It’s a fact: getting afloat in a boat of your own has never been more affordable or accessible. Let me put it another way: more than 50 years of glassfibre…
Practical Boat Owner
Wifi on your boat: how to get online on the water this summer
Although many of us go sailing to get away from our hectic everyday lives, the Internet can have a variety of uses on board, writes Duncan Kent. From keeping in…
How to convert analogue engine data and battery levels to show on your chartplotter
Just about every engine installed in a yacht or power boat has some degree of instrumentation, ranging from the basic rev counter, warning lights and audible alarm (as in this…
10 practical projects – crafty ideas to improve your summer cruise
The extra miles of sailing on a summer cruise, or days at anchor can highlight new issues on board or exacerbate existing problems. To aid your voyage this year –…
DIY aluminium sloop: how to make your own metal cruising yacht
Occasionally you have the rare privilege of reading a sentence or two that capture your sentiments much better than you yourself could. There Be No Dragons: How to Cross a…
How to clean an outboard motor carburettor step-by-step
If you have trouble with a small outboard motor it can often be attributed to the fuel. David Parker describes how he saved a lot of money with a careful…
Colregs vs racing rules: How understanding racing rules can help cruisers keep clear
Racing fleets can be intimidating, especially during busy regattas like Cowes Week or the Round the Island Race, where you’ll find more boats racing than nearly any regatta on earth.…
Epoxy infusion video: learn how to build a canoe with PBO and West System International
The traditional method of glassfibre boat building has been to hand-roll liquid resin into reinforcing fibre as it sits in a mould, adding one layer after another and all the…
Sedna 26 review – the trailable cruiser that thinks big
Yacht design can be a challenging business, and nowhere is the balance between space, pace and safety harder to achieve than in the larger trailable sailers. These boats have to…
How to check your rig while the mast is down over winter
When boats are out for the winter and have been chocked and winterised, it’s the ideal time to thoroughly check – and if necessary upgrade – the standing rigging. Around…
Dufour Drakkar 24 on test: Daysailer with a difference
During the summer in Poole I see dozens of sizeable offshore yachts heading out of the harbour and making the long and challenging passage to Studland Bay. Here they will…
Thames sailing barge – sail training with the Sea Change Sailing Trust
If your idea of Essex involves TV preconceptions of girls with rococo nail jobs and lads on the run from the law after a little contretemps with a cash machine,…
The cup that cheers – Dave Selby’s Mad about the Boat
Dave hatches a plan to tackle the America’s Cup in ‘state-of-the-ark’ SailfisHes (with random capitals), in the August 2017 issue of Practical Boat Owner magazine.
Holier than thou – Dave Selby’s Mad about the Boat
Conventional thinking strongly favours the fitting of intakes and outlets in boat hulls – but some think that theory is full of holes, muses Dave Selby.
Travels of a Hobo – learning from experience
Euan Crawford experienced mixed fortunes when he and his girlfriend sailed their uninsured, un-surveyed, 30-year-old Raven 26 from New Zealand to Fiji.
Cruising Notes: Castlebay charm
Charmian Entwistle recommends Castlebay, Barra as a charming stopping-off point when visiting the Outer Hebrides...
Haven’t the foggiest – Dave Selby’s Mad about the Boat
If you can navigate when you can’t see where you’re going, you’re a genius, says PBO columnist Dave Selby
A technical knockout – Dave Selby’s Mad about the Boat
Technological advances in onboard systems can inspire awe – or something else entirely, says PBO columnist Dave Selby
Save £££ with boat denial – Dave Selby’s Mad about the Boat
Your expert print-out-and-throw-away guide to free overwintering and hassle-free maintenance, from PBO columnist Dave Selby
Bornholm, island in the sun
It is claimed that the island of Bornholm has more sunny days than anywhere else in Denmark. In summer the sun does certainly seem to shine constantly, and a high…