Few things look better on a boat than beautifully varnished woodwork. The best results are all down to the preparation and here sailor, cabinetmaker and antique furniture restorer Roger Oliver…
Practical Boat Owner
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“Giving up a 42ft ketch for a 20ft Red Fox sounded crazy until we realised how much money and time it saved us.”
To expand their sailing horizons David and Melanie Lewin found the perfect solution – a compact trailer-sailer that would fit nicely on the ferry over to France
Careening a deep-fin keel yacht: Why I deliberately ran my boat aground
Friso Hylkema puts theories to the test when careening his 1978 Standfast 40s while cruising in Africa
Does the Opinel No 9 Ocean Knife deserve a place onboard your boat? We put it to the test to find out
Choosing a dependable sailing knife means evaluating how features like marlin spikes and shackle keys perform. John Stickland puts the Opinel No 9 Ocean Knife to the test
How to pack a spinnaker in 9 steps
If a spinnaker goes up twisted, or with the halyard attached to a clew instead of the head, you can be in trouble. So packing the kite properly is vital.…
When a fouled prop leads to saildrive failure (and the costly solution)
Alan Weavers recalls experiencing a fouled prop, a lifeboat tow, and saildrive failure aboard his Dufour
eNav in a Nutshell: Passage planning in the digital age
Using digital sources to answer basic navigational questions can take some of the hard work out of passage planning and making… explains Craig Burton, head of training operations at the…
The will to survive: how one sailor spent two hours lost at sea without a lifejacket before rescue
Overboard without a lifejacket in the dark Irish Sea, Prue Nash had to tread water for two hours before she was rescued. But what was she really thinking as her…
How to make your own ensign flagstaff
Don Fitzroy Smith finds a new way to 'raise the flag' by building his own flagstaff for his ensign
How I built my dream minimalist trailer-sailer to navigate the Canadian wilderness
Herb McLeod explains how he designed and built his flat-bottomed 3.6m Omakayas
Fire up the engine or just enjoy sailing in light wind? Which side of the debate are you on?
Don’t just fire up the engine on a light airs day – make the best of the gentle sailing conditions, says John Simpson
I made international news by running aground off the coast of Brittany
Heading for the start of the annual Waller–Harris two-handed race, an event in which Knight Star had proudly taken the class trophy for the previous two years, our spirits were…
How to secure and tow an inflatable tender
Kerry Pears and husband John have rescued many an errant tender in their years afloat, so Kerry has advice to prevent yours from going walkabout
Is the upgraded Orca Navigation System better than a traditional chartplotter? We test it over 450 miles to find out
Justin Morton puts the latest Orca display and software to the test over 450 miles to see if it performs better than a traditional chartplotter
Pip Hare: a masterclass in resiliance
Against all odds, Pip Hare’s broken mast during the last Vendée Globe became a masterclass in resilience. She talks about her life in sailing and how she coped with her…
“A big gust hit us, ripping the clew from the jib”: How I got to the marina safely after gearbox failure, a ripped sail and sheet wrap while sailing against wind and tide
When his drive failed near sandbanks, Bob Angell thought he could sail out of trouble... until the wind picked up
Learning the skills of pilotage
Pilotage is a tricky yachting skill for a skipper to master, but also one of the most satisfying. James Stevens has the inside track on picking up the techniques
Epoxy sheathing: a guide for boat owners
Epoxy sheathing offers a long-lasting alternative to canvas for covering a traditional plywood coachroof or deck, as Richard Johnstone-Bryden explains
Mid-channel medical airlift from a yacht
Andy Turner suffers a debilitating heart condition while sailing his Bowman 46 offshore with his son and a friend, resulting in an HM Coastguard helicopter airlift from an RNLI lifeboat.
Searching for witches in Skye – a cruising adventure aboard a Westerly Storm
Michael Skidmore explores how folk stories can help sailors navigate the Hebrides.