Boat electrics made easy; Restoring a £1 boat; Easy ways to revive your canopy; How to find the perfect crew; How to lower your mast…
Practical Boat Owner
February 2026 issue – out 18 December
Outboard SOS: how to fix common engine problems; How to set up and get the most out of your chartplotter; The build of the 100cm…
PBO’s ‘Free Anchorage’ Playing Cards – now available!
PBO’s playing cards provide a mini anchorage guide to 54 free overnight stays around the UK, Channel Islands and France
How to swing a compass
Before GPS sets became so ubiquitous, swinging a compass was a yearly ritual for most boat owners, and the compass was the most important navigational tool onboard. After all, even…
How to calibrate your boat’s speed, depth and wind instruments
There are two main methods for calibrating your boat’s speed instrument: The measured mile or the SOG check. The simplest way these days is to use the GPS speed over…
Dredger officer admits causing fatal yacht crash
Dredger officer Gerardus Chapel has admitted causing a devastating collision off the Suffolk coast which killed a yachtswoman
Storm surge breaches
One year on from the biggest UK storm surge for 60 years, new aerial photos have revealed details of breaches to coastal defences along the East Anglian coastline
60-70mph gusts forecast as Met Office issues weather warning
A yellow 'be aware' weather warning for storm force winds and ‘unusually high waves’ has been issued by the Met Office
Rescued skipper jailed over plot to smuggle tonne of cocaine
The drug smuggling plot failed when a motor boat skippered by Stephen Powell ran out of fuel and was rescued by the RNLI
Sir Ben Ainslie to showcase racing at the London Boat Show
Sir Ben Ainslie and his America's Cup challenger team will be one of the star attractions at the 2015 London Boat Show.
PBO ‘Free Anchorages’ playing cards launched
A mini anchorage guide to 54 free overnight stays around the UK, Channel Islands and France
January issue out now!
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Dave Selby podcast: ‘Mad About The Boat’
'If you bring a van round to my garage, I’ll give you the rest...’
300 kilos of cocaine seized from banana boat in Portsmouth
Around 300 kilos of cocaine was discovered concealed within a shipment of bananas
January 2015
In the January 2015 issue of Practical Boat Owner...
New boat show for Poole Harbour
"An opportunity for all Poole marine operators to come together and showcase the extent of work going on across the Harbour"
How to carry out basic lifejacket checks at home
It’s recommended that you take your lifejackets for a full service every year, but for many boat owners this job is near the bottom of the ‘to-do’ list and often…
Irish Sailing Association defends Marine Diesel network
The European Commission is referring Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for not properly applying the rules on fiscal marking on fuel Under EU rules on…
How to service your marine diesel engine
The unique challenges of the marine environment mean regular engine servicing is essential for any boat owner. Winter is the ideal time to do this, making next spring’s launch much…
RYA AIS survey results
Almost 1,300 people responded with the majority being from around the UK
Deck paints on test
With more than 7,000 visitors to the boatjumble, many of whom climbed our ramp, PBO readers’ feet must have caused more traffic in a day than many boat decks would…
Boatowners protest on Guernsey
Guernsey boatowners, threatened with a 100% increase in mooring charges, have reacted angrily to the Harbour Authorities proposals