59 low cost upgrades to enhance your boat; How to reduce weather helm; Boat repairs in a Force 9 storm; Designing and building your own…
Practical Boat Owner
April 2026 issue – out 12 February
Sailmaker tips for getting new life out of old sails; NMEA wifi gateways tested; Wayfarer Weekended on test; Cruising hacks from liveaboard sailors; Solo skipper’s…
Boat windscreen wiper motor repair: how one boat owner fixed the seized motor
Richard Stone mends his deck saloon's windscreen wiper motor
March 2026 issue – out 15 January
Boat electrics made easy; Restoring a £1 boat; Easy ways to revive your canopy; How to find the perfect crew; How to lower your mast while afloat; Upgrade your windlass;…
Latest lithium-ion battery installation advice that every boat owner needs to know
Marine engineer and surveyor Marcus Jones unpicks the confusion surrounding the use of lithium batteries and what you should consider if installing them on board your boat
Finalists for the YJA 2025 Yachtsman of the Year & Young Sailor of the Year announced
The winners will be decided by members of the Yachting Journalists' Association
DIY automated fog horn for £30
Nick Tyler takes the guesswork out of broadcasting fog signals
Clare Allcard, Rozelle Raynes & Peter Gerard: how these three sailors found independence through their wooden boats
When I was a child, reading on board Peter Duck, I became obsessed with Ten Small Yachts, Maurice Griffiths’s second book, published in 1933 following the success of Magic of…
Time to change the Beaufort Scale?
John Savage argues that the Beaufort Scale needs an update to make it more simple
How to patch flowcoat to protect a corroded stern tube
Ken Fawell asks: This is a picture (above) taken inside my yacht. Apparently, the coating on the stern tube has been worn away by the black vibrating water hose. Can…
Your ultimate checklist to prepare your yacht’s systems for an ocean crossing
Completing an ocean crossing, such as the traditional transatlantic passage from the Canaries to the Caribbean, is a bucket list item for many. It’s both a fantastic experience and a…
How I refit my own Volvo Saildrive propeller
Prevailing winds in the UK blow from the west, so why is it then, that whenever you want to travel east, the winds will relentlessly blow from that direction for…
Last leg of the Mini Globe Race: Harris breaks records, Stitelmann still keeps the lead
With less than 6,000 miles to the finish, the Mini Globe Race fleet of homebuilt 19ft plywood yachts is drawing closer to Antigua, and to end of this world-first adventure.…
Turning old headsails into an MOB recovery scoop and sea anchors
Paul McNeill shows how redundant old headsails can be successfully recycled as items of MOB recovery equipment or as sea anchors
How to avoid spinnaker broaching
Spinnakers and cruising chutes can make downwind sailing fun and faster – as long as you don’t let them take over. David Harding offers some tips on safe handling
Sailing through a thunderstorm at Portland Bill: How I survived a solo knockdown
David Edgar experiences a knockdown on a fraught solo sail round Portland Bill as a gale gathers strength
Lying ahull or heaving to? Which is best for heavy weather?
Experienced ocean sailor Tim Cassidy advocates lying to the wind with no sail set in heavy weather, but stresses the importance of hull shape
Can I use composite wood for boat repairs?
PBO reader Colin Doyle needs to make repairs to his cabin sole. Is using composite wood a good idea? Boat builder and finisher Lyndon March has the answer
Yarmouth 22: a long-keeler which balances tradition and fractional rig performance
With her modern fractional rig and blister coachroof, the Yarmouth 22 is a long-keeler with a difference. David Harding reports
Fusion BB10 Black Box radio: DIY installation on a boat
Gilbert Park shows how he fitted an audio system controlled from his chartplotter and smartphone while underway
Slab reefing: Guide to sail shape & preventing sail damage
David Pugh explains how to keep in shape for all conditions with a comprehensive guide to slab reefing techniques
Inland gear: the essential kit for navigating canals, lakes and rivers
Rupert Holmes looks at the gear you need to safely navigate the inland waterways on your boat