finding solutions to all of the most common outboard problems, and many of the less common ones too. The perfect format for quick reference on board, this book will help skippers fix troublesome outboards themselves, or enable the skipper to do an emergency patch-up for a more serious problem until they can get back to port.

Each topic addresses a particular problem, and gives clear step by step instructions with helpful colour photographs and diagrams showing exactly what to do. Straightforward and accessible, the Reeds Outboard Motor Troubleshooting Handbook should be an essential part of any skipper's DIY toolkit - and perfect for slipping in the pocket.

These no-nonsense mini books do exactly what they promise; providing easy to follow quick-fix suggestions for all manner of everyday engine problems. Informative, and sure to quickly become indispensable.

These handbooks should be an essential part of your DIY toolkit