Your Holy Island cruising guide: coastal hopping in a trailer-sailer
Frank Sibly enjoys trailer-sailer coastal hopping from Northumberland’s Seahouses to Scotland’s Dunbar Harbour
Sailing and boating participation in the UK are in decline
"Sailing and boating in the UK are at a crossroads,” says Nick Scott, director of sport for the Royal Yachting Association. "Participation is standing still,…
Understanding boat displacement & why it matters
How well do you feel like you understand boat displacement? For most sailors, it’s an overlooked topic. When I returned to marine journalism after a…
Maintenance
From stiff to ‘finger-light’: The DIY overhaul that saved our boat steering system
Battling with increasingly heavy steering on his yacht led Mike Coates to check out all the possibilities before eventually taking the whole lot apart for…
How to manage solar, hydro and wind power on your boat
Three transatlantic cruisers share valuable lessons about their onboard power setups, their marine battery choices, and where they went wrong.
Insurance cover for sailing high latitudes
Practical Boat Owner reader Martin Frobisher asks why it's so difficult to source yacht insurance for higher latitude sailing, Mollie Magrath, boat and travel account…
Checking and replacing keel bolts on wooden boats
If a keel parts company from a yacht, capsize is the inevitable result, which is why checking and replacing keel bolts is essential. But keel…
Amazing adventures
The 40th anniversary Atlantic Rally for Cruisers ARC 2025 fleet set sail
Yann Quenet: From France to Canada in a 4m boat
Making history in an Albin Vega 27 – Jazz Turner’s story
Force 10 in the Channel: ‘We took a colossal wave broadside, and the cockpit was suddenly knee-deep in water’
Practical Projects
How I built a DIY propeller puller to free a calcified prop and shaft
My tiller pilot went rogue: the surprising DIY repair that saved my Raymarine ST1000
How to re-reeve a halyard: If your in-mast halyard has broken here’s how to fix it
Contaminated fuel problems: keeping your marine diesel clean
Boat hatch repair: how to stop the leaks
Make your own boat boarding step
PBO Project Boat
What does a sailmaker do?
Shortly before the Round the Island Race, one of the largest yacht races in the world, it’s all go at…
Shore power: solving tripping problems
Ali Wood gets a crash course in reverse polarity and smart charging when Project Boat Maximus’s shore power gets trippy…
Sail design – using 3D software and laser technology to cut new sails
During the survey of our Maxi 84, the PBO Project Boat Maximus, we were warned by a marine surveyor that…
How to measure your yacht for new sails
Measuring your boat for new sails is a job for the sailmaker, so when our PBO Project Boat Maximus needed…
Restoring a vintage Sailor radio
Ali Wood’s Sailor radio is given the VIP treatment
Seajet Bioclean silicone antifoul review: Our verdict after one year on the water
Does silicone antifouling work? It’s not flying off the shelves yet, according to suppliers, but the results from our Project…
Securing mast cable on our Maxi 84
With the help of ACM Marine, Ali Wood goes about securing mast cable on the Maxi 84 PBO project boat
Family sailing safety gear: TESTED!
Ali Wood discusses the sailing safety gear she chose for their first family cruise on board their Maxi 84, and…