From classroom conundrums to night-time navigation, dinghy instructor Margaret Norris decides to give big boats a go
boating
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
“We recovered a stolen boat while cruising on the Norfolk Broads”
A quiet January cruise on the Norfolk Broads turns into an unexpected crime drama for PBO contributor Will Renilson when he helps in the recovery of a stolen 35ft Bourne…
PBO editor Katy Stickland takes the YJA helm as newly-appointed chairman
Practical Boat Owner (PBO) editor Katy Stickland has added another feather to her cap – as the new chairman of the Yachting Journalists Association (YJA).
Celebrate unsung heroes of the boating community with the revamped RYA Awards
From inspirational volunteers to thriving and forward-thinking clubs, the RYA awards aim to celebrate all those going the extra mile to support our boating community.
Grassroots sailing club needs support to survive: Save Weir Wood Sailing Club
Sailor, author and broadcaster Tom Cunliffe has thrown his support behind a campaign to 'Save Weir Wood Sailing Club' in East Sussex from closure.
Sunk by the rocks – an anchoring misadventure
When Jeff Middleton got into difficulties with a stuck prop shaft while trying to anchor in Bull Bay on Anglesey, he never imagined it would result in the loss of…
Former PBO deputy editor joins Round the Island Race 2024 entries
"Stock up on flapjacks" – the countdown is on and earlybird entries are being encouraged for the 2024 Round the Island Race around the Isle of Wight
First offshore passage in a pocket cruiser – Essex to Belgium
George Stanton battles mal de mer as he crosses the North Sea from Suffolk to Oostende in a 17ft Hurley Silhouette