A host of British sailing stars are set to join tactical and technical experts and inspiring adventurers as guest speakers at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show
boating
Coroner calls for boat law to deter drunk sailing
A coroner has raised concerns about the lack of legislation prohibiting the use of alcohol or drugs by those helming a vessel for private or pleasure use, following the death…
A sustainable alternative to marine ply?
Even the best marine ply is not totally moisture resistant and will eventually succumb to rot after extended periods of raised moisture levels. Supersede Marine Board is said to be…
“I worried the mast might strike the rotor blades” – helicopter rescue from sailing boat
Talan Skeels-Piggins experiences a medical emergency in rough seas while attempting to sail around Britain in his Colvic UFO 34
End of Imray paper charts: historic publisher to phase out chart publishing in 2025
Imray, the leading publisher of nautical information for leisure sailors, will cease its paper chart publishing operations in 2025.
BoatLife 2025 cancelled: NEC announce difficult decision
BoatLife 2025, scheduled to take place from 6 to 9 February 2025 at Birmingham NEC, has "unfortunately been cancelled" – Pendigo Events and the NEC Group have announced.
Hungarian boat charter holiday with kids
Exploring the Kisköre region of River Tisza with three children on a 13.5m motor cruiser – the largest boat on the inland waterways
Becoming a Day Skipper
From classroom conundrums to night-time navigation, dinghy instructor Margaret Norris decides to give big boats a go
Small boats: How leisure sailing began
The pioneers of small-boat leisure sailing had to start from scratch when designing and building early yachts – but some of those vessels are still around to offer inspiration today.
Smoothing the cruising – a buyers guide to ‘shock-absorbing’ boat gear and more!
The ability to soften that slamming motion of a fast boat at sea has been greatly helped with more advanced and compact designs of shock-absorbing seating, self-adjusting trim tabs and…
Boaters warned to mitigate against ‘shocks and impact’ in small vessels
Accumulative effects of shocks and impacts to boaters using small vessels at high speed or in rough water have been highlighted in an updated Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) marine…
Mad about the boat: Ever heard of a bumsprit?
Marina manoeuvres at the sharp end... Dave Selby's 'Mad about the boat' monthly musings, owner of a wooden 1953 Blackwater Sloop and a 23ft Sailfish
Guernsey boat owners revolt against ‘hefty increases’ to mooring charges
Recreational boat owners are campaigning against any future increases above inflation by the Guernsey Ports.
Mad about the boat: The echoes of Essex past
PBO columnist Dave Selby laments the decline of oral history lessons at the Maldon branch of Essex University in the Queen’s Head pub
How to rig a spinnaker on a small yacht – what you need and where to fit it
If you want a spinnaker, but don’t have the necessary fittings or equipment on your boat, where do you start?
Mad about the boat: Cream tea carnage at sea
The crew’s ‘scone mad’ on a Thames sailing barge... PBO columnist Dave Selby speaks from experience
Mad about the boat: Weather or not to go sailing
Ignore the apps: it’s much safer to swear by the weather wisdom of a local oracle, says PBO columnist Dave Selby
“Tough conditions” for Round the Island Race sailors and lifeboat crews providing safety cover
"The weather may not have been on our side for parts of the day, but what an incredible experience had by all", said a spokesperson from one of the many…
Theo, 6, circumnavigates island singlehanded in his ‘Spidey’ boat – painted in Spiderman colours
Theo Geddes, aged 6, sailed solo around Hilbre Island at the mouth of the Dee Estuary to raise money for the RNLI, in his Optimist dinghy painted in Spiderman colours
Six rivers and a backwater – cruising the East Coast of England
John Kingsnorth endeavours to ‘go with wind and tide’ and cover as many English East Coast rivers as possible in a week aboard his Nova 27 cruising yacht