Essential skills, planning and kit for your best summer afloat, Bonding & sealants guide, How to sail tidal estuaries, Yacht handing on rivers, Silicone antifouling…
Practical Boat Owner
A solo sailor shares his top safety tips
John Cotton describes the modifications he has made to his Albin Ballad to make her a safe and dependable yacht for Nordic single-handing
Satellite communication at sea: staying connected from your boat
With Starlink’s high-speed internet, do sailors still need satellite phones on board while at sea? Ali Wood looks at the pros and cons of the different systems available to cruisers…
Why is my boat battery not holding a charge?
Chris Mardon is struggling to understand why his boat battery is not holding a charge. Duncan Kent has some suggestions
Lessons learned from a first Atlantic crossing
Ben Good, 60, swaps Drascombe pottering in the Suffolk estuaries for a “proper 60ft offshore yacht” to cross the North Atlantic
How to replace a leaking portlight
Roger Hughes digs out his tools and repairs the leaking portlight on his boat
Electric engine conversion on a Contessa 32
Norman Rubenis gets ‘Thunderstruck’ when he ditches the diesel and converts his Contessa 32 to run on a 10kW electric motor
Bleeding the fuel system on your boat
Basic engine maintenance is essential for boat owners. Stu Davies shows you how to bleed the fuel system
Cape Horn to port – gaining confidence as a new skipper
Eugénie Nottebohm sails her Contessa 32 solo to the Azores and across the Atlantic, then with crew around Cape Horn
“I worried the mast might strike the rotor blades” – helicopter rescue from sailing boat
Talan Skeels-Piggins experiences a medical emergency in rough seas while attempting to sail around Britain in his Colvic UFO 34
Does the Henri Lloyd Smart Therm jacket really provide targeted warm, wicking and ventilation? We put it to the test
The Henri Lloyd Smart Therm jacket promises targeted warmth, wicking and ventilation through advanced body mapping. James Wood puts it to the test
How well do the Helly Hansen Skagen F1 deck shoes perform on a charter holiday and while running dinghy sessions at the sailing club?
Ali Wood tests Helly Hansen's Skagen F1 deck shoes while on a charter holiday and running children's dinghy sessions at her local sailing club
Boaters warned of dehumidifier fire risk
Following a blaze on a Sadler 29, boaters are being warned of the risks of a dehumidifier fire risk and are being urged to make regular checks
Weir Wood Sailing Club has closed – sad news for grassroots sailing
Weir Wood Sailing Club (WWSC), in East Sussex, has made the "difficult decision to close" its sailing and windsurfing centre on Weir Wood Reservoir
Installing a Wavestream 1 bilge filter
Dirty, oily bilge water from your boat’s hull can be filtered to protect marine life. We talk to sailors who have retrofitted the Wavestream 1 kit...
Keri Harris: Mini Globe Race 2025 skipper
British skipper Keri Harris is determined to take victory in the Mini Globe Race 2025. He shares how he is optimising his 19ft plywood boat to win
How to prepare your boat for a dream voyage
Kerry and Fraser Buchanan dust off a 30-year-old ambition and ready their Barbican 33 to sail to Greece via the French waterways
How comfortable and practical is the Helly Hansen Crew Insulator 2.0 vest?
The Helly Hansen Crew Insulator 2.0 vest is light, water-repellent and can be packed down small. Ali Wood tests it while motoring the canals of France
February issue – out 19 December
Single-handed sailing: a guide for first-timers, Meet Britain’s most popular yacht, How to get a perfect mirror finish on your hull, Kid-proof your boat, Discover the original pocket rocket, Rewire…
Christian Sauer: Mini Globe Race 2025 skipper
Christian Sauer has sailed and raced in European waters but never around the world, and never in a 19ft boat he has built himself. He shares how he has prepared…
Why you should consider the weight of boat tools
Minimise the need for weighty tools on board by swapping metal parts with wood and rope, and muffling those you can’t with leather, says Clive Marsh