Rod Stuart writes: “What is the safest way to join two equal galvanised chain links (I don’t just mean for going through the windlass)? A fat shackle or one of…
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Tried and tested: Typhoon Amrok 50N buoyancy aid, Caliso3 Eco long john and top
Unless you’ve got knee pads, full wetsuits are better than shorts for dinghy sailing, but the long arms can be too hot for summer. A neat solution is the 3mm…
Women’s oilskins: Why finding the perfect fit is nigh-on impossible
I decided over the summer that my trusty Musto fleece-lined mid-layer suit was past it. The gaffer tape repair over the leg seams was coming unstuck, and there were sizable…
Ultrasonic antifouling tested: 4 cutting edge options for keeping your hull clean
N.B. This article was first published in the January 2015 issue of PBO and some of the products below have now been discontinued. Ultrasonic antifouling has been around in the…
Is my antifoul incompatible with my basecoat? Ask the experts
Mike Stanton from the Isle of Man writes: “I wonder if you could help with a suspected incompatible antifoul issue on my 2011 Beneteau First 40 which I race and cruise…
Junk boat design explained: How this ancient sailplan still performs well today
Facing retirement with angina and a persistent back injury, I was persuaded by John Campbell’s book Easier Rigs for Safer Cruising that a junk rig would be the thing for…
Fitting boat radar on a budget: How I installed my own Raymarine system
On a previous boat of mine an Echomax Active-X Radar Target Enhancer (RTE) was fitted and when using it I felt confident that I might be more visible to bigger…
Swallows and Amazons’ Titty joins star line up at 2022 Southampton Boat Show
Sophie Neville, who starred as Titty in the 1974 Swallows and Amazons film, will be appearing at the 2022 Southampton Boat Show. PBO’s Ben Sutcliffe-Davies will be interviewing Sophie on…
Lewmar Epsilon review: New generation anchor takes holding power to the next level
New generation anchors with holding power well beyond that of the previous common shapes, including the CQR, Bruce and a whole host of their derivatives, have been with us for…
Prepping the rusty keel of the PBO Project boat
In our Maxi 84 boat survey, Ben Sutcliffe-Davies concluded that the antifouling needed to come off and whilst the keel joint was nice and tight there was a lot of…
Book review: The Making of Swallows and Amazons
I came across The Making of Swallows and Amazons by sheer chance not long after I had watched the original film ‘Swallows and Amazons’ on TV and was instantly intrigued.…
Removing antifouling – the job I’ll never do again!
After a season on the water and two years in a boatyard, Maximus’s antifouling was old and flaky. We’d been given the 28ft Maxi 84 by PBO reader Daniel Kirtley,…
Which paint for antifouling a bronze bracket? Ask the experts
Maureen Owens from Gosport asks: “The bronze prop shaft bracket on my boat regularly seems to foul up but I’m unsure what to use to coat it with antifouling. “Am…
Best inflatable kayaks for families and beginners
Inflatable kayaks are the ultimate way to have fun with family and friends. No boating experience needed, no faffing around with roof-racks. Just pump and go. So when Decathlon launched…
Boat food ideas: Top tips to transform your meals on board
Seeking to make life on board more like that at home, by maximising comfort and convenience is understandable – as humans we’ve been doing that ever since we started creating…
Types of seal and the best places to spot them from your boat in the UK
‘When angels fell, some fell on the land, some on the sea. The former are the faeries and the latter were often said to be the seals.’ While this old…
We pushed this budget paddleboard right up to its weight limit: Bestway SUP review
I recently wanted to try an inflatable stand up paddleboard (SUP) for use as a tender to get to my boat when she’s out on the mooring. I’ve done this…
Cheap antifouling paint? Manufacturers explain how to coat your boat on a budget
What’s your most economical antifouling paint? The lower the level of fouling you’re up against, the cheaper the antifouling paint is likely to be. For low to medium fouling conditions,…
Do I need to re-apply antifouling after a long lay-up? Ask the experts
PBO reader Ian Rice asks: “Do I need a barrier or primer coat before reapplying the same make and type of antifouling? “For many years I’ve used International 350 self-polishing…
Best dinghy sailing gear for cold weather: Sealskinz accessories put to the test
I was first introduced to Sealskinz when I borrowed some socks for a winter dinghy course. The Beast from the East had brought freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall, and I…