Almost exactly five years ago my Golden Hind 31 Keppel’s tired and exhausted blue sheerstrakes were given a full four-coat paint system. Up to then years of exposure in the…
Top stories
Are pyrotechnics still the best boat flares? Modern alternatives explained
Do we still need pyrotechnic flares? Recommendations and laws for distress signalling in many countries are behind the times. VHF radio – some with the red distress button – mobile…
A Starlink is Born: Why I’m loving Jaywalking The World
He initially settled on a 1977 Project 31 motor cruiser, but it was not long before he felt hampered by the small size and restricted range of his new home,…
Offshore sailing gear: What safety equipment do you need for a rally?
The organisers, World Cruising Club (WCC), have strict safety requirements for participants and check all boats’ offshore sailing gear before departure from Las Palmas. They expect all boats to carry…
Boat anode protection: How much do I need to prevent corrosion?
PBO reader Arthur Gilbert asks: “Is it necessary, and if so where, to fit anodes on my recently acquired Leisure 20 GRP yacht? It has twin cast iron keels with…
Want to appear on the Channel 4 series The Dog House?
The heart-warming TV series The Dog House, which appears on Thursdays on Channel 4, is looking for participants to star in series 4 of the dog-dating show. The series follows…
Dismasted on a delivery trip: How we fixed it and lessons learned
Rob Crabbe recalls the rig of a new yacht breaking on a delivery trip from Dartmouth to the Southampton Boat Show
Sailing without an engine: How I jury rigged an alternative
When wind and batteries fail Genevieve Leaper is becalmed without an engine, but she jury rigs an alternative means of propulsion
The best advice money can’t buy – Dave Selby’s first lesson of boat ownership
If you’re thinking of buying your first boat – and quite possibly your last – you should get a Sailfish 18. Columnist Dave Selby shares the first lesson of boat
Should dogs and boatyards mix? Here’s one argument against…
'Blankety Blank': PBO columnist Sam Llewellyn found the joy of extracting a blanking rubber ring from the blanking bilges was short-lived
Amazing feats by Golden Globe Race entrants just to reach starting line
Dedicated Golden Globe Race 2022 entrants will have sailed halfway around the world, prior to the start in Les Sables d’Olonne, France.
Is cold water swimming dangerous? Stay safe with these top tips
Cold water swimming has become extremely popular, and with the right preparation and cold water swimming gear, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy it. However, wild swimming in cool…
Lomo tow float drybag review – stay safe when cold water swimming
I love to have a tow float when swimming in the sea. Since their introduction in 2012, tow floats have become a popular addition to the wild swimmer’s kit-list, especially…
Love is the Drogue: Why I’m hooked on Sail Life’s YouTube channel
Our resident YouTube aficionado Kass Schmitt tunes in to Sail Life to find out if true love can help Mads Dahlke finally break his fettling addiction and untie the lines.
Homeward bound: A solo voyage from Portugal to Plymouth
Max Liberson tests his seamanship and comes to terms with grief on a single-handed voyage from Portugal to Plymouth, aboard Wendy May, his 85-year-old wooden gaff cutter.
What is a lugger? And why they make great trailer-sailers – answered!
Compulsive boat owner Clive Marsh explains why little luggers make perfect trailer-sailers
UK cetaceans: How to spot and identify whales and dolphins from your boat
One spring day when I was a teenager, we were sailing across Poole Bay as we had many times before. All of a sudden, an unremarkable day turned into a…
Fairey Swordsman 30: A crowd-pleasing jet boat with James Bond connections
Willie Bewes, retired director of Transworld Yachts, had a successful career selling large numbers of Swedish Hallberg-Rassy cruising yachts to the British market. But despite this commercial success his boating…
Why counting UK seabirds as a sailing hobby is an educational addiction
For starters, there were more species of UK seabirds than I’d expected. I couldn’t mistake the chittering tirricks, or Arctic terns, Shetland’s white swallows, but I’d vaguely lumped common guillemots…
Perplexed by marine engines? Read the RYA Diesel Engine handbook
The RYA Diesel Engine Handbook is indispensable for understanding marine engines. If you want to maintain your boat engine, and even have a go at fixing it when things go…