PBO was launched in 1967 – since when it has consistently outsold every other yachting magazine in Britain. If you would like to contribute, please read the contributors’ guidelines.
As the brand leader it provides a unique blend of helpful advice and in-depth information for every kind of sailor; power or sail.
PBO is a hands-on publication which is driven by its readers. A source of useful and helpful information for boat owners, both power and sail, it helps them get the most from their chosen leisure activity.
Inside every issue you’ll find clear step-by-step guide to every seasonal hands-on boating job, plus verdicts on the latest gear and boat tests too.
Editorial team
Katy Stickland – Editor
With a journalism career spanning 25 years, Katy Stickland has worked for local newspapers, the BBC, regional Caribbean publications and Tobago News – the island’s only newspaper.
In 2010, Katy co-founded and ran the marine services company – Store Bay Marine Services – in Tobago with her husband John, providing technical services for visiting sailors ranging from marine electrics and electronics to inboard and outboard engine repair, GRP, canvas work and metal and woodwork.. They lived aboard their S&S 34 in Store Bay, before returning to the UK.
She previously wrote for the Yachting and Boating World website and worked for Yachting Monthly magazine for over five years, three as deputy editor, before joining the PBO team in 2023. She has also contributed to the Superyacht Services Guide and A Cruising Guide to Trinidad and Tobago.
Katy is also a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer.
Ali Wood testing the Zhik UV Active top at her Dorset sailing club
Features Editor Alison Wood
A yachting, outdoor and travel journalist, Ali has written for a number of brands, including BBC Wildlife, Countryfile, Yachting Monthly and Radio Times. She’s also worked as a publisher in the Women’s and Craft sectors.
Sailing and watersports are her passion. As a child she raced Mirror dinghies with her parents and went on to cruise the North Wales coast in everything from a fibreglass trimaran to a 100-year-old wooden gaffer. These days she lives in Dorset and enjoys wild swimming, paddleboarding, surfing and sailing dinghies in Christchurch harbour.
Ali’s recently become the proud owner of the PBO Project Boat, Maximus. Together with her husband, she’s refitting the 43-year-old cruiser and making all the DIY mistakes her readers warned her about.
Cruising editor Laura Hodgetts
After graduating with a 1st in BA (Hons) Multi-Media Journalism at Bournemouth University, Laura worked for Digital Photographer magazine as a staff writer, before taking voluntary redundancy to go travelling.
Laura then joined the Dorset Echo as a news reporter, completing the NCTJ senior news reporter qualifications. Laura’s love of watersports saw her write the Echo’s Afloat page and become the Echo’s accredited reporter for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic sailing events, held in Weymouth and Portland.
Laura has passed the RYA day skipper, dinghy sailing level 2, powerboat level 2, windsurfing and kitesurfing beginner, and PADI advanced open water diving courses.
Laura has worked full time on PBO for more than seven years as news and website editor.
Digital editor Toby Heppell
Toby was born to a dinghy racing family and was surrounded by sailing more-or-less from birth. He received his first boat – a bright red Optimist dinghy – for his fourth birthday and has been outon the water as often as possible from then on. He has won World and National titles and captained his University sailing team. It was during his time at university he discovered keelboat racing and continues to sail big and small boats to this day.
After leaving university in 2005 he got a job writing for an online sailing publication and has continued writing for both cruising and racing publications ever since, covering two Olympic Games and other events across the globe.
Digital tech editor Fox Morgan
Hailing from that well known seafaring port of Chesterfield and brought up with a family of engineers, Fox Morgan is an STCW, GMDSS and YM Ocean qualified maritime professional as well as NCTJ qualified photojournalist since 1997. On the water, they go by the name Captain Flashheart.
Art director Neil Singleton
From a very early age Neil could be found riding pillion with his grandad (a PBO subscriber) up and down the Trent waterways aboard his motorboat. This came to an end when the boat was put up for sale but in doing so, Neil did get to meet local Nottingham Forest football hero Justin Fashanu as the potential purchaser of the boat. Since then Neil keeps himself busy fueling petrol headed passions of his own.
Art Editor Robert Owen 
Robert joined Yachting World as Art Editor having previously worked in this role for Boat International, The Field and Shooting Times. He was trained at art college in Southend-on-Sea before travelling the world working on large yachts in the Mediterranean. He has twice won Time Inc. (UK) Ltd’s Designer of the Year Award and is a keen photographer and ornithologist.
E-mail: robert.owen@futurenet.com
Production Editor Julian Peckham
Julian started work as a boatbuilder when he left school and later moved into journalism, first as transport reporter on a national daily newspaper, and later writing for and editing everything from free weekly newspapers to an aerospace magazine.
He’s been with PBO on and off for more than 15 years.
E-mail: julian.peckham@futurenet.com
Office address
Practical Boat Owner
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Unit 415 Eskdale Rd
Winnersh Triangle Business Park
Winnersh
Reading
RG41 5RA
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Practical Boat Owner?
Future PLC owns Practical Boat Owner. The brand was formerly owned by IPC Media, a publisher that was renamed to become Time Inc. and then TI Media. Future PLC bought TI Media in April 2020.
Who is the editor of Practical Boat Owner?
Katy Stickland is the Editor of Practical Boat Owner. Appointed in early 2023, she previously worked on Yachting Monthly for 5 years.
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