Sailing on sunshine: how to get the most out of your solar panels; Latest advice on installing lithium batteries that every boat owner should read;…
Practical Boat Owner
December 2025 issue – out on 23 October
From steering to rigging (and all the things we forget!) – the essential checks for the prepared skipper; Displacement theory and how it affects the…
How to revamp your boat’s fuel system
It’s always a good idea to take a closer look at your boat’s fuel system. After we bought Noontide, our Albin Ballad 30, in Plymouth in April 2023, we spent…
Princess Anne visits Boat Building Academy to support endangered marine skills
On 6 October, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis to learn about the academy’s work and promote marine heritage crafts. In addition…
Comparing the Oyster 406 and 7 other designs
Lovers of the Oyster 406 and other centre cockpit concepts will know that the style has largely died out among smaller and mid-size yachts. Yet it remains very popular in…
Your best biocide-free antifouling options
Can you protect your boat in UK waters using foul-release coatings, ultrasonic or biomimetic technology? Rob Melotti investigates the antifouling options on the market.
What we learned picking up our first motorboat
Looking back at our disastrous first trip aboard our motorboat Kay, we were under-equipped and complete novices who were convinced we could bring her down the river from Wargrave to…
Guide to buying your first motorboat
There are many reasons why people want to buy a motorboat – the recent Covid-19 pandemic (and a generally unstable world) being one of them. With immediate turn-key power, and…
Cruising with Alzheimer’s: how one couple have adapted to continue sailing together
Tony and Ann Montgomery-Smith have been sailing for almost 60 years. Now both in their 80s, and with Ann’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Tony explains how they have continued to cruise
Hawk 20 Cruiser: fast, fun and functional trailer-sailer
When the Hawk 20 appeared she was hailed as the dayboat that did everything. This model was later followed by the Cruiser version with a cabin. David Harding reports
Report lobster pot and fishing gear entanglement, urges CA and RYA
Sailors and boaters are being asked to report lobster pot and fishing gear entanglement and sightings of poorly marked static gear around the UK coast, as part of efforts to…
Comparing the Sadler 34 and 9 other designs
During the 1970s and 1980s, Sadler Yachts was one of the UK’s best-known boatbuilders, producing a range of serious sea boats that remain popular as cruising yachts today, including the…
November 2025 issue – out 25 September
Banish damp on board your boat! The benefits of solar, hydro and wind..and what can go wrong; 6 legendary boats which shaped design, 12,000 mile gear test, The boatyard at…
Can Grunt! Boat Cleaner get rid of unsightly rust stains on my boat?
Jake Frith tries GRUNT! Boat Cleaner to see if it will remove some stubborn rust stains on his boat
How to service your outboard steering
After a midnight steering failure, one boat owner learns a hard lesson about the "fiddly" but essential maintenance of remote outboard steering
Super Stainless: how good is it at cleaning stains?
Jake Frith has some rust staining on the stainless steel on his boat. Will Super Stainless remove it all?
How to strip and tidy your boat deck
Discover how a boat owner uses a simple air compressor and a collection of versatile air tools to tackle a boat's toughest sanding and cleaning jobs.
Clive’s Boats: comparing two Smacks Boats
In my quest to find the perfect trailer-sailer I’ve owned two Smacks Boats – one was fast, the other more comfortable. I’ve loved both, and purchasing the same model twice…
Keeping your compass accurate: our expert advice
Ever wondered what you can do to maintain compass accuracy? You’re not the only one. Reader Sue Johnson sent in the following question: I have been advised that a VHF…
Stitelmann keeps the lead as Mini Globe Race 2025 leaves for Mauritius
Spirits high and water-tanks freshly topped up, the last of the Mini Globe Race 2025 fleet is setting off for Stage 3 of Leg 3, a 1,500 stretch from the…
How I built a hull skirt to keep my boat dry while antifouling
Ever thought of making a hull skirt? Getting fed up with the yearly grind and expense of antifouling Koto’s bottom I decided to switch over to Coppercoat. Doing so would…
Sunsail’s Funding the Future winner to refurbish five old Laser dinghies
Otley Sailing Club from West Yorkshire, will use the Sunsail's Funding the Future grand prize of £6,000 to revitalise old Laser dinghies to make sailing more accessible for adult club