There’s an accelerating shift away from paper charts, but how best to use predicted data from digital aids in real-world situations? Craig Burton, head of training operations at the Royal…
Practical Boat Owner
Tinker dinghy: the inflatable boat that could do it all!
Richard Thomson’s love letter to the original multipurpose inflatable dinghy - the Tinker
10 tips for boat heads to prevent blockages and odours
Offshore sailor John Carey explains maintenance regimes and troubleshooting hacks to make sure your heads never lets you down
Antifouling paint tips from the experts
Removing old antifouling paint, preparing the hull, and selecting and applying the best fouling control may seem daunting for many DIY-ers. AkzoNobel’s Jason Hill shares his tips
Seagull outboard: the best in the world?
During the early part of the 20th century most boats were wooden, built by hand and largely propelled by sail or by rowing. Engines were diesel and internal. Engineering in…
Laying ground tackle for swinging moorings
Sam Longley explains his yacht club’s DIY approach to setting new ground tackle for moorings on the River Blackwater
Make a big toot again by clearing seagull scum out of a boat air horn
Charles Beddingfield makes his boat air horn loud again
I built a ferrocement bluewater cruising yacht in 1980 and sailed it for the next 13 years
Adventurous dreams of travelling the world captivated my boyfriend and I when we were just 22. But having just begun our careers, funds were limited, and we hadn’t yet got…
Sailing a cutter rig: How two headsails improve handling and balance for cruising
Are two headsails better than one or just twice the bother? David Rainsbury explains why he finds a cutter rig ideal for cruising
Marine varnishing: an expert guide to making your woodwork shine
Few things look better on a boat than beautifully varnished woodwork. The best results are all down to the preparation and here sailor, cabinetmaker and antique furniture restorer Roger Oliver…
“Giving up a 42ft ketch for a 20ft Red Fox sounded crazy until we realised how much money and time it saved us.”
To expand their sailing horizons David and Melanie Lewin found the perfect solution – a compact trailer-sailer that would fit nicely on the ferry over to France
Careening a deep-fin keel yacht: Why I deliberately ran my boat aground
Friso Hylkema puts theories to the test when careening his 1978 Standfast 40s while cruising in Africa
Does the Opinel No 9 Ocean Knife deserve a place onboard your boat? We put it to the test to find out
Choosing a dependable sailing knife means evaluating how features like marlin spikes and shackle keys perform. John Stickland puts the Opinel No 9 Ocean Knife to the test
How to pack a spinnaker in 9 steps
If a spinnaker goes up twisted, or with the halyard attached to a clew instead of the head, you can be in trouble. So packing the kite properly is vital.…
When a fouled prop leads to saildrive failure (and the costly solution)
Alan Weavers recalls experiencing a fouled prop, a lifeboat tow, and saildrive failure aboard his Dufour
eNav in a Nutshell: Passage planning in the digital age
Using digital sources to answer basic navigational questions can take some of the hard work out of passage planning and making… explains Craig Burton, head of training operations at the…
The will to survive: how one sailor spent two hours lost at sea without a lifejacket before rescue
Overboard without a lifejacket in the dark Irish Sea, Prue Nash had to tread water for two hours before she was rescued. But what was she really thinking as her…
How to make your own ensign flagstaff
Don Fitzroy Smith finds a new way to 'raise the flag' by building his own flagstaff for his ensign
How I built my dream minimalist trailer-sailer to navigate the Canadian wilderness
Herb McLeod explains how he designed and built his flat-bottomed 3.6m Omakayas
Fire up the engine or just enjoy sailing in light wind? Which side of the debate are you on?
Don’t just fire up the engine on a light airs day – make the best of the gentle sailing conditions, says John Simpson