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Practical Boat Owner Practical Boat Owner Practical Boat Owner

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    incompatible-antifoul-PBO278.experts.5_2478_274085932_426039322

    Is my antifoul incompatible with my basecoat? Ask the experts

    best-trailer-sailer-mediterranean-beneteau-first-20-PBO278.experts.first20_124i3392_185939421_279209911

    What’s the best trailer sailer for the Mediterranean? Ask the experts

    PBO278.Prac_shaft_seals.three_legged_puller_13

    How to replace Volvo Penta shaft seals: A step-by-step guide

    what-is-a-junk-boat-rig-explained-hong-kong

    Junk boat design explained: How this ancient sailplan still performs well today

    PBO278.Prac_fitting-radar.merlot

    Fitting boat radar on a budget: How I installed my own Raymarine system

    Laurent Camprubi's capsized 12m keelboat

    “A rescue on the edge of the impossible” – French sailor saved from capsized keelboat

    Read more top stories
    incompatible-antifoul-PBO278.experts.5_2478_274085932_426039322

    Is my antifoul incompatible with my basecoat? Ask the experts

    Mike Stanton from the Isle of Man writes: “I wonder if you could help with a suspected incompatible antifoul issue on my 2011 Beneteau First 40…

    best-trailer-sailer-mediterranean-beneteau-first-20-PBO278.experts.first20_124i3392_185939421_279209911

    What’s the best trailer sailer for the Mediterranean? Ask the experts

    Keith Mackie writes: “After 15 years working for the AA and RAC I achieved my RYA Level 2 powerboat handling certificate. “I was aiming to…

    PBO278.Prac_shaft_seals.three_legged_puller_13

    How to replace Volvo Penta shaft seals: A step-by-step guide

    As the launch cradle dropped us in, Bruce called out his usual, “All OK?” before disconnecting us from the slings. We’d splashed our Beneteau 381…

    Read more

    Boat maintenance

    hot-water-on-board-PBO277.Prac_water_temp.20220306_104059

    Hot water on board: How to install a system that won’t leave you frozen or fried

    boat-engine-oil-PBO277.practical_engine_oil.img_4684_laura_disposes_of_the_old_oil

    Why does boat engine oil need changing? What if we didn’t change it?

    boat-propulsion-PBO277.Engines_part_2.img_1017

    Boat propulsion explained: What are the alternatives to diesel inboard engines?

    PBO277.Electric_catamaran.millwall_4cut

    How I converted my 8m catamaran to run off solar power alone

    PBO277.tow_by_road.img_0058

    What I learned from towing my 24ft keelboat 1,000 miles from Italy to the UK

    marine-fuel-polishing-system-PBO276.DIY_fuel_polishing.graham_keating

    How I built a £500 marine fuel polishing system to protect my boat from dirty diesel

    Read more how to articles...

    Maintenance

    Replace or rebuild? How to tell if your old boat engine is salvageable

    replace-rebuild-old-boat-engine-PBO276.cover.img_4335

    Most of us will know someone – and may have been that someone ourselves – with a rusty, rattly, oily or smoking marine diesel engine.…

    Removing antifouling – the job I’ll never do again!

    scraping antifouling PPE

    After a season on the water and two years in a boatyard, Maximus’s antifouling was old and flaky. We’d been given the 28ft Maxi 84…

    Boat trailer bearings explained: Why many trailing sailors have the wrong type

    boat-trailer-bearings-PBO275.trailer_bearings.braked_trailer

    Being able to easily trail your little boat to new cruising grounds is a great feeling. Many owners of cruising yachts simply don’t get the…

    Boat food ideas: Top tips to transform your meals on board

    boat-food-ideas-tips-PBO276.Cooking_onboard.happy_couple_gettyimages_517151653

    Seeking to make life on board more like that at home, by maximising comfort and convenience is understandable – as humans we’ve been doing that…

    More

    Amazing adventures

    Anchored off the island of Eigg with its distinctive Sgurr (or peak)

    Sailing short-cut to spectacular Scottish hiking spots

    Hornby lighthouse on Sydney Harbour’s South Head with the city in the background. Credit: Taras Vyshnya/Alamy

    New South Wales sailing adventure: 8 lighthouses in 18 hours

    Discoverer of Sleat at anchor at Rispond Bay, Loch Eriboll. Credit: Charmian Entwistle

    Sailing Orkney’s remote lochs and challenging headlands

    Magnificent Snowdonia seen from the Menai Strait

    How I sailed around Anglesey in a 16ft Shetland skiff

    Read more

    Gear tests

    The ecoOptimist dinghy

    World’s first sustainable and recyclable Optimist dinghy launched – the ecoOptimist

    bestway-hydroforce-fast-blast-sup-review

    We pushed this budget paddleboard right up to its weight limit: Bestway SUP review

    Libby Earle using her TEMO 450 electric outboard

    Our TEMO 450 travels behind the saloon seats, wedged in by rum bottles

    temo-electric-outboard-test

    Tried and tested: TEMO electric outboard motor

    best-dinghy-sailing-gear-cold-weather-sealskinz-tested

    Best dinghy sailing gear for cold weather: Sealskinz accessories put to the test

    cordless-soldering-iron-laser-8273-in-use

    Laser Tools launches new cordless soldering iron

    Practical Projects

    Great tips and ideas to improve your boat from PBO readers

    Seizing a shackle – with another shackle

    Stop chain jumping on your anchor windlass

    DIY mooring line chafe protection

    Cockpit table and extra bunks for a Sailfish

    How to make a heavy duty boathook

    3d printed fuel cap wrench

    3D printed filler cap wrench

    More practical projects

    PBO Project Boat

    Do you know your rudders?

