Is it time to swap your boat batteries? We look at the pros and cons of lithium-ion vs standard, installation dos and don’ts, bust the…
Practical Boat Owner
May issue – out 14 March
15 fixes at sea: sailors share how to deal with a range of problems afloat from a dismasting and rudder damage to chafe, the essential…
How Perkins marine engines became world-famous
The Volvo Penta engine on our Maxi 84 Maximus is a re-badged version of the Perkins 103-06, itself originally imported from a Japanese company called Ishikawajima Shibaura Machinery. Perkins marketed…
How an intercooled engine works
With an inter-cooled engine, the role of the seawater is to take away the heat from the freshwater. The seawater, or ‘raw water’, is a separate flow to the fresh…
How to clean a carburettor: Our expert’s view on ultrasonic cleaners
Paul Carey writes: “In recent issues of Practical Boat Owner there has been some discussion on the problems of stale petrol clogging up or leading to poor performance of outboard…
Does impeller orientation really matter? Ask the experts
Chris Mardon writes: “I was always told that when replacing the impeller on my diesel engine raw water pump I should make sure the blades were folded in the swept…
Propeller antifoul: Our expert’s top tips for sticking paint to a prop
Andy Peach writes: “What’s the best preparation and antifouling paint to use on a propeller and P-bracket? “I’d heard that lanolin was worth a try but when I lifted the…
Dinghy rescue: How I helped two teenagers recover their capsized boat
The evening was warm and pleasant with just enough wind to keep the sails filled; autumn dusk had begun to obscure the distance. Yachts that had ventured up the narrowing…
Sea toilet restoration: How I refurbished the heads on the PBO Project Boat
With seacocks previously installed in the Maxi 84, it was time to connect the hoses. The first thing to decide was what sort of installation. As Ali explained in her…
How to make a kayak: This £300 custom design has lasted our family 30 years
Building your own boat is an absorbing pastime leading, hopefully, to an enjoyable result. Kayaks are about the simplest boats to make, and they give tremendous fun. There are plenty…
February issue – on sale 22 December
Day sailers and cruising dinghies; Jimmy Cornell's world cruising survey – then and now; Adventure after loss; Golden Globe fix; Clever kit from Europe's biggest trade show; PBO Project Boat…
Dufour 32 review: 56 years of French design went into this new cruiser
When Michel Dufour set up as a designer and builder of GRP yachts back in the 1960s, the Arpege 30 (introduced in 1966) was only his second production yacht. In…
Stuck up a 75ft mast in the middle of the Atlantic
Karen Parker had been sailing onboard their Oyster 56, Mistral of Portsmouth, with husband Chris and two crew, when their Code Zero headsail, designed for light winds, became jammed. With…
METSTRADE 2022: Best new boating gear from Europe’s biggest trade show
Ocean Signal RescueME PLB3 AIS personal locator beacon A key element of the METSTRADE 2022 marine show in Amsterdam is the DAME Design Awards, which recognise some of the most…
Drascombe and Devon Luggers buyer’s guide: Gateway to offshore sailing
Visit any UK harbour in the summer and the chances are you’ll see a Drascombe Lugger or a Devon Lugger afloat or dried out on the mud. My first experience…
31 of the best Christmas gifts for boat owners
Finding decent Christmas gifts for boat owners on a budget is an unenviably tricky task, but luckily Practical Boat Owner is here to help! Below are our recommended Christmas gifts…
ARC+ yachts arrive in Grenada and injured crew transferred to superyacht
Alika, the largest yacht in the fleet, experienced sudden loss of steering on 21 November, throwing two crew off balance, one of whom suffered concussion and the other a serious…
Inflatable boat repair and reconstruction: How to save your dinghy from the tip
The ‘service life’ of the adhesive used to attach floors and transoms to the tube collars of most small inflatable boats is generally agreed in the industry to be 10-15…
DIY lithium battery: 2 years on, my homemade setup has passed test of time
All our energy needs, for two of us, living full-time aboard Cushla for the past two years have been met by the lithium battery bank I assembled from individual lithium…
Smoking boat engine? Our expert explains what could be wrong
Gunter Bock from Norway writes: “I read in PBO’s November 2021 issue about exhaust elbow problems. You recommended replacing the reader’s damaged iron elbow with a new one in stainless…
Is it worth re-activating copper antifoul? Ask the experts
Brian Williams writes: “I read with great interest the article on different antifouling treatments in the May 2021 edition of PBO. “Based at Suffolk Yacht Harbour I had Coppercoat professionally…
Conquering the cold – from sea dipping to aquatic yoga and Wim Hof
“My grandfather taught me to enjoy cold water dips,” says Helena, shouting over the noise of the surf. “I used to do yoga with him at dawn, he was like…