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…
Battery maintenance for boat owners: How to look after your boat batteries
For all but the smallest and simplest of craft a reliable supply of battery power is essential to keep both vital safety systems and domestic comforts running. They’re therefore an…
Electric winches, handles and furlers – a buyer’s guide
Maybe you want to spend more time sailing single-handed, or perhaps you’re reaching the age when winching up the mainsail by hand is starting to take the fun out of…
Which battery is best for my boat? How to increase battery capacity on board
With more and more electrical gear going on board the modern cruising yacht there comes a time when the battery bank needs expanding to cope with the rising energy demands.…
How to increase stowage aboard your boat
Few boats are well organised when it comes to stowage, which can quickly lead to an appearance of chaos after a short period on board. Yet very few designs –…
How and where to install a new windlass battery on your boat
PBO Ask the Experts is a free service for readers. Simply email us your question and we’ll find an expert to answer it for you: pbo@ti-media.com ‘I’d like to add…
April 2020
Pick up a copy of the April issue of PBO (on sale 20 Feb) and see for yourself why everyone is raving about the Coast 250 from Swallow Boats –…
Yacht design in the 2010s – radical ideas and a new golden age?
A common complaint about the latest generation of new yachts is that they just represent ‘more big, white plastic.’ While it’s true some simply continue existing design trends without offering…
The 21st century yacht designs that have already become classics – part 1
By the beginning of the 2000s it was the norm for new yacht designs to have low centre of gravity keels, with generally bigger bulbs than previously, which dramatically improved…
Popular yacht designs of the 1990s
The 1990s began with a recession that saw a massive dip in the number of new boats sold, in a marked contrast to the boom years of the 1970s and…
Popular classics – 1980s yacht designs that are still making waves today
The 1980s ushered in more change in the marine industry. A key trend was that boats were rapidly becoming larger and more comfortable, especially towards the end of the decade,…
Coming of age: the 1970s yacht designs that have stood the test of time
Sailing in the 1970s was characterised by innovation, enthusiasm, mass participation and home boatbuilding. Rupert Holmes reports
The age of discovery – what we can learn from yacht design of the 1960s
The 1960s saw a huge increase in sailing participation, fuelled in part by the DIY boatbuilding boom. Rupert Holmes reports
Sailing for All – the 1950s: a short history of yacht design
Although the post-war period was a time of scarcity – food rationing in the UK continued until 1954 – it was also a period of great optimism. There was more…
March 2020
Pre-season DIY mast checks, a pair of extended coastal adventures – power and sail – plus 10 top tips for how to live aboard with your pets.
Heaven help us! Lessons learned from repeat boat breakdowns
Don and Renae Shore had flown down from Minnesota to join us in Florida for a week’s cruise, to experience the gentle art of sailing – or at least, that’s…
Brighton to Baiona: My first time sailing across Biscay as skipper
We slipped out of Brighton Marina in early October intending to make a non-stop passage to A Coruña. We finally arrived in Baiona a month later, but what a lot…
Colregs made simple: Get your head around the most important boating rules
PBO's expert video guides to the ColRegs
Free download – how to check in to a marina when you don’t speak the language
My French is fairly profficient, but when I was in Italy recently (I don’t speak Italian), I started work on a document that would give the marina office all the information…
Woodworking tools – a DIY boat owner’s guide to getting a professional finish
It’s not difficult to achieve a professional finish using woodworking machines and there are bargains to be had every day on ebay and other buying and selling forums. But do…
February 2020
Is your boat set up for safety? What essential equipment do you need for coastal and harbour cruising anyway? Find out all this and more in the February issue of…