3 of the best ever sailing boats? Readers review their own yachts, plus cruising adventures galore: Katie McCabe and family go to the Isles of Scilly, while adventurers cross oceans and even cut through the Brexit and COVID bureaucracy to cross the North Sea.

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Best ever boats – as reviewed by readers

Why the Drascombe Dabber, Macgregor 26 and Tanton 43 are so appealing to own

Tested: Parker 660 Pilothouse

This sports fisher is a great all-rounder, Peter Poland discovers

North Sea dash

Covid and Brexit bureaucracy melted away for this European passage

Isles of Scilly family cruise

A solo sail for 13-year-old Katie McCabe while her family kept an eye on her from their classic yawl

Solo Atlantic and Pacific

Sailing adventure from Caernarfon to New Zealand crossing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in a 28-footer

Tried & tested

A gas detector, UV-beating T-shirt, stainless steel water bottle and LED rechargable work lamp given a real-life test

‘I saved my boat with sticky tape’

How a leaky exhaust and potential sinking were averted with tape

Martello coast of Corsica

Recalling a cruise along Corsica’s coast of Genoese defensive towers

Worry-free winter

Laying up tips from the pros PLUS boat covers and winter rebuild projects

Keep your boat dry inside

How to cure leaky windows and vents PLUS a user guide to sealants

Fitting a new common rail diesel engine

Installing a more powerful engine in a pilothouse yacht

Upholster a sofa bed

Templating, cutting foam and sewing tips for covering new forepeak cushions

Fit a fridge

Finding room for a portable refrigerator on board

Sketchbook tips to keep the boat aired

Vents and washboards to keep mould at bay over winter