Practical Boat Owner
25 stories
Practical Boat OwnerContingency plans for cruising boats Learning how to prepare your cruising boats for mechanical or electrical breakdowns at sea with essential system redundancy strategies.
Practical Boat OwnerSam Llewellyn: Does sail colour matter? Red sails in the sunset? PBO columnist Sam Llewellyn is in favour of any sail colour as long as it's not black. Or tan. Or white. Heavy weather for Sam’s Corribee, a cream-sailed ocean greyhound.
Practical Boat OwnerDave Selby: Pottier than The Odyssey Sailing should not have to be pot luck! “Port a bit... no, starboard...” Credit: Claudia Myatt There’s no doubt Odysseus had worse: trapped by a predatory woman on an island, facing raging storms at…
Practical Boat OwnereNav in a Nutshell: using vectors Two powerful digital navigational tools, heading and course-over- ground (COG) vectors, can help fine-tune your passage making.
Practical Boat OwnerEmergency seacock repair: How to stop a below-waterline leak Roger Hughes struggles with a potentially disastrous snapped off skin fitting Water was coming in from the middle seacock, here duct taped to stem the flow.
Practical Boat OwnerRestoring a Contessa 26 over two years for a solo circumnavigation Joe Bainbridge explains to woodworking tutor Geoff Bowker how his Contessa 26 was refitted ready for an Atlantic circuit After structurally reinforcing the hull, Joe Bainbridge redesigned the…
Practical Boat OwnerGroundbreaking report on yacht to yacht rescues "Eye opening" with "life-saving insights", the Cruising Club of America (CCA) has published the most comprehensive examination of yacht to yacht rescues ever produced.
Practical Boat OwnerChannel Hopping: Heartbreaking Melody, a tribute to Andy Bennington-Turner PBO's resident YouTube aficionado Kass Schmitt pays tribute to Andy Bennington-Turner of Sailing Melody Andy Bennington-Turner of Sailing Melody.
Practical Boat OwnerFrom engine nightmares to sailing in a Scottish paradise: one couple shares how they restored a £10,000 Etap 30 Phil Clandillon chats to YouTubers Jo and Tim about refitting their Etap 30 Hat Trick and how engine failure scuppered their first season Jo Heard and Tim Foster, along with their sprocker spaniel…
Practical Boat OwnerMainsheet track replacement for smooth, low friction sail handling Replacing an aging mainsheet track requires careful planning, custom track bending, and selecting the right hardware.
Practical Boat OwnerHow to fill a grease gun, step by step Tony Davies shows gives detailed guide on how to fill a grease gun The seemingly simple job of filling a grease gun or remote stern gland greaser causes incredible difficulties for many boat owners.
Practical Boat OwnerHow replacing an O-ring fixed an oil leak in my hydraulic steering Gilbert Park explains how he dealt with an oil leak on his motorboat’s hydraulic steering ram by replacing the O-ring seals A special two-pronged fork was used to release the end cap – though not…
Practical Boat OwnerSir Robin Knox-Johnston on his life-long love for Suhaili, and how he keeps her in sailing shape Sir Robin Knox-Johnston shares some hard-won tips on caring for his world famous record-breaking 63-year-old ketch Suhaili Suhaili is moored at Gosport, close to Sir Robin’s home.
Practical Boat OwnerHave your say on the affordability of Admiralty paper charts The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is asking skippers and other maritime users to help inform the future affordability of Admiralty paper charts.
Practical Boat OwnerChannel Hopping: Footage, footage everywhere with GGR Window Live PBO's resident YouTube aficionado Kass Schmitt asks if technological progress such as the Golden Globe Race (GGR) Window Live has improved the viewing experience of sailing events?
Practical Boat OwnerBest navigation app options tested, and what to consider Duncan Kent and Dagnall Clutterbuck test the latest marine navigation app options for tablets and smart phones to find out what works best, and which features matter most The same route was plotted…
Practical Boat OwnerUK’s largest eco-mooring site’s future at risk The Studland Bay Marine Partnership is warning that boating access to the popular Dorset sailing spot could be threatened unless more skippers pay to use the eco mooring buoys.
Practical Boat OwnerCompulsory lifejacket rule for New Zealand boaters Everyone on board a leisure boat 6m or less in length that is under way in New Zealand must now wear a properly-fitted lifejacket.
Practical Boat OwnerSail and Stay charter: flotilla and beach club combo Laura Hodgetts and family find out why Seafarer’s Sail and Stay flotilla and beach club holidays have a 50%-plus return rate Building confidence in a Bahia.
Practical Boat OwnerWhat is my propshaft set up? Practical Boat Owner reader Dean Hope seeks the help of engine expert Stu Davies to discover how his propshaft is set up Dean Hope wonders how he can replace the missing bolts securing his propshaft…
Practical Boat OwnerHow one sailor used AquaTeak to create a luxury look for a once plain cockpit David Larner improves the appearance of his yacht’s cockpit Pipedream’s cockpit with its new Treadmaster AquaTeak covering.
Practical Boat OwnerTom Gruitt Award launched for yachting photographers The Yachting Journalists' Association has launched a new award in memory of member and yachting photographer, Tom Gruitt Tom Gruitt photographed numerous sailing events including the Olympic Games…
Practical Boat OwnerBrain haemorrhage and rudder loss at sea Alex Carter survives a medical emergency at sea, only to suffer rudder failure during a recovery sail.
Practical Boat OwnerTrapped in a tidal race: Lessons learned from a mid-passage breakdown during a gale A key snapping off in his Maxi 84’s ignition – in unfamiliar waters and tricky conditions, just when the engine is needed most – leads to some big decisions for Ian Craig Painting by Dick Everitt…
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