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Practical Boat Owner Practical Boat Owner Practical Boat Owner

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    Prepping the rusty keel of the PBO Project boat

    Sophie Neville

    Book review: The Making of Swallows and Amazons

    scraping antifouling PPE

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

    antifouling-paint-bronze-PBO276.experts.trilux_33

    Which paint for antifouling a bronze bracket? Ask the experts

    stern-anchor-PBO276.projects.anchor_bracket

    Adding a stern anchor: How to mount a DIY pushpit bracket

    Do you know your rudders?

    Read more top stories

    Prepping the rusty keel of the PBO Project boat

    In our Maxi 84 boat survey, Ben Sutcliffe-Davies concluded that the antifouling needed to come off and whilst the keel joint was nice and tight…

    Sophie Neville

    Book review: The Making of Swallows and Amazons

    I came across The Making of Swallows and Amazons by sheer chance not long after I had watched the original film ‘Swallows and Amazons’ on…

    scraping antifouling PPE

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

    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…

    Read more

    Boat maintenance

    boat-trailer-bearings-PBO275.trailer_bearings.braked_trailer

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

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

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

    what-is-antifouling-paint-PBO271.Choosing_antifoul.img_5102

    What is antifouling paint and why is it important to antifoul your boat?

    how-to-antifoul-a-boat-PBO271.Choosing_antifoul.img_4846

    How to antifoul a boat: What we learned from antifouling Maximus

    cheap-antifouling-paint-PBO271.Choosing_antifoul.img_2502

    Cheap antifouling paint? Manufacturers explain how to coat your boat on a budget

    anchoring-a-boat-_copy_2_credit_rupert_holmes

    Anchoring a boat: How to hold firm on a yacht without a windlass

    Read more how to articles...

    Maintenance

    Boat etiquette explained: How to conduct yourself properly underway

    boat-etiquette-underway-PBO275.etiquette_underway.wash_2g5yx8w_alamy

    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…

    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 x 1½in and 2 x…

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

    TruDesign seacock with load bearing collar

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

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

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

    Single Side-Band (SSB) radio is the system used by yachts and ships for long distance communication. Originally, it enabled vessels to communicate over long distances…

    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

    Best changing robe you can wear as a coat

    walking with garmin smart watch

    Tracking open water swimming – Garmin Vivoactive 4s

    best-boat-cooker

    Best boat cooker: 10 alternative options for gas-free cooking

    Best reusable water bottle for adventure sports and sailing

    garmin-inreach-mini-2

    Garmin inReach Mini 2: Pocket satellite messenger updated for 2022

    Yahama-B-6hp-outboard

    Yamaha B and Yamaha T outboards: New models target displacement boats

    Practical Projects

    Great tips and ideas to improve your boat from PBO readers

    Anchor light and emergency VHF antenna

    Make your own fids for splicing

    Make your own fids for splicing

    Outdoor workbench tip – turn your Workmate into a bigger work surface

    Turn a storm jib into a trysail

    10 practical projects – crafty ideas to improve your summer cruise

    A sprayhood you can reef

    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

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

    DIY at home

    Simple small boat shower

    DIY Outboard motor lock

    See more DIY at home ideas
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    Latest news

    katie-mccabe-mini-transat-appeal

    Record-breaking solo sailor Katie McCabe targets 2025 Mini Transat

    The 14-year-old said: “After spending eight weeks on board the lovely Falanda [Morgan Giles] as I completed my circumnavigation of Britain last summer, I only fell more in love with…

    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
    Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy

    Rescued Golden Globe contender Abhilash Tomy re-enters race

    • March 22, 2022
    Read more news

    Seamanship

    Travels of a Hobo

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

    How to master fore and aft trot moorings

    Brighton to Baiona: My first time sailing across Biscay as skipper

    Rob Crabbe recalls the rig of a new yacht breaking on a delivery trip from Dartmouth to the Southampton Boat Show

    Dismasted on a delivery trip: How we fixed it and lessons learned

    More seamanship articles

    Latest issue

    PBO Summer 2022 issue cover

    Summer issue – on sale 9th June

    Engine school – stern drives, outboards and jet drives compared; Best French 30ft cruisers; First test of the RS Pulse 63 electric RIB; Post-Brexit Channel hop; Personal AIS and PLBs and 21 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

    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…

    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…

    More videos

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