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…
Duchy 27: the motor launch fit for a duke
The Duchy 27 started life as a Aquila 27 before being tweaked by Cockwells Modern and Classic Boatbuilding. David Harding puts the motor launch through its paces
‘The steering wasn’t working. I felt my stomach sink’ – rudder failure in the Pacific
Steering loss aboard a Maxi 120 mid-Pacific reminds Charlie Pank of a previous rudder failure on a Beneteau Idylle many years earlier
Calor Gas U-turn on phasing out 3.9kg & 4.5kg bottles
Calor Gas has confirmed that it will continue to supply 3.9kg propane and 4.5kg butane cylinders having announced it was phasing them out
What is the best hat for sailing?
Prolific boat owner Clive Marsh argues in favour of the Breton cap as the one-size-fits-all-conditions superior sailing headwear
Fixing and avoiding marine engine leaks
There is no need to put up with a leaky, smelly inboard engine. By dealing with small leaks as they arise, even the oldest units can be maintained drip-free
Servicing a hydraulic steering helm on a boat
After finding a hydraulic oil leak in the steering of his Nauticat 331, Mike Corp services the yacht’s helm pump and steering ram
Sailing Norway: paradise found
Marina Guedes sails into the Arctic Circle and discovers the timeless beauty of Norway's west coast and Lofoten Islands
Why is there a film on the seacocks?
PBO reader Camilla Ransom has found a "strange film" on one of the boat's seacocks. What should she do? Surveyor Colin Brown has the answer
Snap, shackle and drop: coping with a dismasted sailing yacht
Steve Hodges and his fiancée Sam McClements’ second attempt at the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean passage is scuppered by a dismasted yacht
Dehler 32: where fast meets friendly
The Dehler 32 combines race-boat performance with easy sailing for short-handed crews, says David Harding
How to sell your boat: one owner’s experience
Andy Hazell shares his experience of buying and selling a family boat
February issue – out 21 December 2023
How to fix cracks and holes in fibreglass, what to look for when carrying out keel checks, exclusive first test of the home-built Globe 5.80, the best sail and power…
How to sell a boat & get the best price
Ali Wood gets tips from the trade on how to sell your boat from a marine surveyor and a yacht broker so you can get the best price to spend…
Tiller to wheel conversion: step by step
If you have a tiller-steered boat and would rather have a wheel, how would you go about converting it? David Harding sees how it’s done to a Hanse 315
Ocean Signal RescueME PLB3 locator beacon with AIS
Rupert Holmes tests the Ocean Signal RescueME PLB3, one of the first personal locator beacons on the market with personal AIS
Easy berthing with a boat pick-up line
Bill Rothwell devises a simple boat pick-up line to make berthing easier
Jubilee Sailing Trust closes due to a lack of funds
Jubilee Sailing Trust (Tenacious) Limited, which owns and operates the tall ship SV Tenacious, has closed due to a lack of funds
Moderate Becoming Good Later: kayaking around the Shipping Forecast
Katie Carr talks to Laura Hodgetts about how she took up her brother's challenge to kayak in every sea area of the Shipping Forecast
Fatal Seadogz RIB crash in Southampton Water was “an accident waiting to happen”
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has concluded that a fatal RIB accident, which killed a teenager, "would likely not have happened had the trip been conducted in line with industry…
Kethvoz KE-866B digital anemometer
Jake Frith tests the Kethvoz KE-866B digital anemometer against the instruments on his boat