Steve Hodges hatches a proposal plan with the RNLI Eastbourne Lifeboat crew, hoping they don’t get a shout and that his girlfriend knows her flags
Cruising
New system for notifying overseas pleasure craft voyages
The UK government, via Border Force, has introduced the single Pleasure Craft Report (sPCR) service for those travelling to and from the UK on pleasure craft at www.spcr.homeoffice.gov.uk…
How I converted my 8m catamaran to run off solar power alone
I’ve always been environmentally conscious and with an increasing concern about climate change, converting my new-to-me sailboat to fully electric propulsion was an idea that just wouldn’t leave my mind.…
Cruising with children: Top ten tips for a happy boat
1. Take time to take time It’s easy for the skipper to get caught up in the charge to get from A to B. It’s true that time and tide…
Boating with children: Bringing up very small kids on very small boats
Mahogany Bob, our 55-year-old LH Walker mahogany on oak clinker dinghy looks lovely and attracts admiring comments everywhere we go, but because she doesn’t get used as often as she…
Sailing with kids: How to bring children on board safely and get them hooked
Twelve years ago my husband and I bought our first boat – a Sadler 29 – before kids and even before marriage. We relished the opportunity it gave us to…
Orcas left us rudderless! Yacht couple tell of terrifying ordeal off Spain
Zoe Barlow shares her experience of losing a rudder during sustained attacks by orcas whilst sailing her Sun Odyssey 40 from Spain to Morocco.
Save the Jubilee Sailing Trust – here’s how it helped my friend Tony
The Jubilee Sailing Trust, a sail training charity that has helped Sam Llewellyn's friend Tony and many others, has launched an urgent appeal
“Sir, your boat is on fire” – one PBO reader’s charter trip drama
Prolific Learning from Experience author Chris Mardon recalls a suspicious yacht fire in the Caribbean
Sailing short-cut to spectacular Scottish hiking spots
Norman Inglis rediscovers a love for Scotland’s west coast, one of the best locations in the world to combine sailing with hill walking
New South Wales sailing adventure: 8 lighthouses in 18 hours
Owen Moorhouse recalls a cruise along the coast of New South Wales and reflects on the history and landmarks of his home waters
Sailing Orkney’s remote lochs and challenging headlands
Charmian Entwistle discovers ancient ruins, remote lochs and challenging headlands on a four-week Scottish cruise from Isle of Skye to Orkney in a 42ft yacht
“My 38ft yacht was disappearing over the horizon” – a PBO reader makes chase!
Tony Preedy relives a frightening episode from a cruise in Mallorca when his Vancouver 38P, Wild Bird was unintentionally cast adrift while he dined ashore.
How I sailed around Anglesey in a 16ft Shetland skiff
Father and son Lloyd and Sam Griffiths recreate a dinghy sailing from 60 years ago in the challenging waters of North Wales
Sailing without an engine: How I jury rigged an alternative
When wind and batteries fail Genevieve Leaper is becalmed without an engine, but she jury rigs an alternative means of propulsion
Homeward bound: A solo voyage from Portugal to Plymouth
Max Liberson tests his seamanship and comes to terms with grief on a single-handed voyage from Portugal to Plymouth, aboard Wendy May, his 85-year-old wooden gaff cutter.
UK cetaceans: How to spot and identify whales and dolphins from your boat
One spring day when I was a teenager, we were sailing across Poole Bay as we had many times before. All of a sudden, an unremarkable day turned into a…
Nomads of the wind – an article by James Wharram
In light of the recent passing of pioneering multihull designer James Wharram, we share his PBO October 1994 article, published for the first time online
Want to know what it’s like to cross an ocean? Watch these videos…
Ginormous fish, a daring rescue, ripped spinnaker and whale encounters are just a few of the tales we heard as the crews of this year’s ARC+ arrived in Grenada. For…
Mon and Brec Canal boating: Lessons learned from our first inland experience
For years my wife, Ann, and I have been Greek Mediterranean cruisers – we keep our Moody Eclipse Aderyn Glas in Preveza, but haven’t been able to visit since the…