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…
How a faulty chainplate turned a perfect sail into a dismasting disaster
I learned firsthand the risks of a faulty chainplate. Enjoying a perfect start to our Isles of Scilly adventure, my two friends and I set off aboard my 42ft yacht…
Insurance cover for sailing high latitudes
Practical Boat Owner reader Martin Frobisher asks why it's so difficult to source yacht insurance for higher latitude sailing, Mollie Magrath, boat and travel account manager for Topsail Marine &…
How I built a DIY propeller puller to free a calcified prop and shaft
Removing a propeller from your sail- or motorboat doesn’t always translate to smooth sailing, even on a well-maintained yacht. Imagine doing it on an old wooden motor cruiser which was…
Globe 5.80 Performance Review: how the micro-yachts & gear fared after 10,000 miles of solo racing
After sailing thousands of miles offshore, the Mini Globe Race 2025 skippers share exactly how the Globe 5.80 and the gear on board stands up with Stephanie Jones.
How the Mini Globe Race 2025 fleet is facing the fierce Agulhas Currents in Leg 3
The Mini Globe Race 2025 is drawing closer to the end of Leg 3, with solo skippers rapidly approaching Durban on their homebuilt, 19ft plywood ALMA Globe 5.80 micro-yachts. Here…
These six legendary boats defined modern sailing: from the Optimist to the Mini 6.50
The history of sailing is not just a story of wind and water – it is also a story of boats. Of six boats in particular: the Optimist, the Hobiecat…
Checking and replacing keel bolts on wooden boats
If a keel parts company from a yacht, capsize is the inevitable result, which is why checking and replacing keel bolts is essential. But keel bolt failure is not something…
Preparing a small boat for heavy weather with advice from the skippers of the Jester Challenge 2025
The Jester Challenge 2025 once again proved a fertile ground for examples of how a short-handed crew can prepare for heavy weather scenarios. The challenge began in 2006 and was…
Lifespan vs. Warranty: why your liferaft is no longer serviceable
Not sure what to do with an old liferaft? Reader Tony Raven asks: In 2009, I bought a four-man Seago liferaft. It has been serviced every three years, the last…
Safety alert for some Mercury Marine four-stroke outboards
The UK Government has issued a safety alert for certain models of Mercury Marine four-stroke outboards which do not meet the requirements of the Recreational Craft Regulations 2017
How to build a boat with cold moulding: the secret to a hull that looks like GRP
Richard Johnstone-Bryden explains cold moulding, a time- and cost-effective method of combining the beauty of wood with the strength and practicality of GRP
Saved by the safety line: How solo sailor Eric Marsh got back onboard his boat after falling overboard in the Mini Globe Race
Sailor and author Graham Cox talks to Mini Globe Race skipper, Eric Marsh about his man overboard incident and how he managed to get back on board his 19ft yacht
My tiller pilot went rogue: the surprising DIY repair that saved my Raymarine ST1000
After his boat executes an unexpected hard-over turn, Paul Newell diagnoses and repairs a problem with his tiller pilot
The Shipping Forecast Gets an AI Upgrade: The Met Office’s New Automated System
The world leading weather service has been testing a prototype AI-assisted system which automatically generates a first draft of the Shipping Forecast – trials have shown it to be as accurate…
Understanding metal fatigue: What causes rigging and engine failures?
Do you know the difference between a sudden fracture and a fatigue fracture? Understanding the characteristic 'beach marks' is the key to preventing catastrophic failure on your boat, says Vyv…
“A Force 8 gale turned the sea off Dover into a ‘cauldron of confusion’ that nearly overwhelmed our Halmatic 30”
Tim Butler had to struggle back to the port he'd just departed when his Helmatic 30 began rolling violently in steep waves and a sudden Force 8
Sailing ‘La Semaine’: how I faced hidden 8-knot currents and whirlpools on traditional craft
Your sailing education is not complete until you’ve sailed La Semaine, I’d been told by my sailing mentor. Calm seas, warm winds, beautiful islands and French cuisine. A regatta for…
How I survived a fouled propeller in a crowded marina
The thought of a fouled propeller was the furthest thing from my mind. The sun was shining and my plan for the day was to leave my marina berth in…
December 2025 issue – out on 23 October
From steering to rigging (and all the things we forget!) – the essential checks for the prepared skipper; Displacement theory and how it affects the way your boat handles; Anchoring…
I installed a yacht air conditioning system in just a few hours
Wanting to upgrade the comfort of my 2004 Bavaria 38 with a yacht air conditioning system, I found the procedure to be remarkably simple. Here, I demonstrate how easy it…