After my Australian Cattle Dog, Ozzie, had a health scar, I built a SCAMP boat, a popular dinghy cruiser design, so he could get back onto the water. Ozzie has…
boats
Princess Anne visits Boat Building Academy to support endangered marine skills
On 6 October, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis to learn about the academy’s work and promote marine heritage crafts. In addition…
Comparing the Oyster 406 and 7 other designs
Lovers of the Oyster 406 and other centre cockpit concepts will know that the style has largely died out among smaller and mid-size yachts. Yet it remains very popular in…
Guide to buying your first motorboat
There are many reasons why people want to buy a motorboat – the recent Covid-19 pandemic (and a generally unstable world) being one of them. With immediate turn-key power, and…
Comparing the Sadler 34 and 9 other designs
During the 1970s and 1980s, Sadler Yachts was one of the UK’s best-known boatbuilders, producing a range of serious sea boats that remain popular as cruising yachts today, including the…
Clive’s Boats: comparing two Smacks Boats
In my quest to find the perfect trailer-sailer I’ve owned two Smacks Boats – one was fast, the other more comfortable. I’ve loved both, and purchasing the same model twice…
Your guide to different cockpit styles, and how to best use the space
Whether you’re buying a new boat or refitting an older one, the cockpit deserves consideration; probably more than you think. While a spacious saloon or forepeak cabin is appealing, the…
Boat rudders: everything you need to know
Delivery skipper Ben Lowings examines how different popular rudder designs affect handling, and explains how to maintain them
How I started my small-boat collection with an Invicta 12
There’s only the Invicta 12 to blame for getting me into collecting small boats. New Zealand is one of the better places to go boating but I was not based…
Why the Laser 16 is a “proper trailer sailer”
At last, a proper trailer sailer, says Wendy Fitzpatrick of the Laser 16 cruising dinghy, in a review for the December 1987 issue of Practical Boat Owner
How to get started with a trailer-sailer: Everything you need to know
Ever considered getting a trailer-sailer? Some think they might just be for pottering around harbours, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Over the years PBO has met owners who’ve sailed thousands…
The best 27 foot boats: the Hunter Ranger 265 + 5 other models
From the mid-1980s onwards, Hunter Boats in Essex produced a succession of popular and comfortable 26 to 27 foot boat designs that sail well and offer modern, bright and spacious…
New big boat vs old small boat: which is best?
Based on his experience, Saša Fegić examines whether new, larger yachts are better than older, smaller models
Fit for the future: the pioneering boat by BlueTree
Annie Means talks to the founders of BlueTree about their innovative approach to boatbuilding design and construction
Boats on Wheels: How we started a trailer-sailer selling business
Hein and Hilary Kuiper were ‘big boat’ sailors before setting up their trailer-sailer dealership Boats on Wheels on the South Coast. Coming from the Netherlands, they found mooring to be…
Comparing the Westerly Typhoon 37 and 6 other designs
Rupert Holmes looks at the the Westerly Typhoon 37, his favourite Westerly model of all time, and other alternative boats you might want to consider
Best centre cockpit sailboat designs: the Moody 34 and 346 + 5 alternative yachts
The Moody 34 and 346 were the smallest and best-selling of Moody’s centre cockpit sailboat models in the 1980s. Rupert Holmes weighs in on their merits and offers 5 alternative
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32 + 8 alternative yachts: which is the best 31/32 ft boat?
Rupert Holmes compares the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32 with 8 other 31ft and 32ft used boat designs from the late 1990s and early 2000s
Corribee Mk2 vs Silhouette Mk3: which is the best pocket cruiser?
In his latest used boat review, Clive Marsh compares two of the best small sailboats for sale. The Silhouette Mk3 and the Corribee Mk2 are classic pocket cruisers, both designed…
Restoring Tethra: how a Looe fishing boat became a dining sensation
Annie Means talks to the owners and restorers of a Cornish motor luanch which is now used for dining afloat