There’s no need to be in the dark if your preparation is thorough and easy to understand, says Dick Everitt
Seamanship
Nav in a Nutshell: Lighthouse characteristics on charts
Dick Everitt helps illuminate our understanding of lighthouse characteristics on charts, their dipping distances and loom...
Nav in a Nutshell: Navigate by ‘feel’ using an echo sounder
The ‘ping’ is king: You can navigate by ‘feel’ over the seabed in adverse conditions by using an echo sounder – here’s how to do it...
Nav in a Nutshell: Using transits
Lining up a pair of appropriate land features or navigation marks can help keep you safe, as Dick Everitt explains
Nav in a Nutshell: Clearing bearings
In the first of his series on back-to-basics navigation Dick Everitt explains how to use a few simple lines to keep you safe
Anchoring: 6 Tips for tricky situations
If space is tight or the weather looks unsettled, it’s worth having a few skills up your sleeve to make the most of a tricky anchorage. Here are 6 tips...
5 Hand-bearing pilotage tips
An aide-memoire to using a handbearing compass, transits and bearings for quick and easy coastal pilotage
How to deal with riding turns on a winch
Riding turns always occur at the worst possible moment - here's how to remove a riding turn and avoid them in the first place
Sculling over the stern
How to scull over the stern: Learn to propel your dinghy using a traditional skill that's still relevant today
Updating electronic charts
Despite the accuracy offered by digital charting, updating electronic charts is a complicated process. Here's how to keep your electronic charts up to date
How to prepare for a lifeboat tow
Imagine that the lifeboat is on the way to take you in tow. Do you sit and wait, in the knowledge that the lifeboat’s crew will assess the situation and…
How to catch fish while sailing
Catching supper with hook and line is a pastime most yachtsmen will attempt at some time or other, but why do some fishermen enjoy more luck with the rod than…
What to do when you run aground
Whether you go to sea under power or sail, you'll almost certainly find yourself aground at some point in your on-water career. It’s one of the hazards of the sport…
Jester Challenge: Preparing for a solo adventure
Two-time solo Atlantic racer Basil Panakis shows PBO’s Ben Meakins how he prepared his 25ft yacht to face the Jester Challenge
What difference do new sails make?
New sails are a big investment – but are they worth it? The PBO team compared the old with the new on the project boat, Hantu Biru, as David Harding
Antares Charts: One man’s mission to update Scottish charts
In a bid to bring archaic navigation information into the 21st century, Bob Bradfield has been on a one-man crusade to update charts of Scottish anchorages
Why you should race your cruising boat
Ben Meakins finds out why – and how – PBO readers from around the UK go racing in their cruising yachts
Bermudan rig vs Junk rig
David Harding sets up a direct comparison between Junk- and Bermudan-rigged Splinters to find out how they handle
Tips and tricks for sailing on rivers
Expert advice for tricks and tips for better sailing on rivers
PBO Sail Clinic: free hands-on expert advice for readers
PBO Technical Editor David Harding offers ideas to help a Kelt 5.50 that won't beat upwind