59 low cost upgrades to enhance your boat; How to reduce weather helm; Boat repairs in a Force 9 storm; Designing and building your own…
Practical Boat Owner
April 2026 issue – out 12 February
Sailmaker tips for getting new life out of old sails; NMEA wifi gateways tested; Wayfarer Weekended on test; Cruising hacks from liveaboard sailors; Solo skipper’s…
The Grand Cormoran: capable camper-cruiser
The Grand Cormoran is a camper-cruiser capable of handling heavy weather. David Harding puts the boat through its paces
Emrhys Barrell: Eight bells for the marine journalist and electric boating pioneer
Emrhys Barrell, who was a long-time contributor to Practical Boat Owner, has died at the age of 78
The Cormoran: tradition with a twist
Built in southern Brittany, the Cormoran is a day-sailer developed from traditional working craft. David Harding went to France to test the boat
Freedom to flex with Visicover Boat Insurance: Insurance that’s easy to set up and amend online
With the boating season of 2026 on the horizon, now’s a good time to make sure your insurance cover is fit for purpose. Visicover offers a hands-on way to manage…
A stroke off the Isles of Scilly: How a medical emergency left this skipper’s wife “hanging from a wire in a near gale”
Early July 2025 found my wife, Veronica, and I sailing in our Dufour 40, Spook from Falmouth in Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly, blissfully unaware of the dramatic rescue…
Compulsory PLB registration comes into force on 15 April
All current and new PLBs carried on board a UK-flagged vessel or mechanically propelled watercraft like a jet ski, must be registered
MOB recovery: which is the best single-point vertical lift technique for getting a crew member back on board?
Which is the best single-point vertical lift recovery method when faced with a man overboard? David Harding examines the best way for MOB recovery
Gybing a cruising chute
Knowing how to gybe with a cruising chute will give you the confidence to make the best use of it. PBO's David Harding shows you how
Sea water pump woes: How I replaced my engine’s water pump, and what pitfalls to avoid
Before we bought a yacht, I hadn’t realised that boat parts wore out so quickly, much less my engine’s sea water pump. For example, I was quite surprised to discover…
Get boat access without the burden of ownership: Your guide to the best boat share options
Have you ever thought about joining a boat share? Consider how expensive owning, or ‘keeping’ a boat in the UK might really be, and all the work that goes into…
Boat solar panels: Everything you need to know to get started
Topping up the batteries with solar power has never been easier, says Ali Wood, but how do you decide which type to buy?
Sailing alone: a checklist for solo sailors
It’s easy to forget vital bits of information when setting off on a single-handed passage. Making checklists helps, but everyone’s will be slightly different
Best boat heaters – diesel, solid fuel or warm air central heating?
There are many ways to stay warm afloat, whatever your budget. Ali Wood chooses the best boat heaters
How to prevent wave slap on the hull
Tony Raven uses swimming pool noodles as a cheap cure for wave slapping on the hull
SunCamper 31: “a highly practical river cruiser that can punch across a lake if needed”
An example of the new breed of river cruiser, the SunCamper 31 looks unlike anything most of us have seen before – but there’s a very good reason for that,…
Second life for a salmon seiner
Ben Lowings looks at the history of the 17ft salmon seiner Shambler, and how it has become a true community boat
Propeller installation: tips from the experts
Gilbert Park refurbishes a pitted starboard propeller on his Seaward 29 motor cruiser and gets some advice on how to refit it
Mast unstepping while your boat is still afloat
Genevieve Leaper shows how to lower a mast while your boat is still afloat
Anchor windlass repairs to extend its life
José-Maria Molina extends the life of his ageing anchor winch
Make a boat step from salvaged wood and ropes
Mark Prior makes a step using £10-worth of material (which could be salvaged free)