    Do you know rudders? Boatyards are a great place to get to know different types of keels, rudders and other…

    Fitting new seacocks and skin fittings on the PBO Project Boat

    Maximus, our PBO Project Boat, had four seacock fittings that need changing – three ball valves in the forepeak (1…

    TruDesign seacock with load bearing collar

    What are the different types of seacock and when should I replace them?

    Seacocks – the small valves on the boat’s hull which allow water to flow through – are one of the…

    Marine engine videos with Stu Davies – top tips on servicing your boat engine

    When we acquired our 43-year-old cruiser Maximus, we asked PBO’s engine expert Stu Davies and wife Laura to show us…

    Fixing the vintage Sailor radio 02 – WOW! Take a look inside…

    In part 2 of the Sailor radio restoration, Rob Wells takes the knobs off. The dimmer has to be sawn…

    Fixing the vintage Sailor radio 01 – “making a bit of noise” at the repair shop

    Whether for listening to BBC cricket or calling up Dutch harbours, the old Sailor radio is still loved by boat…

    Fixing leaks – how to reseal a leaky deck vent

    Leaks are inevitable on an old boat, and deck vents are a common cause. Over time the sealant simply breaks…

    Day 1 on Maximus – pressure washing and bailing… and more bailing!

    I couldn’t wait for my dad to meet Maximus. It was Dad who introduced me to sailing as a kid…

    Read more

    Read PBO on tablet · phone · computer

    Promo for PBO Digital

    Get every issue of PBO on Android, iPhone, iPad or desktop

    DIY at home

    How to get the last of the sealant out of the tube

    Dinghy wheels for an Avon Redcrest

    See more DIY at home ideas
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    Latest news

    Lincoln Barnwell on the left and Julian Barnwell on the right measuring the wreck's cannon

    Wreck of historic royal ship discovered off the English coast

    The wreck of one of the most famous ships of the 17th century - which sank 340 years ago - has been discovered off the coast of Norfolk.

    katie-mccabe-mini-transat-appeal

    Record-breaking solo sailor Katie McCabe targets 2025 Mini Transat

    • May 23, 2022
    A yacht passes the SS Richard Montgomery wreck. Credit: James Bell/Alamy Live News

    Mast trim for explosive-filled SS Richard Montgomery shipwreck

    • May 13, 2022

    Sold! The cocaine-smuggling expedition yacht Kahu

    • May 13, 2022
    The compass that was stolen from Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's yacht in 1969 - now at Holyhead Maritime Museum

    Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s compass mystery solved – 53 years after it was stolen

    • May 11, 2022
    The sail training Ship Tenacious under full sail between Gran Canaria and Madeira

    Save the Jubilee Sailing Trust – here’s how it helped my friend Tony

    • April 8, 2022
    Read more news

    Seamanship

    26 tips for winter sailing

    Tidal Vectors_Dick Everitt

    Nav in a nutshell: Know tidal vectors

    When lightning strikes – how to protect your boat from lightning at sea

    How to master fore and aft trot moorings

    More seamanship articles

    Latest issue

    Practical Boat Owner magazine, September 2022 cover

    September issue – on sale 4th August

    Swap sails for power – never stop boating; longjohn wetsuit, buoyancy aid, boat scrub and inflatable kayaks on test; 12 amazing shipwrecks; PBO Project Boat shakedown sail; and 16 pages of DIY...

    DH1200 INOX in boat engine compartment

    Desiccant dehumidifiers from Ecor Pro are specially designed for boats

    Neat and compact, Ecor Pro’s DH1200 INOX (US - EPD50 PRO) desiccant dehumidifier is built for the marine environment and designed to fit in small…

    Videos

    walking with garmin smart watch

    How does a smart watch work? Garmin Vivoactive 4 on test with pictures

    I’ve had my Garmin smart watch for six months now and have taken it up mountains, swum in lakes and…

    best-sextants-Sandy-Garrity-Davis-Mk25

    Best sextants: 5 plastic options under £400 for taking a noon sight

    In the mid-seventies I sailed a small boat from the UK to Tahiti, crossing the Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific. My…

    Lomo tow float drybag review – stay safe when cold water swimming

    I love to have a tow float when swimming in the sea. Since their introduction in 2012, tow floats have…

    More videos

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