This month we get aboard three new outboard-powered day boats – inland and coastal – plus we deconstruct the calculations that define the limits of your sailing boat’s performance. And there’s more for owners of sail or power: Engine mounts, bilge alarms, navigation lights and interpreting weather forecasts. Readers and experts throughout every issue of PBO.

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Practical motorboating – 3 new boats reviewed
Powerboating has rarely been more affordable, reports Jake Kavanagh

Know your boat – stability and performance calculations made easy
How numbers on paper can help you choose the ideal boat

Practical articles and gear reviews

How to mouse a halyard
Tips for swapping out lines

Buyer’s guide and installation: wireless kill cords
Installing a wireless kill cord on a planing motor cruiser

How I replaced my nav lights
Upgrading old navigation lights with modern LEDs

DIY bilge alarm
A cost effective alarm that could save you from sinking

Restoring a tired motor launch
A winter project that saw a sorry-looking Dell Quay Fisher restored to her former glory

How to make a mast cover
Sewing a custom cover to protect an in-mast furling mainsail

How to replace engine mounts to cut engine vibration
Replacing engine mounts for smoother running

Amazing Adventures

UK island hopping
A challenge to dinghy sail round the 200 islands of England and Wales

French locks
A step by step guide to transiting locks on the French canal system

Dinghy sailing close call
Marsali Taylor recalls a frightening capsize experience

Winter liveaboards
The nights draw in for a British family cruising the Chesapeake bay

Weather forecasting guide

How to interpret weather forecasts
Knowledge to help understand what’s happening with the weather

The power of jet streams
An explanation of surface weather patterns by weather guru Alan Watts

The night the hurricane hit
Roger Hughes prepares his schooner for 150mph winds

Click here to find your nearest shop selling PBO on the newsstand · Buy a single issue delivered to your door! OR Buy a single issue to download now · Buy a back issue · Subscribe to get future issues delivered to your door: www.magazinesdirect.com