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…
Mercury Marine V8 & V6 outboard engines recalled
Certain models of Mercury Marine V8 and V6 outboard engines are being recalled due to a safety risk
Cracked gelcoat repair: step by step
Having accidentally drilled screws through the moulded non-slip surface of his boat’s deck, Jake Frith repairs the cracked gelcoat
Shipping Forecast (broadcast) turns 100
On 1st January 2024, the broadcast of the Shipping Forecast turned 100 years old – the forecast itself is much, much older than that with the 150th anniversary of the…
Fixing boat engine cooling system problems
Stu Davies solves niggly Volvo Penta 2030 engine cooling problems
Globe 5.80: the home-built ocean racer
What’s it like to build your own plywood 19-footer to race solo across the Atlantic? David Harding sailed with Keith Oliver onboard his Globe 5.80 to find out
Jack Johnson wins the Globe 5.80 Transat 2023
American skipper Jack Johnson has sailed his home-built plywood yacht to first place in the McIntyre Globe 5.80 Transat 2023, and has qualified for the Mini Globe Race 2025
Boat cookers – great gadgets for low-fuss meals
Low energy boat cookers are a great way to save on gas, power and time spent below. A hot dinner can be the highlight of the day when you’re on…
Duchy 27: the motor launch fit for a duke
The Duchy 27 started life as a Aquila 27 before being tweaked by Cockwells Modern and Classic Boatbuilding. David Harding puts the motor launch through its paces
‘The steering wasn’t working. I felt my stomach sink’ – rudder failure in the Pacific
Steering loss aboard a Maxi 120 mid-Pacific reminds Charlie Pank of a previous rudder failure on a Beneteau Idylle many years earlier
Calor Gas U-turn on phasing out 3.9kg & 4.5kg bottles
Calor Gas has confirmed that it will continue to supply 3.9kg propane and 4.5kg butane cylinders having announced it was phasing them out
What is the best hat for sailing?
Prolific boat owner Clive Marsh argues in favour of the Breton cap as the one-size-fits-all-conditions superior sailing headwear
Fixing and avoiding marine engine leaks
There is no need to put up with a leaky, smelly inboard engine. By dealing with small leaks as they arise, even the oldest units can be maintained drip-free
Servicing a hydraulic steering helm on a boat
After finding a hydraulic oil leak in the steering of his Nauticat 331, Mike Corp services the yacht’s helm pump and steering ram
Sailing Norway: paradise found
Marina Guedes sails into the Arctic Circle and discovers the timeless beauty of Norway's west coast and Lofoten Islands
Why is there a film on the seacocks?
PBO reader Camilla Ransom has found a "strange film" on one of the boat's seacocks. What should she do? Surveyor Colin Brown has the answer
Snap, shackle and drop: coping with a dismasted sailing yacht
Steve Hodges and his fiancée Sam McClements’ second attempt at the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean passage is scuppered by a dismasted yacht
Dehler 32: where fast meets friendly
The Dehler 32 combines race-boat performance with easy sailing for short-handed crews, says David Harding
How to sell your boat: one owner’s experience
Andy Hazell shares his experience of buying and selling a family boat
February issue – out 21 December 2023
How to fix cracks and holes in fibreglass, what to look for when carrying out keel checks, exclusive first test of the home-built Globe 5.80, the best sail and power…
How to sell a boat & get the best price
Ali Wood gets tips from the trade on how to sell your boat from a marine surveyor and a yacht broker so you can get the best price to spend…