Sailing on sunshine: how to get the most out of your solar panels; Latest advice on installing lithium batteries that every boat owner should read;…
Practical Boat Owner
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…
How a ‘Sécurité’ warning and a 33 hour continuous sail saved this 87-year-old solo sailor
Solo sailor owen Moorhouse built his first 11ft Vee Jay as a teenager and has enjoyed a lifetime of yacht ownership. At 97, he lives aboard Sandpiper, a 38ft Roberts…
How I replaced my boat’s shaft seal
When we were having issues with our boat’s shaft seal, every marine engineer we talked to has said that you need to realign your engine with the stern tube when…
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…
How I pump fresh water for a galley sink
I recently wanted to fit a small Whale electric water pump into my water container to supply the galley spout of my boat here in Taupo, New Zealand. But to…
“I was on Lyme Bay harbour wall in only my soggy underpants”: how a test voyage became a crash-course in seamanship
My first test voyage onboard my boat Draken was, to say the least, quite a rude awakening. After years of dinghy sailing and kayaking, I had bought Draken, a 1969 Snapdragon…
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
Understanding and mastering boat rigging
Your yacht’s rig remains upright thanks to the right balance of compression and deflection, as Owen Brown explains
Southampton Boat Show 2025: everything you need to know
The UK's biggest boating and watersports festival returns to Southampton in September, with a new layout and stages
10 checks for sailing offshore
What should you look out for before sailing an unfamiliar yacht? Nathan Zhart explains to Erin Carey the essential checks before putting to sea
October 2025 issue – out 28 August
Preparing a Small Boat for Heavy Weather Sailing; Petrol vs Electric Outboards; Improve your Boat’s Performance; BayCruiser 21 TESTED; How to Keep your Boat in Europe; Latest Antifouling technology; Introducing…
How to attach deck fittings securely
Rupert Holmes explains how to strongly attach new or replacement fittings to decks – and how to fill redundant old bolt or screw holes
Sail cover repair you can do yourself
After 11 years under the harsh Australian sun John Tylor’s mainsail cover was falling apart. Here’s how he brought it back to life...
How I replaced my sailboat’s mast
Every had to go through a sailboat mast replacement? Phil Taylor has. Well past her 50th birthday, he writes, my Sabre 27 Tabitha’s original mast had served me well for…
Making history in an Albin Vega 27 – Jazz Turner’s story
Adventurer and disabled sailor Jazz Turner reflects on her recent record-setting UK and Ireland circumnavigation
When should I replace standing rigging on my boat?
When does standing rigging on your boat need to be replaced? Surveyor Ben Sutcliffe-Davies has this sage advice
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…
Force 10 in the Channel: ‘We took a colossal wave broadside, and the cockpit was suddenly knee-deep in water’
A routine Channel crossing became a nerve-shredding passage when a ferocious storm hit, as Ron Stride recalls
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
SpearFish 520: fast, efficient inflatable
What’s the point of the ‘long and thin’ as opposed to the normal ‘short and fat’ with a small inflatable? David Harding tests the Spearfish 520 to find out