First published in 1967, Practical Boat Owner is acknowledged as the best title in the world for boat maintenance and repair advice, together with seamanship skills relevant to both novices and seasoned sailors alike.
It provides trustworthy advice and information for boaters by highly experienced marine journalists.
Our editorial team members are also typical readers – buying a boat for £500 on eBay and slowly restoring it through a series of published features over four years.

Pip Hare working her boat

Against all odds, Pip Hare’s broken mast during the last Vendée Globe became a masterclass in resilience. She talks about her life in sailing and how she coped with her…

A man using binoculars for pilotage on a boat

Pilotage is a tricky yachting skill for a skipper to master, but also one of the most satisfying. James Stevens has the inside track on picking up the techniques

A Contessa 26 rounding the Needles

Peter Poland recounts the story of the Contessa 26, one of the most able, famous and popular compact long-keeled cruiser-racers

Two men epoxy sheathing the coachroof of a motor boat

Epoxy sheathing offers a long-lasting alternative to canvas for covering a traditional plywood coachroof or deck, as Richard Johnstone-Bryden explains

Summer 2026 issue of Practical Boat Owner

The pros and cons of dinghies for downsizing; Stop leaks – tips for every sailor; How to set storm trysails; Antifoul like a pro; Ditch the instruments and sail by…

Claudia Myatt's painting of Andy Turner's mid-channel medical airlift from an RNLI lifeboat. Credit: Claudia Myatt

Andy Turner suffers a debilitating heart condition while sailing his Bowman 46 offshore with his son and a friend, resulting in an HM Coastguard helicopter airlift from an RNLI lifeboat.