The decision by the US Coast Guard to adopt electronic flares over traditional pyrotechnic distress signals has been welcomed by manufacturers of electronic visual distress signaling devices (eVDSDs).
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Contingency plans for cruising boats
Learning how to prepare your cruising boats for mechanical or electrical breakdowns at sea with essential system redundancy strategies. Richard Thomson reflects on contingency plans to get you home
Sam Llewellyn: Does sail colour matter?
Red sails in the sunset? PBO columnist Sam Llewellyn is in favour of any sail colour as long as it's not black. Or tan. Or white.
Dave Selby: Pottier than The Odyssey
Anyone who’s seen The Odyssey movie will notice an omission that could have made it a lot more relatable for PBO readers... a lobster pot episode.
eNav in a Nutshell: using vectors
Two powerful digital navigational tools, heading and course-over- ground (COG) vectors, can help fine-tune your passage making.
Emergency seacock repair: How to stop a below-waterline leak
Roger Hughes struggles with a potentially disastrous snapped off skin fitting
Restoring a Contessa 26 over two years for a solo circumnavigation
Joe Bainbridge explains to woodworking tutor Geoff Bowker how his Contessa 26 was refitted ready for an Atlantic circuit
Groundbreaking report on yacht to yacht rescues
"Eye opening" with "life-saving insights", the Cruising Club of America (CCA) has published the most comprehensive examination of yacht to yacht rescues ever produced.
Channel Hopping: Heartbreaking Melody, a tribute to Andy Bennington-Turner
PBO's resident YouTube aficionado Kass Schmitt pays tribute to Andy Bennington-Turner of the YouTube channel Sailing Melody
From engine nightmares to sailing in a Scottish paradise: one couple shares how they restored a £10,000 Etap 30
Phil Clandillon chats to YouTubers Jo and Tim about refitting their Etap 30 Hat Trick and how engine failure scuppered their first season
Mainsheet track replacement for smooth, low friction sail handling
Replacing an aging mainsheet track requires careful planning, custom track bending, and selecting the right hardware. Federico Ramírez shares how he did it
How to fill a grease gun, step by step
The seemingly simple job of filling a grease gun or remote stern gland greaser causes incredible difficulties for many boat owners. When performed correctly it’s a clean and uncomplicated procedure,…
How replacing an O-ring fixed an oil leak in my hydraulic steering
For several months I’ve been having to top up the hydraulic steering system reservoir with oil. The reservoir is difficult to access, requiring a panel to be unscrewed, and once…
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston on his life-long love for Suhaili, and how he keeps her in sailing shape
There’s a very special boat in Gosport Marina, and her owner – Sir Robin Knox-Johnston – has offered to introduce us. It’s the day after the Conquer the Island challenge,…
Have your say on the affordability of Admiralty paper charts
The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is asking skippers and other maritime users to help inform the future pricing of Admiralty paper charts.
Channel Hopping: Footage, footage everywhere with GGR Window Live
PBO's resident YouTube aficionado Kass Schmitt ponders if technological progress such as the Golden Globe Race (GGR) Window Live has improved the viewing experience...
Best navigation app options tested, and what to consider
Using a navigation app on your tablet or phone to supplement or replace a fully featured chartplotter is a hardy perennial. But by now, the benefits of electronic navigation for…
UK’s largest eco-mooring site’s future at risk
The Studland Bay Marine Partnership is warning that boating access to the popular Dorset sailing spot could be threatened unless more skippers pay to use the eco mooring buoys.
Compulsory lifejacket rule for New Zealand boaters
Everyone on board a leisure boat 6m or less in length that is under way in New Zealand must now wear a properly-fitted lifejacket.
Sail and Stay charter: flotilla and beach club combo
Laura Hodgetts and family find out why Seafarer’s stay and sail flotilla and beach club holidays have a 50%-plus return rate