Mark Corke

I’ve had an interest in boats and he sea for as long as I can remember. The first boat that I built was a very small pram dinghy, which I constructed when I was 12 years old. It was pretty rough as I recall but I did have a lot of fun in it. As the years passed I built other larger boats and with each project learnt more and more about different craft, how they are built and how to maintain them. I have a RYA Yachtmaster Ocean qualification and have skippered and sailed aboard everything from a round the world yacht to a Maine lobster boat. One thing has been consistent throughout my boating career and that is that I have always done my own maintenance and upgrades, in fact I have enjoyed it. I’ve been on the staff of several magazines most notably Sailing Today in the UK and Sail and Boatworks in the USA. I continue to write for a variety of other boating magazines both in the US and elsewhere. The one common thread that I try to convey with all the seminars that I do and columns that I write is that looking after a boat and doing at least some if not the majority of the maintenance on the average boat is within the realm of possibility for the average boater who enjoys a spot of DIY. Sure some people may not feel comfortable about pulling an engine apart but just about anybody can polish the topsides. I’ve always tried to impart a sense of ‘you can do this’ in everything that I have written or said and even if you can’t or don’t want to look after your own boat then by understanding the processes a little better then you will better placed to ask sensible questions of the boatyard if contracting the work out to them.
I am also an associate member of SAMS Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors) and I regularly undertake surveys for clients who are buying boats.
Questions and comments are always welcomed along with any suggestions that you might have of what you would like to see in this blog. Welcome ‘On Board’