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
May issue – out 13 March
Tune your rig so your boat points higher and sails better, The ultimate cruising guide to Britain and Ireland, Essential propeller care, How to check…
Which inflatable paddleboard? What to look for when buying a SUP
With summer on its way and lockdown restrictions easing, paddleboarding is a great way to find adventure close to home, but there’s a bewildering array of boards out there to…
10 tips for family paddleboarding – stay warm and make it an adventure
Paddleboarding with the whole family is great fun, but as every parent knows, nothing spoils a day out quicker than cold, wet, hungry kids. Here are some of the things…
Paddleboarding gear – what to wear and what to pack for a day on the SUP with kids
I take my three kids paddleboarding and wild swimming in winter, but it does take a mammoth effort to pack the right gear for during and after the water. However,…
What Schengen means for UK boat owners abroad – 4 in 5 may quit cruising
Canal du Midi, France. Photo: Alamy A survey carried out amongst Cruising Association (CA) members who keep their boats on the rivers and canals of Schengen countries has revealed that…
Dog lifejacket test – Paddleboard with your dog!
Dog lifejackets are designed to allow dogs to swim comfortably, and are made of foam to support key areas of their body so they can conserve energy in the water.…
May 21
Is your boat shipshape? Top advice this month on antifouling, rig-tuning, protecting gelcoat and stopping leaks. Plus, we celebrate Cornish shrimpers and Scottish traditional fishing boats, take a Covid-secure cruise…
Refining rigging and improving performance
Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. When, back in 2014, I saw the mainsail on Peter Kewish’s Jeanneau Sun Way 21, I found it hard to be…
Rigging setup: Turning round a yacht’s performance
Little old boats can offer enormous fun for your money, but they often require some tweaking in order to be experienced at their best. Often a little bit of time…
How to set up your rig: tension your shrouds on masthead or fractional
How to set up your rig: tension your shrouds on masthead or fractional If boats were cars, many of those I see sailing along would be coughing and spluttering down…
How to check your rigging – video guide
There are plenty of ways that a mast or its rigging can fail, but there are often key telltale signs that a problem is about to develop. Fatigue is one…
When lightning strikes – how to protect your boat from lightning at sea
Lightning never strikes twice – a turn of phrase often used to reassure someone who’s had a bad experience, implying that it won’t happen to them again. However, as unlikely…
Restoring a boat? Beat the restoration blues and get back to work today
Procrastination is the art of busily doing nothing while another part of you gets really disappointed about it. I’m a serial procrastinator. Phew, glad to get that out in the…
Make a grounding system to protect your boat from lightning strikes
A surprising amount of research has been carried out into lightning strikes on yachts and boats, much of it in Florida but some in New Zealand, Australia and other countries.…
Shipwrecked in a 14ft keelboat then rescued by a cargo ship
Yann Quenet is a genius from Brittany I would love to meet. He is an inventor, designer, and builder of boats, mostly of marine plywood/epoxy, a material I have a…
Finishing the Vendee Globe: 6 of the best videos from the back of the fleet
As I write this, #SuperHappySailor, a.k.a. Ari Huusela, the Finnish commercial airline pilot and first Nordic skipper to compete in the Vendée Globe Race, is in the lead onboard Stark…
Choosing a boat dinghy – top tips for buying and maintaining tenders
From getting on and off the yacht to collecting supplies, visiting friends or simply going fishing, tenders play an important role in a boat owner’s life. Here are some of…
Sculling – a useful skill for any dinghy owner using just one oar over the stern
Single oar sculling is the art of propelling a boat with an oar over the stern. It’s a useful way of moving a loaded dinghy that’s too laden for you…
My first motorboat – two sailors on how and why they converted to powerboating
Retired doctor and practical motorboat owner Gilbert Park has undertaken numerous DIY challenges on board his various motorboats, publishing several of them in PBO, including: What is AIS B+ and…
Best boat rope – the right rope for mooring lines, halyards and sheets
At this time of year we often start to put into place plans for upgrading our boats for the new season. In many cases this will involve at least some…
Best boat toilet roll and other practical ideas for the heads
A blocked toilet onboard your boat is to be avoided at all costs and one of the worst culprits is the use of standard toilet paper that contains glue (even…