My husband, Jeremy, and I have been involved with boats, both motor and sailing, on and off for over 35 years. Like many people, we had a dream to sail…
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Aircat 285: does this inflatable tender offer a stable, high-performance alternative to traditional designs?
Choosing the best inflatable can be tricky, but the catamaran-style Aircat 285 promises to offer a stable, high-performance alternative to traditional designs. Jake Frith put it to the test
Best boats for crossing the North Sea: the Moody Eclipse 33 + 5 other models
Sailing north from Scotland takes you into a different world. Towering cliffs, remote islands, and empty, white-sand beaches await sailors willing to suffer cooler temperatures, rain, and strong currents that…
Saved from the scrapyard: This budget boat renovation gave a £1, 70-year-old boat new life
‘How are you getting on with selling your boat?’ It was a simple question, which launched an endeavour to grant new life to a classic wooden 22ft Yachting Monthly 3-Tonner…
w1Da: the yacht that broke the mould
From the archive, David Harding test sails the w1DA - a boat unlike any other that he has sailed and that marked a new approach to the production yacht
Which is the best cruising dinghy?
Clive Marsh explains what he looks for in a lightweight cruising dinghy
The Grand Cormoran: capable camper-cruiser
The Grand Cormoran is a camper-cruiser capable of handling heavy weather. David Harding puts the boat through its paces
Emrhys Barrell: Eight bells for the marine journalist and electric boating pioneer
Emrhys Barrell, who was a long-time contributor to Practical Boat Owner, has died at the age of 78
The Cormoran: tradition with a twist
Built in southern Brittany, the Cormoran is a day-sailer developed from traditional working craft. David Harding went to France to test the boat
A stroke off the Isles of Scilly: How a medical emergency left this skipper’s wife “hanging from a wire in a near gale”
Early July 2025 found my wife, Veronica, and I sailing in our Dufour 40, Spook from Falmouth in Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly, blissfully unaware of the dramatic rescue…
Compulsory PLB registration comes into force on 15 April
All current and new PLBs carried on board a UK-flagged vessel or mechanically propelled watercraft like a jet ski, must be registered
MOB recovery: which is the best single-point vertical lift technique for getting a crew member back on board?
Which is the best single-point vertical lift recovery method when faced with a man overboard? David Harding examines the best way for MOB recovery
Gybing a cruising chute
Knowing how to gybe with a cruising chute will give you the confidence to make the best use of it. PBO's David Harding shows you how
Boat solar panels: Everything you need to know to get started
Topping up the batteries with solar power has never been easier, says Ali Wood, but how do you decide which type to buy?
Sailing alone: a checklist for solo sailors
It’s easy to forget vital bits of information when setting off on a single-handed passage. Making checklists helps, but everyone’s will be slightly different
Best boat heaters – diesel, solid fuel or warm air central heating?
There are many ways to stay warm afloat, whatever your budget. Ali Wood chooses the best boat heaters
How to prevent wave slap on the hull
Tony Raven uses swimming pool noodles as a cheap cure for wave slapping on the hull
SunCamper 31: “a highly practical river cruiser that can punch across a lake if needed”
An example of the new breed of river cruiser, the SunCamper 31 looks unlike anything most of us have seen before – but there’s a very good reason for that,…
Second life for a salmon seiner
Ben Lowings looks at the history of the 17ft salmon seiner Shambler, and how it has become a true community boat
Propeller installation: tips from the experts
Gilbert Park refurbishes a pitted starboard propeller on his Seaward 29 motor cruiser and gets some advice on how to refit it