June 2010
On sale: Thu, 29 Apr 2010
BOATS
Used boat bargains
Fantastic French flyers from the drawing board of yacht design legend Jean-Marie Finot
New boat test: Hunter 20 Sport LF
The old Red Fox is reinvented as a roomy, practical and easy-to-launch day-sailer
New boats
First looks at the new Cobra 10.5 Weekender RIB, the Nordship 360DS and the Salona 34
Buying a small motorboat
Inboard, outboard, diesel, petrol... which is the right engine for your kind of motorboating?
Old man's weekender
One ingenious PBO reader designed and built a small cruiser to suit his own very exacting requirements - we show how he did it
SPECIAL FEATURES
Get tides for free
No passage plan is complete without information on tides - we show you where to get tidal predictions for free
Round the Island Race
Guidance and strategy tips for first-timers attempting this great annual event
PRACTICAL SECTION
Practical tip of the month
Why trailer brakes don't work in reverse PLUS a chance to win a folding rivet gun worth £124
Boat electrics
The complete guide to wiring your boat Part 2: batteries and charging
Practical projects
A laptop to chart plotter conversion, clever cooker clamps PLUS an anchor chain hook
DIY mast stepping
How to re-step your mast yourself and save a bundle of cash
Getting a grip
Tips from the PBO Sketchbook on practical ways to mount a workshop vice onboard
CRUISING
UK charter holidays
A guide to the best destinations in home waters, with charter company listings from all of the UK's prime cruising grounds
Learning from experience
A PBO reader tried to sail out of trouble when his drive failed near rocks - and then the wind rose
Sleeping across Biscay
Sebastian Smith sailed his Contessa 26 home from Spain solo - but how was he to get any kip?
How to moor on piles
How to secure yourself to the pile moorings at Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight
Cruising notes
Local marina etiquette and useful cruising advice for Cantabria, northern Spain
GEAR
Winches - we put eight to the test
PBO's test team takes eight small self-tailing winches to the laboratory to test them for grip, sheeting angles and ease of servicing
REGULAR FEATURES
Waiting for the tide
News and views from the editor
News and regional news
Paying for Light Dues - PBO readers get the chance to join the debate - a rescue from the Shingles Bank, a skipper is fined for going the wrong way up the shipping lanes PLUS news from your area
Bargains of the month
Special offers from our chandlery pages
Readers' letters
Heated debate on out-of-date flares, charts for the North, and where to find motorboats
PBO products
Plans to build a PBO pup dinghy from a kit, PBO practical booklets, and more
Dave Selby
Beware the Future Commodore
Sam Llewellyn
The pre-season refit needs a methodical approach, but the mind tends to wander
Andrew Simpson
Why the instinct to find out what's around the next corner is not aimless meandering
Ask the experts
Readers' problems solved, including how smaller can be better when it comes to sails
Chart updates
Recent revisions from the Admiralty
Bosun's bag
Maritime mischief observed by PBO readers and compiled by Julian Peckham
