“In the six years I’ve owned Nicola Deux I’ve sailed 77,650 miles in her. I just love Nicholson 32s. My father-in-law had one and to me it was the ultimate…
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Nicholson 32 review and test sail
The Nicholson 32 was one of the first production-built GRP yachts of its size. It quickly gained a reputation for being an ultimate go-anywhere cruiser that was also fitted out…
How to paint your boat – tips from PBO’s Project Boat
Hantu Biru was a a Snapdragon 23 that was rescued from a farm in Dorset and restored as the PBO Project Boat. Over three years the PBO team transformed her…
Boats 2020 show at Southampton’s Mayflower Park announced
News just in from British Marine, on a replacement event for this year’s cancelled Southampton Boat Show: ‘British Marine is delighted to announce that Southampton International Boat Show Ltd will…
10 of the best Youtube boat restorations
Boat restoration projects on Youtube never get old – for a start: the boats are often older than the people restoring them! But for anyone considering taking on a project,…
DIY anti-surf device for towing a dinghy
I’ve owned my dinghy for 30 years and the friend who sold it to me was killed in a motorcycle accident not long after. I’ve given my son sailing lessons…
How to restore a 22ft trailer-sailer in 10 easy steps
I’ve been hooked on boats since before I could walk, and have spent over 30 years repairing and sailing them. My experience has taught me how to manage a yacht…
What is AIS Class B+ and do I need it for my boat?
I ’d been thinking about buying an AIS transceiver for my Merry Fisher 855 for some time. I use my boat mainly in the Solent, where avoiding other vessels is…
What happens to boats too old to save? The truth about fibreglass boat disposal
Steve Franklin is on a mission. He’s made it his business to deal with the increasing numbers of boats in the UK reaching the end of their useful lives, too…
ColRegs refresher – 12 videos every skipper should watch
Are you windward or leeward? Starboard or port? Do you know Rule 12(iii) and how do you cross a shipping lane? This neat series of ColRegs videos we filmed back…
Norway to Scotland on a Nicholson 32 – a true North Sea passage
In 34 knots of wind and a North Sea swell nearing mast height, our Nicholson 32 is beating with a momentum most modern cruisers lack. In a sense it isn’t…
How to remove a marine diesel cylinder head step by step
During the summer of the 2019 our Bavaria 39 Tessa Jane began producing black exhaust smoke and suffering a reduction in power from her 2005 Volvo Penta MD2030. Initial investigations…
Youtube sailing: 6 of the best episodes about learning lessons at sea
A hallmark of a great sailor is the ability to keep calm in a crisis, deal with it, and bounce back. I write a monthly column all about the latest…
PBO Small Craft Almanac updates 2020
The official updates for the PBO Small Craft Almanac can be downloaded from the Adlard Coles website – updates for your almanac section. Or you can view the updates and…
Overboard in the Atlantic – how I fixed a broken rudder
When my wife Teija told me she had a surprise for me one Christmas, little did I know how valuable her gift would turn out to be. “Bring your swimming…
Coronavirus update England: “All watersports can go ahead”
All watersports, including the use of privately owned motorised craft, can go ahead in England from today (May 13) as the coronavirus lockdown restrictions are relaxed. In a statement this…
Coronavirus lockdown: English marinas and sailing clubs allowed to open today
English marinas and sailing clubs are permitted to open today following a change in Government guidance which allows people to travel to the coast and use the water. The Government…
Port hopping the north coast of Cornwall in a small boat
My wife, Sue, and I had been thinking about cruising the north Cornish coast on our trailer-sailer for the last decade, despite Mark Fishwick’s opinion in his West Country Cruising…
Slow boat around Wales – coastal and inland circumnavigation in a Vivacity 20
When we first moved to Deganwy I saw a programme on Welsh television with a couple of guys from Aberaeron who had circumnavigated Wales in a Drascombe longboat. That looks…
Wild about sailing in the wonderful Whitsunday Islands
Do you want to experience a new cruising ground, something exotic, visually stunning, an adventure with crystal clear water, interesting flora and fauna… and no crowds? I have the answer.…