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…
Sarum 28 refit: How we completely overhauled this aluminium bilge keeler
Occasionally I’ve said that if someone were to look into one of my ears they’d see daylight out of the other. Owning one boat is questionable, owning two defies sense.…
Boat rewire tips: How we completely rewired the PBO Project Boat
Our marine surveyor Ben Sutcliffe-Davies switched on the instruments of our Maxi 84, Maximus, and I held my breath. Nothing. We hadn’t expected there to be any life in the…
Leaky boat repair: How we plugged the gaps in the PBO Project Boat
Leaky portholes and portlights are common on cruising boats, but there are several things we can try to solve the issue, as we discovered. In his survey, Ben Sutcliffe-Davies had…
How I set a world record crossing the English Channel on my solar-powered boat
Developing the first boat to cross the English Channel powered directly by solar panels (with no batteries) was a rather circuitous journey. It had started a couple of years earlier…
SEAir Flying Tender 80 review: Is this foiling RIB the future for small motorboats?
Having sampled a prototype version of this French foiling RIB three years ago, I had to reluctantly admit it wasn’t quite there yet. It had, and still has, roughly L-shaped…
Best boat varnish: 7 top options for gleaming woodwork
Few things are as quintessential to the archetypal sailboat as gleaming, iridescent woodwork that is indicative of a recent coat with one of the best boat varnish products on the…
Best boats under £50,000: Our top 10 picks from the secondhand market
Choosing the right second-hand yacht to suit your needs as the years fly by can become ever more challenging. Unlike cars that fail MOTs and finally cease to be worth…
Cold water swimming gear: Everything you need to take the plunge all year round
There’s no better way to lift the spirits than an outdoor swim. Whether you’re a dipper or a swimmer, the experience leaves you tingling all day. I’ve been cold water…
The Sailing Brothers give Practical Boat Owner shout out
The Sailing Brothers, Luke and Adam Martin - former supermarket workers turned round the world adventurers - kindly gave a shout out to Practical Boat Owner magazine's latest issue in…
Channel Hopping: Sailing Trilleen
PBO's YouTube aficionado Kass Schmitt recommends Sailing Trilleen for "poetic, enlightening and informative" sailing videos
One year on – footballer turned boater Franny Benali speaks to PBO
Ex-premiership footballer Francis ‘Franny’ Benali is a local hero, so it was fitting he opened this year’s Southampton International Boat Show at the helm of a powerboat, which he berthed…
Cleaning up plastic pollution in paradise: Cruising notes from the Aegean Sea
Contrary to expectations, my first introduction to sailing in the Mediterranean was disappointing. Aleko was returning home to Greece after a three-year voyage in his Nicholson 32 Beduin. I’d joined…
2022 Southampton Boat Show: Insights into the sail and power market
Peter Poland discusses interesting new boats at the Southampton International Boat Show (SIBS) and the state of the sail and power market in general.
Lessons learned from sailing home in a Force 5 after engine failure
Philip, my husband, needed the car so I decided to take my Offshore 8m Karima S from Aith to Brae, where I teach sailing. Last time had been a bit…
Winchelsea Lugger used boat report: A 14ft beach boat that can cross the Channel
Sussex beach boats and their Flobart sisters on the other side of the channel are amongst my favourite luggers. In Normandy they have a following but here in the UK…
November issue – on sale 29 September
Best cruiser racers; Anchoring top tips; Building a watermaker; Homebuilt motorboat; PBO Project Boat alternator; Twisted T300S – 4x4 does marine; and 25 pages of DIY...
Sail the World with Me: Our review of Jimmy Cornell’s latest book
By the end of the book, between the vivid writing and gorgeous photographs, you really feel as if you have sailed the world with Jimmy Cornell as a wise, experienced,…
What do you eat on a transatlantic when your boat’s only 1m long?
When you’re aiming for a solo world record, saving space is a priority… and when you’re in a 1m yacht, it’s absolutely crucial! Food needs to be small, longlife and…
Why I’m crossing the Atlantic in the world’s smallest yacht
What’s inspired this world record microyacht attempt? I’ve always dreamed of breaking the world record for the smallest vessel to cross the Atlantic. Big C is just over a metre…
Swallows and Amazons: Titty actor Sophie Neville shares secrets from the set
“Swallow is coming up for auction,” my father said, sending me the details of a clinker-built sailing dinghy stored at Twickenham. It was the Spring of 2010. I rushed into…