When Jeff Middleton got into difficulties with a stuck prop shaft while trying to anchor in Bull Bay on Anglesey, he never imagined it would result in the loss of…
Practical Boat Owner
“What was I thinking?” Riding out a two-day blow on my Atlanta 25
Ray Lein tries to outrun Storm Babette in his Atlanta 25, before taking shelter behind Worm’s Head in the Bristol Channel
Can diesel bug fuel treatments work together?
PBO reader Nick Houlding wants to know if different diesel bug fuel treatments can be mixed. Peter Wielde from Marine 16 has the answer
Make your own hose adapter stowage on your boat
Federico Ramirez has a simple idea for handy hose adapter stowage
Techniques for boating in shallow water
Sailing in shallows means it’s likely that sooner or later you’ll go aground – but if you’ve planned for the eventuality in advance the chances are you’ll either avoid it…
How I managed to cruise 230 miles of the Thames through 82 locks without stepping ashore
Chris Colverson enjoys the sights when she spends 22 days aboard a 22ft river cruiser – from Shepperton Marina to the source of the River Thames and back, or at…
Installing a transducer on a boat
Brian Johnson replaces his old paddlewheel log with an electromagnetic transducer
How I built my own 18ft motorboat
Having already built a dinghy and a dayboat, Ben Russell decided to design and construct an 18ft Selway Fisher Clyde motorboat
First offshore passage in a pocket cruiser – Essex to Belgium
George Stanton battles mal de mer as he crosses the North Sea from Suffolk to Oostende in a 17ft Hurley Silhouette
TV on a boat: how to improve reception
Charles Beddingfield has a TV on his boat but is struggling to get a decent reception. PBO expert James Turner has the answer
IKEA Tillreda portable induction hob: reader tested
Libby Earle shares advice about cooking on board and her verdict on a portable IKEA Tillreda induction hob for use in harbour
How to make a low friction ring with soft shackle
Remy Laine shows how he made a low friction ring with integrated soft shackle
Traditional vs Coppercoat antifoul: reader test
Nick and Wendy Tyler apply both coatings to their Moody 37. But which one will last the distance?
‘Why I want to sail around the world in my 9m electric sailing boat”
Dena Hankins is on a global voyage aboard her 1984 9m Baba 30 converted to run with an electric propulsion motor – possibly the smallest electric sailboat to circumnavigate the planet
The best fender cleaner? We put the Silky Cream Cleaner to the test
Nick Vass tests Silky Cream Cleaner to find out if it is the best fender cleaner he has ever used
How to find good passage anchorages
A suitable anchorage can let you rest and await a fair tide: Here’s our pick of some useful passage anchorages for cruising this year
Boat fire prevention: tips to stay safe
For sailors, there is no hotter topic than fire on board. Sticky Stapylton looks at methods of prevention – and ways of dealing with fire should the worst happen
Boat handling: leaving a tight space
Peter Jones shares a technique for departing a pontoon with limited room for manoeuvre, against a pontoon or between rafts of boats
DIY crew headset for efficient anchoring
No need to shout for David Holmes and crew when anchoring
Surface preparation for polishing or varnishing a boat
Mirka’s Andy Mierau shares trade tips on how to prepare surfaces for polishing or varnishing