The latest issue of PBO features offshore single-handed sailing tips for dreamers and DIYers plus stories of seamanship and practical ideas for boats of all…
Practical Boat Owner
September 2020
The September issue of PBO has an extra special mix of boat maintenance advice – focussing on the rig checks you can do yourself –…
How and where to install a new windlass battery on your boat
PBO Ask the Experts is a free service for readers. Simply email us your question and we’ll find an expert to answer it for you: pbo@ti-media.com ‘I’d like to add…
Lithium batteries for boats reviewed – 12 of the best lithium boat batteries tested
Boat owners have long relied upon the lead-acid battery to start their engines, run electric lights and, these days, to power inverters to run household items such as kettles, microwaves…
April 2020
Pick up a copy of the April issue of PBO (on sale 20 Feb) and see for yourself why everyone is raving about the Coast 250 from Swallow Boats –…
Yacht design in the 2010s – radical ideas and a new golden age?
A common complaint about the latest generation of new yachts is that they just represent ‘more big, white plastic.’ While it’s true some simply continue existing design trends without offering…
The 21st century yacht designs that have already become classics – part 1
By the beginning of the 2000s it was the norm for new yacht designs to have low centre of gravity keels, with generally bigger bulbs than previously, which dramatically improved…
Popular yacht designs of the 1990s
The 1990s began with a recession that saw a massive dip in the number of new boats sold, in a marked contrast to the boom years of the 1970s and…
Popular classics – 1980s yacht designs that are still making waves today
The 1980s ushered in more change in the marine industry. A key trend was that boats were rapidly becoming larger and more comfortable, especially towards the end of the decade,…
Coming of age: the 1970s yacht designs that have stood the test of time
The 1970s saw further rapid advances in boat design, with new boats becoming quickly outclassed. It also coincided with a new rule for rating race boats, the International Offshore Rule…
The age of discovery – what we can learn from yacht design of the 1960s
The 1960s was a decade of huge change in which many earlier developments, including the advent of fibreglass construction and shorter keels, with a separate rudder further aft, finally became…
Sailing for All – the 1950s: a short history of yacht design
Although the post-war period was a time of scarcity – food rationing in the UK continued until 1954 – it was also a period of great optimism. There was more…
March 2020
Pre-season DIY mast checks, a pair of extended coastal adventures – power and sail – plus 10 top tips for how to live aboard with your pets.
Heaven help us! Lessons learned from repeat boat breakdowns
Don and Renae Shore had flown down from Minnesota to join us in Florida for a week’s cruise, to experience the gentle art of sailing – or at least, that’s…
Brighton to Baiona: My first time sailing across Biscay as skipper
We slipped out of Brighton Marina in early October intending to make a non-stop passage to A Coruña. We finally arrived in Baiona a month later, but what a lot…
Free download – how to check in to a marina when you don’t speak the language
My French is fairly profficient, but when I was in Italy recently (I don’t speak Italian), I started work on a document that would give the marina office all the information…
Woodworking tools – a DIY boat owner’s guide to getting a professional finish
It’s not difficult to achieve a professional finish using woodworking machines and there are bargains to be had every day on ebay and other buying and selling forums. But do…
February 2020
Is your boat set up for safety? What essential equipment do you need for coastal and harbour cruising anyway? Find out all this and more in the February issue of…
SV Delos Youtube sailing channel exclusive – behind the scenes with The Tribe
My skin was encrusted with a thin layer of salt from an afternoon at the beach. Having only arrived in Grenada a few weeks earlier, my husband and I and…
50ft multihull Hallucine is first ARC yacht to arrive in St Lucia
The lead yachts in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers are now arriving in St Lucia, with 50ft multihull, Hallucine, being the first to cross the line on Friday 06 December.…
Essential boat buyer’s guide: Sealing the deal on a new boat
Once you’ve found a boat with enough potential to make an offer for it, a whole lot more questions open up. How much to offer? Is there a set formula…
January 2020
Would your boat fit in a shipping container? Find out how one PBO reader shipped his beloved fin-keeled 22-footer, plus top tips from the professionals on the woodworking tools you…