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…
January 2021
This month we get aboard three new outboard-powered day boats – inland and coastal – plus we deconstruct the calculations that define the limits of your sailing boat's performance. And…
Self-isolation comes naturally for some of us…
Self-isolating has never been a problem for me. In fact, I’ve been following government guidelines ever since 2005, when I bought my Sailfish 18, and two months later the sheet…
How to: replace a halyard
Halyards need taking out of the mast if you’re unstepping the mast or the line needs replacing. It is pretty straightforward, but there are a few steps to follow to…
Yacht maintenance not ‘essential activity’ during second COVID-19 lockdown
Government officials have said private individuals visiting their boats for maintenance or winterisation purposes is not an essential activity, and should not be a reason for people leaving their homes
Pip Hare – from folkboats to five oceans
“It’s not hard being on your own. Or even being in the middle of the ocean. It’s learning to sleep that’s so tough,” confides British sailor Pip Hare, ahead of…
What use is a chart table? 4 new ideas that won’t stand the test of time
Useless thing, these days, the chart table. Once, the navigator crouched over it, tensely twiddling the wheel on his Breton plotter, dividers at hand, pencils rolling to the swells, drenched…
How to repair instrument gauges
Every boat has a number of gauges for water, fuel and waste tanks. Every so often, one of them will stop working properly – giving no reading at all or…
Nav equipment and electronics: how to set up your boat on a budget
Marine electronics have come a long way since the days when a log, depth sounder, VHF and GPS, or even Decca, were the norm for many boats. It’s now possible…
Pre-order the PBO Small Craft Almanac 2021, out Nov 26
The Reeds PBO Small Craft Almanac may be more compact and concise than the Reeds Nautical Almanac but it contains a wealth of indispensable navigational data specially tailored for small…
Long term UK cruisers in Europe face paying VAT twice on boats
UK sailors who have cruised continually in Europe for over three years without returning to the UK have until the end of 2021 to bring their vessels home or face…
December 2020
The type of tender you own says a lot about the boat you have and the boating you do. A boat for rowing out to a mid-river mooring and back…
Ocean Film Festival in your living room
This October sees the very first virtual edition of the Ocean Film Festival World Tour. This annual collection of short films has been a hit with PBO staff since it…
Safety video aims to reduce RNLI call-outs to broken down boats
The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) have joined forces to produce a new series of ‘How to’ videos with advice and tips on how to…
How to: moor a yacht alongside
When it comes to mooring your boat alongside, it helps to know which lines do what, what type of rope to use and how best to arrange them so that…
Lay up or sail away? Ideas for enjoying winter afloat
Ask a dozen boating enthusiasts what they do over the winter and you’ll get a wide range of answers. Some value the escape from the water to allow them to…
November 2020
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 sizes on any budget. Get…
Devon Yawl test sail and review
A friend and I once decided that instead of sailing, an August hike might do us good. So we took the coastal path from Branscombe to Bigbury. On the leg…
Boats 2020 and MDL Ocean Village Show cancelled at last minute
A sudden new turn of events on Thursday evening as British Marine, organisers of Boats2020 – a replacement event for the cancelled Southampton International Boat Show – announced that the…
How to climb your mast and work aloft safely
As much as I love sailing, there is one thing (besides rebuilding the head) that I really have a problem with, and that is the height of the mast. No,…
Liveaboard diaries – the family sailing around the world in the pandemic
Swimming with turtles January 2020 After leaving St Lucia we’ve been cruising between the Tobago Cays in the Grenadines and Grenada and are now working our way north again. Having…