Is it time to swap your boat batteries? We look at the pros and cons of lithium-ion vs standard, installation dos and don’ts, bust the…
Practical Boat Owner
May issue – out 14 March
15 fixes at sea: sailors share how to deal with a range of problems afloat from a dismasting and rudder damage to chafe, the essential…
Boat towing: lessons learned from assisting a dismasted yacht in the Atlantic
Ali Wood meets the ARC+ crew who battled squalls and rough seas to tow a dismasted yacht to safety
Can I rebuild a Spectra watermaker?
Andy Pag attempts to rebuild a Spectra watermaker on a budget
How I launched my own narrowboat company and built the boats myself
When I was working for the National Grid I decided that I wanted to be self-employed. I’ve always loved sailing and fancied running a yacht marina. I was flicking through…
Canal boat through the Welsh mountains
Have you ever wandered down an autumnal towpath, amid the mild fug of stove smoke, and wondered how cosy a trip aboard a canal barge could be? I know I…
DIY bunk ladder for getting in and out of berths easily
Don Fitzroy Smith fashions cheap, light, easy to stow and make bunk ladder and headboards for getting in and out of forepeak berth more easily
Transforming a Sea Angler into a canal motorboat
Paul and Sally Weston turn their neglected Mitchell 31 Sea Angler into a canal motorboat to cruise the French coast and the canals
Laptop charging problems on board: one sailor’s solution
Cliff White stumbles upon the answer to a head-scratching laptop charging problem
Bonding marine windows back in: the best gasket sealant
PBO reader Nicholas Phillips wants advice on the best gasket sealant for bonding his marine windows. Our expert Sven Petersen has this advice…
Holding tank installation for under £500
Keith Calton fits a compact, economical and user friendly heads system for less than £500
Boat condensation: one sailor’s solution to keep your boat dry
Many boats suffer from water droplets forming on cold windows as a result of hot air or steam becoming cool – Paul Fay shares his solution on how to beat
How I lost the battle with my wind turbine – and nearly lost my arm in the process
Wind generators provide an additional power source for keeping batteries topped-up, but they have the downside that the noise generated is annoying to all around. I recently discovered a darker-side…
Baptism of fire: Sailing Biscay in a Force 8 on my first (and last) yacht delivery
Despite having never had aspirations to be a yacht delivery skipper, I was coerced into delivering a Moody 426 from the Algarve to the UK in 2006. It all started…
Viko S30 walkaround review: Affordable Polish-built cruiser
Jake Frith looks at the Viko S30 and wonders how far he’d cruise in this affordable Polish-built cruiser…
Jimmy Cornell boat survey reveals how much sailing has changed in 40 years
‘During the past four years I have sailed through some of the major crossroads of the cruising world: Rhodes, Gibraltar, Antigua, Panama, Tahiti… and everywhere I was struck by the…
Around the world in a 5.8m boat! Meet the sailor preparing to race a Class Globe 5.80
British sailor Adam Waugh is currently building his 5.8m boat at his home in Northumberland before taking part in the 2025 Mini Globe Race across the Atlantic Pacific and Indian
Best daysailers: All thrills, no frills with these compact craft
You can learn a lot from studying famous sailors and what they say. Take Uffa Fox, for example. As well as being a designer, confidant of Royalty and an intrepid…
Headsail furling: how to choose the right system
There is a huge range of headsail furling gear on the market. Rupert Holmes gives some tips for choosing the right system for your boat
No midday Shipping Forecast broadcast on weekdays
From April this year, the Shipping Forecast will be broadcast twice a day on weekdays and three times a day on weekends.
April issue – on sale 16 February
Yachts with legs; Converting to LED; Take your cat afloat (the furry kind); Curing stiff in-mast roller reefing; Jimmy Cornell – my life in boats; Day-sailer DIY build; and 22…
Channel Hopping: White Spot Pirates joins plastic pollution fight
Our resident YouTube aficionado Kass Schmitt shines the spotlight on Nike Steiger of White Spot Pirates and her friend Maria LaPointe who have joined the fight against ocean plastic pollution