Skipper dies after being wound round his boat’s faulty electric winch
The skipper of the Mollie died after becoming entangled around the electric winch drum, an MAIB investigation has concluded
‘We were sinking, mastless, and adrift’: The crucial lessons learned from my shakedown sail
Paul Hayes is shaken by a shakedown sail in the Bristol Channel when his junk-rigged Coromandel springs a leak, loses its mast and suffers a…
The simple mooring mistake that can chafe through your rope in 20 minutes
By following a few simple mooring guidelines, you can avoid the common pitfalls and make the process of securing your boat easier and more effective.…
Maintenance
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…
How to build a boat with cold moulding: the secret to a hull that looks like GRP
Richard Johnstone-Bryden explains cold moulding, a time- and cost-effective method of combining the beauty of wood with the strength and practicality of GRP
Understanding metal fatigue: What causes rigging and engine failures?
Do you know the difference between a sudden fracture and a fatigue fracture? Understanding the characteristic 'beach marks' is the key to preventing catastrophic failure…
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…