The Essential Boat Maintenance book (second edition) is now available at the click of a button from Amazon. Boat owners on every continent can purchase a copy in paperback or…
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How to buy an old boat as a project – DIY yacht restoration advice
Growing up sailing on the East Coast it’s fair to say that I caught the bug pretty early on. Family sailing on my father’s yachts and starting in dinghies from…
Tried and tested: Fenwick’s Over Wintering coating on Treadmaster decking
In January 2018 I reviewed Fenwick’s Tent and Awning Cleaner – a product chiefly marketed to caravan owners – to see how well it would perform at removing stubborn mould…
High and dry: How to lay up your boat for winter storage at home
When you start looking at cranes on eBay to help you store more boats on your property, it might be time to get help. Or maybe that’s not such a…
Casting off with confidence – safe ways for solo sailors to get off the dock
Getting a boat on and off the dock – coming alongside and casting off – can be stressful and, done badly, the experience can ruin a perfectly good weekend. Boating…
Boat show success for Oarsome Chance despite not finding bidder for Project Boat
Oarsome Chance, the youth support charity that took over building the PBO Project Boat in late 2018 has declared the PBO Project Boat stand at the Southampton Boat Show a…
Bidding opens on PBO Project Boat auction at Southampton Boat Show
Stunning weather on the South Coast of the UK today as PBO editor, Rob Melotti, officially launched the PBO Project Boat auction to raise funds for youth support charity Oarsome…
Southampton Boat Show 2019: PBO’s picks of what to see
The Southampton Boat Show has been a staple of the British boating calendar for five decades, but for the uninitiated it can be easy to get lost among the hundreds…
PBO Project Boat auction – your chance to own a unique gaff cutter
The PBO Project Boat will be sold to the highest bidder in a charity auction to be run online during Southampton Boat Show. Register to bid on the Secret 20…
Restore and revive faded gelcoat: Three different methods to try
Few things irk me more than dirty, chalky and stained gelcoat. Like an engine that is corroded – or lines that are chafed – worn gelcoat is a sure sign…
Smallest yacht wins top trophy at Round the Island Race
An 18ft yacht with a three-man crew won the Golden Roman Bowl at the Round the Island Race on Saturday. The prize went to Eeyore, an Alacrity 18, skippered by…
How to choose the right propeller for your boat
Understanding propeller design can help solve performance problems that occur when a boat is being driven under power. The wrong prop may be wrong in a number of different ways…
How to service a windscreen washer pump
Spares for an engine water pump, namely an impeller, are one of those ‘must have items’ most boat owners would probably label as essential. Also when it comes to general…
PBO project boat – the Secret 20 kit – is back in build
Like many boat projects Harvey, the PBO Secret 20, has been the victim of circumstance. This unique, classic-style performance weekender that arrived as a flat-pack kit and took shape in…
PBO magazine covers of the 1990s
The final decade of the 20th Century: as told on the covers of Practical Boat Owner magazine! Note: There are two missing images (March 90 and 91) – get in…
Off track and into trouble off Portland Bill
David Sloan discovers the simple navigational error that turned his parents’ Channel hop into a near disaster
The Outer Hebrides welcome
Charmian Entwistle tests new facilities at Tarbert, Harris and Scalpay
How to replace hydraulic steering hoses and refill the system with fluid
I bought my three-year old Jeanneau Merry Fisher 855 in November. After a full survey I sailed her back to Emsworth a few days later, with no problems. She sat…
Free boat plans – update plus extra plans and photos published
Four weeks on from the relaunch of the Nigel Irens designed Western Skiff, we offer our first round of updates. In addition to the 39-page set of A-zero paper plans…
How to design and fit a 50lt holding tank for a Westerly Konsort
My Westerly Konsort Koto was built in 1980 and featured a loo outlet connected direct to the sea via a 1.5in Blakes seacock. But having decided to join the Emsworth…