59 low cost upgrades to enhance your boat; How to reduce weather helm; Boat repairs in a Force 9 storm; Designing and building your own…
Practical Boat Owner
April 2026 issue – out 12 February
Sailmaker tips for getting new life out of old sails; NMEA wifi gateways tested; Wayfarer Weekended on test; Cruising hacks from liveaboard sailors; Solo skipper’s…
How I made my own DIY fridge
Richard Hare describes how he built the ply/epoxy fridge during the reconstruction of his Westerly Konsort galley
How to service an outboard engine: step by step
Stu Davies shares useful maintenance tips on how to keep your 2-stroke and 4-stroke outboard motors running sweetly
Avoiding boat collisions: understanding COLREGS
If you’re at the helm, can you spot a risk of collision with another boat? Do you know when to ‘stand on’ and when to ‘give way’?
How to cope when marina berthing goes wrong
Nobody gets every tricky marina manoeuvre right first time – but what do you do if things don’t go as planned? David Harding presents an escape route
Orcas sighted in UK waters are ‘not from yacht-damaging pod’
Two orcas spotted off the UK’s south-west coast are not part of the pod which is responsible for rudder interactions and yacht damage off the Portuguese and Spanish coasts and…
Improving the continuous rope splice
Roger Hughes shares his new technique for making a smooth, continuous rope splice in double-braided line
How I refreshed my deck with a gelcoat spray gun
Andy Pag fixes up his boat’s deck with the help of an affordable airless gelcoat spray gun, and shares his tips for getting a perfect finish even with a non-skid…
Next stop: The world – Jazz Turner’s new WorldStar circumnavigation plans
Adventurer and disabled sailor Jazz Turner has set her sights on another circumnavigation, this time global – the WorldStar Race.
Manoeuvring in shallow waters with a bow thruster remote control
Andrew Morton explains how a bow thruster remote control helped him manoeuvre safely alongside a new jetty in potentially shallow water.
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Dave Selby: Close encounters of the barge kind
The art of juggling tea and a muffin while not tripping over or getting whacked on the head, is a necessary skill to master when sailing a Thames barge
How I installed a smart engine monitoring system on my sailboat
Ever considered adding an engine monitoring system to your boat? This article follows on from my introduction Smart Boat article, which showed how to use Home Assistant (HA) and a…
Is it a good idea to weld anchor chain to lengthen it?
Practical Boat Owner reader Tom Fox ponders if a qualified welder could weld anchor chain. Metallurgist Vyv Cox explains what to consider
Prop walk: how to use it to your best advantage
Daria and Alex Blackwell share the close-quarters manoeuvring techniques they’ve picked up at the helm of a 57ft, heavy-displacement classic ketch
And then there were 12…Leg 3 of the Mini Globe Race underway
Following three retirements, 12 Mini Globe Race skippers crossed the start line of Leg 3 for a 10,000 mile race from Fiji to Cape Town
Why you should race your cruising boat
Ben Meakins finds out why – and how – PBO readers from around the UK go racing in their cruising yachts
How important is headsail trim?
PBO reader Jenny Spear wants advice on how to improv the performance of her boat's headsail. Ian Brown has this brief guide to headsail trim
September 2025 issue – out 1 August
Skills to make you more confident sailing short-handed; Rudder types and how they affect performance; How to enhance your cockpit; The must-have tools for every skipper; Tips for buying your…
Should I move the mainsheet traveller?
What should you consider if you want to move the mainsheet traveller? OneSails' Wilf Chaplin and surveyor Ben Sutcliffe-Davies share their thoughts
Ian Wyllie completes round-Britain and Ireland circumnavigation in project boat
Ian Wyllie of Sailing Trilleen has completed a solo multi-year circumnavigation of the UK and Ireland in the 1979 Vancouver 27 that he restored in parallel to his own rehabilitation.