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Practical Boat Owner Practical Boat Owner Practical Boat Owner

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    boat-etiquette-underway-PBO275.etiquette_underway.wash_2g5yx8w_alamy

    Boat etiquette explained: How to conduct yourself properly underway

    PBO275.Family_cruising.pic5_learning_knots

    Cruising with children: Top ten tips for a happy boat

    sailing-with-kids-PBO275.Family_cruising.img_6127

    Boating with children: Bringing up very small kids on very small boats

    sailing-with-kids-PBO275.Family_cruising.pic6_happy_kids_happy_skipper

    Sailing with kids: How to bring children on board safely and get them hooked

    silhouette-17-PBO275.clives_boats.mk3_rye_slip

    Silhouette 17 used boat review: This pocket cruiser can be a real bargain

    RS-Pulse-63.pulse_63_electric_rib_by_rs_electric_boats14

    RS Pulse 63 test drive review: Could this electric RIB change the world?

    Read more top stories
    boat-etiquette-underway-PBO275.etiquette_underway.wash_2g5yx8w_alamy

    Boat etiquette explained: How to conduct yourself properly underway

    The actions we take to avoid collisions at sea are set out in the Colregs, which we must obey, and nothing which follows should be…

    PBO275.Family_cruising.pic5_learning_knots

    Cruising with children: Top ten tips for a happy boat

    1. Take time to take time It’s easy for the skipper to get caught up in the charge to get from A to B. It’s…

    sailing-with-kids-PBO275.Family_cruising.img_6127

    Boating with children: Bringing up very small kids on very small boats

    Mahogany Bob, our 55-year-old LH Walker mahogany on oak clinker dinghy looks lovely and attracts admiring comments everywhere we go, but because she doesn’t get…

    Read more

    Boat maintenance

    Fitting new seacocks and skin fittings on the PBO Project Boat

    TruDesign seacock with load bearing collar

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

    how-to-use-ssb-radio-PBO274.SSB_radio.arc19_ssbnetcontroller_aguadulche_hr_8450

    How to use SSB radio to stay in touch with the shore

    ssb-radio-explained-PBO274.SSB_radio.tony_preedy_ham_radio_equipment

    SSB radio explained: The budget rival to satellite phone connectivity

    boat-flag-etiquette-ensign-warship-cartoon

    Boat flag etiquette: Everything you need to know about ensigns and burgees

    best-antifouling-paint-group-test

    Best antifouling paint: 8 leading options in head-to-head test

    Read more how to articles...

    Maintenance

    Spirit stove installation: How make your boat’s galley safer and cheaper to run

    Spirit Stove in the cockpit

    Garry Flashman swaps gas for meths to make cooking and a cuppa much safer, easier and cheaper on his replica Nobby

    Boat toilet troubleshooting: How to service a Jabsco toilet pump

    servicing-jabsco-boat-toilet-pump-PFRMJ4_320455912_509869111

    Most modern mass produced yachts are fitted with Jabsco hand pumped boat toilets. They are cheap, simple and robust and can put up with a…

    Celestial navigation books: Best guides to navigating by the sun and stars

    celestrial-navigation-sextant-gilbert-park

    I have always considered the ‘noon sight’ to be something romantic and intellectually interesting. Having learned from books how to get a fix by measuring…

    Electric sailboat conversion: How my Parker Super Seal went zero-emissions

    electric-sailboat-conversion-PBO273.Superseal_conversion.supersealconversion17

    Aiming to do our bit for the environment, we recently made a number of lifestyle changes – and one of them was converting our Parker…

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    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

    remote-working-tips-work-from-yacht-rupert-holmes

    Remote working tips: How I set up my 36ft yacht for offshore work

    offshore-weather-forecasts-PBO273.Receiving_weather.weatherfax_on_boat

    Offshore weather forecasts: An alternative solution for getting weatherfax information

    best-satellite-phone-buyers-guide

    Best satellite phones: What to look for when buying a satphone

    DH1200 INOX in boat engine compartment

    Desiccant dehumidifiers from Ecor Pro are specially designed for boats

    Diagram of marine safety equipment

    What safety kit do you need for watersports?

    new-electric-outboard-motors-hy-generation-rim6

    New electric outboard motors ditch the props for greater efficiency

    Practical Projects

    Great tips and ideas to improve your boat from PBO readers

    How to improve your emergency tiller

    MArking a boot top

    Marking a boot top line

    Solar panel mounts

    Jerry Armitage found a kitchen utensil rail from Ikea was ideal for keeping his boat's cockpit locker organised

    Keeping a cockpit locker organised

    Make an outboard motor hoist

    DIY Outboard motor lock

    More practical projects

    PBO Project Boat

    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…

    Maximus – these sails sound ok but the UV strip is degraded

    Good news – the sails on Maximus seem to be in good condition, apart from the UV strip. During the…

    Read more

    Read PBO on tablet · phone · computer

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

    DIY at home

    How to make your jacket waterproof again – 7 products tested

    How to drill plastic – expert tips on making holes in acrylic

    See more DIY at home ideas
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    Latest news

    Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy

    Rescued Golden Globe contender Abhilash Tomy re-enters race

    Abhilash Tomy has re-entered the 2022 Golden Globe Race following extensive rehabilitation from injuries sustained during the 2018 edition

    Hartland Point Lantern cropped

    Theft of rare £1m lighthouse lantern prompts £5,000 reward and appeal

    • March 18, 2022
    Seized boats

    NCA renews warning of criminals targeting small boats

    • March 17, 2022
    Shackleton's ship wreck Endurance at the bottom of the sea

    Shackleton’s ship discovery – “most complex subsea project undertaken”

    • March 9, 2022

    Plea to Irish Sea boaters to help stop the spread of non-native marine species

    • March 8, 2022
    close up of basking shark spine

    Giant shark spine found in Bournemouth – species revealed

    • March 3, 2022
    Read more news

    Seamanship

    Youtube sailing: 6 of the best episodes about learning lessons at sea

    Troubleshooting your telltales

    Travels of a Hobo

    New Zealand to Fiji on a 26-footer – learning from experience

    Nav in a Nutshell: Curved track or straight?

    Nav in a nutshell: Curved track or straight?

    More seamanship articles

    Latest issue

    July 2022 cover of Practical Boat Owner magazine

    July issue – on sale 12th May

    Engine SOS; Best British starter cruisers for £30k; Toilet talk – heads, holding tanks & hoses; Gas-free gourmet; A guide to seals and 28 pages of DIY...

    Videos

    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…

    sailing-cadoha-youtube

    British rivals to Sailing La Vagabonde? Introducing Sailing Cadoha

    I’m not just talking in terms of popularity. The UK is certainly well represented among the most popular sailing vlogs…

    Want to know what it’s like to cross an ocean? Watch these videos…

    Ginormous fish, a daring rescue, ripped spinnaker and whale encounters are just a few of the tales we heard as…

    More videos

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