Battery management made simple, Plastic vs metal seacocks: which is best? Anchoring with shore lines explained, Tips for replacing curved windows; The appeal of the…
Practical Boat Owner
July issue – 8 May
Navigation and your fingertips: an easy guide to digital charts, plotters and MFDs, How to sail around headlands, races and overfalls, 10 ways to save…
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…
New boat news: the latest news and video – sail and power
1. Honda Honwave range revamped for 2021 Honda has revamped its Honwave range for 2021, applying a sharp new look to a reappointed deck layout. Available in approved Honda Marine…
How to repair gel coat damage – video guide
From rope chafing on cockpit coamings to impact damage after a winch handle has been dropped, gelcoat chips are an inevitable result of any boat that has miles under its…
Rustler 33 review and test sail – a pleasure to look at and a pleasure to sail
I read a fascinating article recently about relationships. It was a distillation of the guidance offered by over a thousand people who had been with their spouses or partners for…
April 2021
Mind over matter this month as we tackle the restoration blues head-on with top tips from a psychologist boat restorer. Plus we dig into the Polish boatbuilding business and explain…
Dorset boat building academy launches crowd funder
The Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis has launched a crowdfunder to raise £20,000 in order to undertake Covid-necessary building work, and in just a couple of weeks is 80%…
Véndee Globe: Pip Hare first British sailor to cross the line
Pip Hare is the first British sailor to cross the finish line of the Vendée Globe, finishing the solo round-the-world race at 0057 this morning. The sailor from Poole took…
Pip Hare: I’ve not just sailed 97% of the way around the world to be broken now
It is relentless out here. Squall after squall. Multiple wind shifts. Waves coming from every direction. Just this second one wave has hit Medallia side on, smashing over the top…
Our new seadog – our puppy Chloe’s first voyage
Chloe’s first voyage was from the slip to the mooring. As always, I was more concerned about the engine stopping unexpectedly or being unable to pick up the buoy, so…
Boating with dogs – essential sailing gear for your seadog
Having the right dog sailing gear is an important part of keeping your four-legged friend happy. Any dog can be taken sailing, at least once, but some are better suited…
Sea shanties and a foiling Polynesian proa – PBO Channel Hopping Blog
There may be nothing new under the sun, but happily it’s still fun to see younger generations rediscover old things and show them to us in a new light, writes…