Are anchoring charges fair to those sailors who do not use facilities ashore? We look at both sides of the argument
Laura Hodgetts
Features editor
Cruising Poland’s lake district
“How do you get from one lake to another?” My brother Jack, a ferry captain, wanted to know when I said I was off to sail a cruising yacht on…
Pip Hare: ‘I now have a fighting chance for Vendée Globe 2024 success’
The six month refit aims to give Pip Hare's Imoca 60 Medallia "a fighting chance" against the 13 new-build boats, costing some £8million each, which will be joining her on…
What I learned from my Croatian family charter on a 40ft catamaran
A skippered flotilla charter on the Dalmatian Coast is a dream come true for Laura Hodgetts, but can she really relax as a (last-minute) lone parent with two pre-schoolers and…
Jester Challenge folkboat Minke is found – but sailor Duncan Lougee is missing
A 25ft yacht that disappeared whilst sailing from Plymouth, Devon to Ireland as part of the Jester Baltimore Challenge fleet has been found, but solo skipper Duncan Lougee was not…
Seadog of the Month: May the clementine thief
Standard Poodle May claimed a coveted 'Seadog of the Month' slot in Practical Boat Owner magazine – and now she's using her buoyancy aid prize on a circumnavigation of Britain
Sailing the Northwest Passage in a wooden replica Victorian cutter
Plymouth shipwright Will Stirling is attempting to sail through the notorious ice-bound Northwest Passage in a 43ft wooden ‘gentlemen’s cutter’ that he designed himself.
Sprinkling sand ‘deters orcas’ according to Cruising Association
Sprinkling sand around the rudder is now a recommended deterrence of orca – which have damaged more than 250 yachts and sunk three – in the Strait of Gibraltar since
Summer Issue – on sale 8 June
Cruising to Europe: EU regulations explained, Different rig types – the pros and cons, Become a boatbuilder - behind the scenes at the academy in Lyme Regis, Electric for beginners:…
Double carbon monoxide tragedy sparks warning
Exhaust gas, containing CO, had likely been funnelled into the cockpit between the boat’s transom and an inflatable waterskiing ringo suspended from it
SigneT dinghies to mark 60th anniversary of channel crossing
Intrepid dinghy sailors will be honouring a significant event in the SigneT class history with a cross-Channel expedition.
Calor Gas: Longer phase out time for 4.5kg & 3.9kg cylinders
Calor Gas has confirmed that although it will discontinue its 4.5kg butane and 3.9kg propane cylinders, the phasing out period has been extended
Water users urged to avoid Poole Harbour oil spill area
The elation of Poole Harbour’s male Osprey’s safe return home from Africa on Sunday morning was soon dashed by late afternoon when news of the oil spill was announced –…
Citizen scientists needed to explore GRP boats’ water pollution
University of Brighton researchers are launching a Citizen Science project with the goal of “evidencing pollution in Chichester and Langstone harbours.”
May issue – on sale 16 March
Choosing an electric engine; Managing problems afloat - Jimmy Cornell; Jessica Watson interview; Handheld VHF radios on test; Sail better guide; How to recommission an engine; and 25 pages of
April issue – on sale 16 February
Yachts with legs; Converting to LED; Take your cat afloat (the furry kind); Curing stiff in-mast roller reefing; Jimmy Cornell – my life in boats; Day-sailer DIY build; and 22…
Katie McCabe seeks Contessa (or similar) for transatlantic voyage
Teenage yachtswoman Katie McCabe who shot to fame in 2021 when she became the youngest sailor to circumnavigate Great Britain singlehandedly has eannounced a new "transatlantic dream."
Jessica Watson – the real sailor behind the True Spirit film
Whilst the new Netflix True Spirit movie was being filmed, celebrating Jessica Watson's real-life teenage solo, non-stop global circumnavigation, the 29-year-old was battling her biggest-ever challenge ashore.
International Paint fined after banned chemical entered estuary
International Paint has been fined £650,000 for polluting the Yealm estuary in Devon. The firm is paying for remediation work, which is expected to cost at least £500,000
March issue – on sale 19 January
PBO Project Boat sail test!; 17-20ft pocket cruisers; New running rigging; Working boats for leisure;Jimmy Cornell – yacht safety; Sabre 27 overhaul; and 15 pages of DIY...